Custom maps of the Sierra Nevada – Let’s design!

This can't be easily answered without knowing the use for these maps.

Some people want topographic maps. Try Tom Harrison maps for trails. Some people want shaded relief maps. Some want geological maps. Some want trees and ground cover maps.

I've never paid $30 for a map before, so I don't know.

The National Geographic TOPO! maps do a good job, in my opinion, if you like electronic maps. Then you can customize them with trails or whatever, and then print them out yourself. Each section is rectangular, fairly squarish.

For overview maps for planning, you need only about two big maps to cover the main part of the Sierra Nevada. But then for actual routes, you would need about 30-50 maps to cover the same area.

–B.G.–

"Game on!

Jack,

I'm not sure how much having a collector's set has to do with your search, but for working out cross country routes, I've been using "A Guide to the John Muir Wilderness and Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness" set of maps for years. It covers KCNP and adjacent wilderness areas on either side and is on a scale of 1:64000, which is close enough to 1:50000 for overview planning, IME. There are enough cross country routes in that area to keep you busy for a lifetime. You still need 7.5' maps for the serious detail work, again, IME. The set costs $17 and would save you a bundle on about half of what you are looking to cover. Kinko's could laminate them for less than the equivalent maps would cost. My 2 cents.