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How can maps be useful/relevant in today's world?

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If your GPS is on the fritz and you need to know how to get from point A to point B without getting lost, there’s no need to admit defeat by stopping to ask for directions. Just pull out your trusty map! Whether you’re hiking the Swiss…

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You probably know that a magnetized compass and a paper map are part of the Ten Essentials. Learning to read that paper topo map (short for topographic map) is every bit as essential. Your map will then be able to tell you a richly detailed tale about the terrain you'll be exploring.

This article covers these concepts:

How contour lines let you visualize your terrain

How map scales work

Other useful map details

Where to find topo maps

Also read our companion article, How to Use a Compass. Then take a class with the REI Outdoor School or another outdoor organization and practice these skills until you master them.

Video: How to Read a Topo Map

How Contour Lines Describe Terrain

Simple trail maps are useful for trip planning but NOT for navigation in the field. Topographic maps go further, giving you the power to visualize three-dimensional terrain from a flat piece of paper. The feature that makes this possible is contour lines:

Contour lines indicate the steepness of terrain. Contour lines connect points that share the same elevation: Where they're close together (they never intersect), elevation is changing rapidly in short distance and the terrain is steep. Where contour lines are wide apart, elevation is changing slowly, indicating a gentle slope.

Contour lines also indicate the shape of the terrain. Roughly concentric circles are probably showing you a peak, and areas between peaks are passes. Studying a topo map of a familiar area is a great way to learn how to match terrain features with the contour lines on a map.

Index contour lines: Every fifth contour line is a thicker, "index" line. At some point along that line, its exact elevation is listed.

Contour interval: The change in elevation from one contour line to the next is always the same within the same map. Many maps have either a 40- or 80-foot contour interval: An 80-foot interval simply means that each contour line is 80 vertical feet away from the next closest line. You find the contour interval for your map in its legend.

Every once in a while, a circle indicates a depression rather than a peak. A circle with tick marks inside it indicates a depression, rather than a peak. You should also see elevations decreasing as you get near the depression.

The map's scale tells you how detailed your map is. A 1:24000 scale, for example, means one inch on the map equals 24,000 inches of real-world terrain. If the scale ratio had a number like 1:65,000, though, that would mean that each inch on the map covered 65,000 inches of terrain. A map with that scale covers a larger area overall-but it has less detail within each square inch on the map.

The terms "large scale" and "small scale" are often confused (including in an earlier version of this article). In the example above, for example, the correct description of the ratio of 1/24,000 is that it indicates the "larger scale" map (having greater detail). The ratio of 1/65,000 is the "smaller scale" map (having less detail).

Maps also have a representative scale to help you visualize real-world distances. You can use this scale and a string or the edge of your compass to get a rough estimate about hiking distances on your map.

Look closely at the map legend. It's loaded with map-reading clues and navigational data. Start by studying what each line, symbol and color means. Generally, green indicates denser vegetation, while light or colorless areas suggest open terrain. And, as you'd expect, streams and lakes are shown in blue.

The legend also lists key data like the map's scale, contour- and index-line intervals, grid systems (used for more advanced navigation) and magnetic declination (needed to set up your compass).

Highlighted trails

Elevation callouts

Distances between trail junctions and landmarks

Primitive trails

Backcountry campsites

Springs

Highlighted boundary lines

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Once you know how to use them, a map and compass become indispensable navigational tools. This article explains the basics of how read and use a topo map, and it includes videos that demonstrate those skills. It also offers tips on where to get a map.

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Beginner’s Guide - Basic Map Reading Skills

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Enter in two locations to make the drive fun.