GPS/Topo mapping programs?

Hi all:

Returning to Views after a long dormant period. Just moved from ME to southern PA (hiking opportunities expectedly weak ) Am near York,PA and willing to travel if you have any good hike ideas/workouts for more serious stuff.

Anyway..I've long used National Geo Topo software for my bushwhacking along with a simple (no maps) Garmin eTrexH GPS. Imagine my surprise when i went to buy NGeo software for PA, MD, etc and find it's been discontinued for over 2 years--yikes, talk about being out of touch.

I need advice on alternatives. I typically use the software (in conjunction with Acme Mapping 2.0) to examine the topo and satellite views of my hikes--mark my projected waypoints (line of hike) on a topo map, then print topo. Also transfer the waypoints to my eTrexH. Fairly rudimentary, but has gotten me lots of strange places.

I would like new software for PA and maybe MD,WV.VA (NJ?)

Advice appreciated--if it's too/lengthy for here, please just email me

many thanks

jim frey

I lived in Pittsburgh, PA for most of my life before moving up here. My wife and I use to drive to Shenandoah (5 hours, one way) every other weekend to hike/backpack. Monongahela NF and George Washington & Jefferson NF also have some great hiking. Maryland isn't bad but you don't have the elevation of VA and WV. NE PA and central PA also have some great hiking opportunities. Don't know if they are still in print but "Hike America Pennsylvania" and "Hike America Virginia" are great hiking books. Also, Mid-Atlantic Hikes, www.midatlantichikes.com, was also a great website that we used. There is great hiking opportunities out there but you will have to drive a little ways to get to them. Many 10+ hour weekends in the car.

As for mapping software, I always use Garmin Topo USA and National Parks East. Not sure what other options are out there but I am sure you will get many responses as everyone has their favorites.

Also, I know PA, MD, WV, and VA but I never heard of NJ. Is that a state?

Garmin Topo USA is not as good as Nat Geo, but assuming it is still available, it may be your best option. As I recall (can't check right now), it offers about the same functions as NG, but the maps are less accurate and less attractive.

Lots of free Garmin compatible maps at GPSFileDepot. Make sure to get the transparent My Trails map showing selected trails across the country.

Have you tried Caltopo.org ?

Once you sign in you can save waypoints (and a lot more), and there's an export function - you can save to GPX or KML formats, or upload directly to your GPS device. And of course you can print.

Amicus said:

Garmin Topo USA is not as good as Nat Geo, but assuming it is still available, it may be your best option. As I recall (can't check right now), it offers about the same functions as NG, but the maps are less accurate and less attractive.

Click to expand...

The Garmin USA topo is 100K scale. Garmin also sells 24K scale topos. (Get the DVD version--a lot more map for the money compared to the microSD versions. Also, you can view the maps on your computer with BaseCamp or MapSource.)

You can also get scans of all 24K USGS topos from http://libremap.org/

Doug

Mohamed Ellozy said:

Lots of free Garmin compatible maps at GPSFileDepot. Make sure to get the transparent My Trails map showing selected trails across the country.

Click to expand...

The free maps are of variable quality--make sure you check them out before relying on them. AFAIK, the US topos are 100K scale.

I have compared some of them to the Garmin topos--the Garmin maps were better, but of course aren't free.

Doug

NG Topo was far more than just map data.

You could measure distances, plot waypoints, upload and download routes. Unlike the Garmin Equivalent, you could print out your maps, arbitrarily choose what kind of grid you wanted, get a nice compass rose on the print out, etc.

There were add-ons for 3D views and creating a transportable database file which would hold notes and photographs (accessed with a double click) on top of a topo map.

The OP might want to see if Delorme offers such a program. Of course, it may only work with Delorme products...which seem to get plenty of good reviews on the net.

I met with a Nat'l Geo cartographer this spring to go over revisions to an upcoming Nat'l Geo paper map. She mentioned in passing that NG got out of the computer mapping software biz, and sold it to All Trails. She said that software is available through a monthly rental fee. I haven't had the chance to look into this further, but it's another option. I believe she said the basic version is free, but the full featured version is where the charge comes in.

Thanks for all the replies so far. For my use, NG Topo was perfect ( see Remix post--i plotted routes, measured distances, exported waypoints to GPS, printed custom maps with my waypoints on them) ). Has anyone any experience with All Trails Pro? Is it essentially NG Topo?. I checked their site and Pro version was 49.99/yr to use, but "on sale" at only 19.99/yr. Nothing obvious to me on specific features or if it is essentially NG Topo. If yes and you can use maps for any state, that would be a screaming bargain for me. I will check out Cal Topo

jim

buckyball1 said:

Thanks for all the replies so far. For my use, NG Topo was perfect ( see Remix post--i plotted routes, measured distances, exported waypoints to GPS, printed custom maps with my waypoints on them) ). Has anyone any experience with All Trails Pro? Is it essentially NG Topo?. I checked their site and Pro version was 49.99/yr to use, but "on sale" at only 19.99/yr. Nothing obvious to me on specific features or if it is essentially NG Topo. If yes and you can use maps for any state, that would be a screaming bargain for me. I will check out Cal Topo

jim

Click to expand...

All I can say is that the delorme product seems to have the same features on a DVD...the essential one being printing you own topology map on paper....no software rental.