2 comments about Colorado's Fourteeners: Companion Map Package.

1. I had the pleasure of using the map pack on a recent week of 14'er bagging. The maps are larger versions of the ones included in the second edition of the book. The back of the map contains detailed info on the "most popular" route. I currently use the original edition of Roach's book with the new map pack. Since the new color maps in the 2nd edition of the Colorado Fourteeners book do not photocopy well, the single page maps(approximately legal size) are more convenient than carrying the entire book. If you are a map fanatic like me, there is much to enjoy. Unfortunately, there is no geoposition data on these maps for GPS fanatics.



2. The maps in this publication are really great with all the details, suggested routes, full color, topographic. I used them in combination with National Geographic's Trails Illustrated topo maps and found them better in some respect then those Trails Illustrated. Actually, they complement each other, you can use them together if you want as many details as possible (name of mines, trails, etc.)

   However, I had to return the CD. The software crashed every time after a few minutes of use. Maps are scanned in a kind of low quality. I installed the software to Win 2k Pro and Win XP Home, and it crashed all the time, looked like a Win 3.1 application. I even mailed to the tech support of the software publisher they responded fast (good job!). They let me know they don't support this software any more, there are no new versions or updates available.

   The map package is available separately at some book stores. I definitely recommend that map only package but not this combination with the useless CD.

1 comments about Colorado Fishing Guide & Atlas.

1. I thought this was a good buy for the $$$ and got some real use out of it on my trip to Colorado. I would also recommend Flyfisher's Guide to Colorado by Marty Bartholomew. I thought it was better if you were going to buy just one.

2 comments about The Complete Colorado Campground Guide.

1. Colorado is abundant with campsites on public land. The challenge is that these campsites are managed by a variety of state, local and national governmental bodies with different rules and information sources. This book provides an excellent consolidation of information on some 500 campsites located across National and State Parks, Forest Service land and within local municipalities.

   The authors have broken up the state into 13 regions and there is a section of the book dedicated to each region. From this point forward the content appears to be largely an aggregation of public information on each campsite: Name, Location, Fee (Y/N), Number of units, Max length, Elevation, Toilets (Y/N), Water (Y/N) and Managing Agency - with contact info. (This contact info alone makes the book very valuable.) They also note activities: e.g. hiking, fishing and dates the sites are open for use. Some campgrounds, mostly state and national parks, are accompanied with more written descriptions and maps, which appear to have been transposed directly from a agency brochures.

   While I found this book useful I was hoping to discover more editorial content. There is a nice one-page discussion on the opportunities that the relatively unknown State Wildlife Areas offer (by Don Schuchardt), mysteriously stuck on page 55 (of 160). Beyond that, everything else appears to be republished government documents. A simple, "lots of trees" or "nice views" would have been an excellent addition to the facts offered. Given that this appears to be a largely compilation of public data I would still like to see more details offered. For example, the maps offer far more detail of campgrounds than those in the book. Also a listing of the last known fee schedule would offer some insight beyond the current "fee - Yes".

   Overall I'd recommend this book to anyone looking to expand his or her Colorado camping experiences. It's not an RV guide but geared to those looking to branch out beyond the KOAs and into more of what Colorado has to offer.




2. Now in fully updated and enhanced seventh edition, The Complete Colorado Campground Guide is a solid, fact-filled, "user friendly" guide to Colorado's national parks, state parks, campgrounds, and forest service. Packed from cover to cover with maps, directions, traveling, camping, and fee information, and more, The Complete Colorado Campground Guide is a first-rate reference for Colorado campers looking for the place best suited to their vacation plans and activities.

3 comments about Sangre de Cristo Wilderness & Great Sand Dunes National Park.

1. Fantastic map of the Sangres. Definately recommended.



2. We've used this map extensively as we've explored Great Sand Dunes and vicinity, and found it to be accurate, easy to read, and durable. The mini-descriptions of numerous hikes are quite good (after all, there isn't much room on a map to go into tremendous detail). We spent over 2 years exploring the Park, Preserve, and surrounding Sangre de Cristo Mountains while doing research for a guidebook for Great Sand Dunes and vicinity, and this was our map of choice (even better than that name-brand map that came out more recently).



3. I got this map based on the Amazon reviews and found that it was less than what I had expected. It is a large scale map of the Colorado Sangre de Cristo mountains printed on good quality paper. But... it doesn't even show the northern 30 square miles of the Sangre de Cristo wilderness despite claiming to show the "Northern Sangre de Cristo" mountain area. It doesn't differentiate between public and private land. It doesn't accurately show where motorized vehicles are prohibited. The trail desciptions are very brief and basically just summaries.
   For the price of this one map you could do about as well getting maps from the US Forest Service (San Isabel National Forest) and the US Bureau of Land Management (Canon City and Blanca Peak), although they aren't as large a scale and not as thick paper.

1 comments about Easy Finder Denver: Colorado (Rand McNally Easyfinder).

1. I am relocating back to Denver and needed a map because I am looking for a residence from TX and other needs I need to relocate. This is a newer map than when I lived in Denver and very impressed with the more detail and highlight than in the past with Denver metro and vicinity detailed street maps. Well done map and very reasonally priced. Anyone traveling to Denver for vacation or whatever, I strongly recommend getting a Denver metro map in advance so you will not get lost which happens a great deal even with obviously given written directions from someelse. Trust me. A Avenue, Place, Street name make all the difference in the world if you are going to end up on the correct street and one's destination. I strongly recommended this map being that it covers a broad vicinity and has the counties included, as well. It has a great of clarity. Having lived in Denver for at least 17 years, I can vouch for this map and I always has one regardless of how long I lived there. Rather critical for me to get lost even though I thought I knew where I was going.
   Rand McNally did a job well done.

3 comments about Colorado 4-Wheel Drive Roads, Revised Edition.

1. This is a good guide to where to find trails but lacks enough information about difficulty and length of travel. I read a copy which I bough a while back at a gas station, and it is worth while to have since it has some trails which are not covered in anyother guide.



2. I found it to be rather vague and hard to read, it was not at all comprehensive.



3. I found this book great to use for 4-wheeling. I also found it helpful to locate ATV trails and some of the other forest trails, as they use the actual national forest maps in the book. Wow, 165 trails are covered in this book... more than any other publication I know of. Great price too.

5 comments about TOPO! National Geographic USGS Topographic Maps, Colorado.

1. I bought this software based on the belief it would show trail maps for hiking. Trail maps are only available via a download (not a big deal), but trail maps for PA and NJ don't exist!!!
   
   If you want maps that show existing trail maps for hiking in PA, do not purchase this software.



2. This product is very hard to use, especially if you are trying to download it to a Magellan Triton 500. Not user friendly or intuitive at all.



3. All information is in USGS 1:100,000 scale for road and very good hiking mapping and navigation. Its all very, very easy to learn and includes cool features to customize your maps like adding notes, showing your trails and routes, elevation profiles for hiking mountains and a 3D feature. This allows you to actually view your route as your travel in simulation at varying angles. The `Search' feature is very handy in locating just about anything you are looking for in that section/region of the map. You can zoom into five different levels of detail and print out any portion of that map. If your GPS allows you to import information, you can upload your personalized map to it. You can also import most GPS information into your computer onto the topographic maps, such as .gpx files and geocache information. TOPO! National Geographic is the best in mapping information for GPS or everyday route or hiking planning.
   
   I had a Magellan Triton that claims you could download the maps to your Triton handheld, but that software is flawed and I had to return the Triton four times. Now that I have a Garmin, I can download info to my PC and use the National Geographic TOPO! information, but I still cannot import maps into my Garmin (just geocache information).



4. I have been using Topo! since it was a Wildflower product back in the early 1990's. The interface does take some getting used to as mentioned before, but like all powerful software programs (vi/emacs) eventually, it becomes second nature.
   
   I mostly use TOPO! to annotate my previous trips, plan future trips, share travel guides with family, and create georeferenced raster maps for handheld GPS devices.
   
   My trips primarily used to be hiking and backpacking trips, which I would dutifully record using an old Garmin Etrex GPS receiver. The tracks and waypoints would be uploaded to the desktop and saved as separate .tpo files. Back in the day, I was plenty happy just to see waypoint times and elevation gains as documentation of my backcountry trips. I would also use TOPO to create waypoint routes (up to 30) to be uploaded to the GPS receiver so that I could plan/program my future hikes into the Etrex.
   
   Since those early primitive days, both TOPO! and I have changed a lot! TOPO! has improved significantly in its featurea. Now that I have two kids and more money, my outdoor travels consist mostly of Jeeping, dry car camping, and ancient rock art hunting.
   
   Now, with the newer versions of TOPO, it is possible to add pictures and notes. In turn, these more detailed maps can be useful as travelogues not only for nostalgia, but also as travel guides for family members and friends who are using TOPO! as well.
   
   While similar functionality could be obtained by using Google Earth or Maps, this map sharing is dependent on "cloud computing". This may be feasible when sitting in a coffee shop in a metropolis or even at home, but out in the desert without cellphone access this is not a viable option. Further, Google Map data is only protected by obscurity. Any person who knows the URL to your map data can view it.
   
   Since I don't have to carry gear on my back anymore, I primarily use TOPO in the field on a laptop with an external GPS receiver. Though bulky, it is a much more useful combination than simply a tiny handheld receiver alone due to the larger size of the laptop screen and the ability to search for waypoints using the standard keyboard. My family uses a similar setup and they too find it reassuring to know that they have a clearly mapped GPS route available to them in the wild.
   
   Finally, the most useful aspect of TOPO! is unfortunately no longer available, unless you can beg, borrow, or steal a boxed Xport Pro package. NatGeoMaps recently and quite quietly killed off its entire TopoPro line (including for ArcGIS). Xport Pro (formerly $199) allows the user to export high quality USGS maps in the georeferenced GeoTiff format. These GeoTiffs could then be used in shareware GPS programs like OziExplorer for Windows computers or OziWince or NoniGPSplot for WinCE GPS devices (many personal navigation devices can be cracked to run these apps in addition to the installed street mapping software). It used to be that you could call in a credit card number to NatGeoMaps customer service and for $99 get the functionality activated through a PIN, but no longer :( .
   
   Admittedly, GeoTiff, mrsid, and many other georeferenced maps can be downloaded from state governments (usually from depts of ag or wildlife management), but having it all in one software package on CD's is pretty sweet.



5. I now have their latest TOPO! 4.5, but cannot use it with my California State series maps. I've been exchanging e-mails with their customer support and they basically just recycle cut and paste's from their web site. At first I took their instructions (often contradictory) seriously and did everything they said, but none of it works. To make sure I tried it on a different computer. No go. The software often hangs up for long time, so anything you try kills a lot of time. I think it is just a very badly written code with no backward compatibility. I'm going to start looking for another product.

2 comments about Streetwise Denver Map - Laminated City Street Map of Denver, Colorado - Folding pocket size travel map with integrated light rail map & trolley stations, Boulder inset (Streetwise (Streetwise Maps)).

1. I lived in New York City for 35 years and always used/recommended Streetwise New York to visitors. (Their lamination means you DO NOT ruin the map -ever) Well my wife and I moved to Denver and The Streetwise Denver Map proved very useful becasue we were lost...Then on our first trip to Boulder,Co. (a genuinely hip community) mapless alas I got lost...but low and behold Streewise Denver had Boulder on it and voila --- lost no more. Seriously these are good maps. I used them whenever I travel and have wasted money on other brands but always come back to Streetwise. For one thing I've found them accurate in extremis which in a city like Rome or Venice Italy is extremely helpful let alone Naples where accuracy can save your life. (Such a dangerous dump Naples is.)
   
   Now if they would just do a map of Vail and Aspen and Telluride I would never leave Colorado.



2. I kept the map in my backpack the whole time I was in Denver, and found it just what I needed. It included just about everything I wanted to know.

5 comments about Colorado Atlas and Gazetteer, Eighth Edition.

1. It would be good if Amazon reviewers of maps and atlases used the standard definitions for "large-scale" and "small-scale."



2. I think the title says it all. It is very useful. I got it really fast and it is flawless.



3. Very poor details compared to the Colorado Road and Recreation Atlas. Do not even use it.



4. These DeLorme maps are great. I plan on visiting the state of Colorado next fall and do some hiking while I am there and these look great. The details of the roads and all campsites are awesome. I plan to purchase more of these of other states.



5. This does not show many of the back roads (un-improved...), and is not very topographic (mountains...). VERY CONFUSING to try and follow!
   
   I "HIGHLY" recommend the!-
   Benchmark Colorado Road & Recreation Atlas (any state!) Excellent detail/topographic, and most of the trails...!
   Benchmark Colorado Road & Recreation Atlas

5 comments about Colorado Road & Recreation Atlas.

1. Since moving to Colorado from the UK in 06 I've been looking for a detailed enough map of Colorado - and I think I've found it. I've worked with maps and GIS back in the UK and have always appreciated the level of detail provided by the Ordnance Suvey, but struggled to find a comparable line of products for the US.
   
   I do a great deal of hiking, mountain biking, 4 wheeling and general exploring of the State, and wanted a comprehensive map which would show me trails, roads and interesting features/places.
   
   The atlas is separated into 5 sections.
   
   Section 1 shows regional maps: Entire US (1:9600000), western mountains (1:4500000) from Dallas in the SE to Bend (Oregon) in the NW, and Colorado (1:650000).
   Section 2 shows recreational maps and separates the whole of Colorado into 13 areas. Each one goes into great detail about the recreational facilities of each area, lists climate info and gives addresses and phone numbers for all kinds of services, camp grounds etc. Scale is 1:500000, except for the eastern plains area which is at 1:1350000. The final map shows locations of all the 14ers, major ski areas and 22 popular off road trails.
   Section 3 shows landscape maps at 1:200000. These are fantastic and show all the trails I've ever hiked, biked or wheeled.
   Section 4 shows the metro areas of Denver, Colorado Springs and the Boulder area at 1:125000.
   Section 5 has a comprehensive index.
   
   Overall this is an invaluable resource and miles better than any other Atlas I've looked at (and I've looked at them all!). A great all in one buy and a bargain at the moment on Amazon.
   
   Other products to consider: Latitude 40 produce some great, detailed maps at a smaller scale, but they cover selected areas and some sections are about 15 years out of date. National Geographic maps are best for hiking in the wilderness, but are only available for limited areas.



2. This map book is the best! Better than all the others I have seen which cover a state in a book format. I can only wish the mapmakers covered more states.



3. If you drive anywhere off the main highways in Colorado, this is the book of maps you need. Best map detail unless you use the USGS maps, that are cumbersome while driving.



4. The Benchmark Atlas series are the most accurate, detailed and attractive maps available. They put all the other atlases of this type to shame. You won't be disappointed with any of these.



5. I had never heard of Benchmark Maps before but I thought I'd give their Colorado Atlas a try. After a three week hiking adventure in Colorado, I was very impressed with Benchmark. Their maps do a great job in depicting the campgrounds, trailheads, trails, elevations, and ,of course, the roads in the mountains of Colorado. The Benchmark Atlas was far superior to the competition. On my next hiking trip, probably to New Mexico, I will definitely buy another Benchmark Atlas.