A good topographic map can save your life (or at the very least your hiking trip) – providing you can interpret what it has to say! A topo map can show you such things as rivers, roads and buildings, as well as how the land rises (mountains) and falls (valleys) in a particular area.

When you first open a topographic map (or any map for that matter), be sure to check the date it was printed. If the map in question is 30 years old, many of the details (particularly roads and trails) may have changed. Be sure that you use a recent map for your hiking adventures.

Next orient the map so that it points in the correct direction. Use your compass to find north if you don’t know where it is already and then align your map accordingly. On every map you’ll find a compass rose – a four-pointed cross that shows cardinal directions (north, south, east, west) – or a directional arrow pointing north.

In one corner of the map you’ll also find a key that will help you identify features on the map (what’s the meaning of dashed lines versus dotted, blue lines versus black, solid squares versus circles, etc.). Take a moment to familiarize yourself with these symbols.

Usually at the bottom of the map you will find a ratio scale, in the metric system they’ll be 1:50,000, 1:100,000, 1:250,000, etc. It represents a scale of the distance on the map compared to the distance on the ground. The larger the number, the larger the area covered by that map. A 1:50,000 map, for example, will show much more local detail than a 1:250,000 map (which is good for bird’s eye views of larger areas). There is also a scale for distance which you can use to figure out approximately how far it is from point A to point B on the map.

Overlying the entire map is a grid of straight lines. Each line is usually numbered on the map edge. These numbers are UTM’s (Universal Transverse Mercator) which can be used to pinpoint location. The grids (normally one km square on metric maps) can be used to estimate distance along your hiking route. As well, along the edges of the map, you will find numbers for latitude (degrees north or south of the equator) and longitude (degrees east or west of the prime meridian in Greenwich, England). If you’ve ever used GPS unit, you’ll be familiar with UTM’s and lat and long descriptions.

Topographic maps use contour lines to show elevation above sea level. The elevation change between each line often depends on the scale of the map. These intervals are set numbers (e.g. 50 m, 100 m, etc.). When the contours are widely spaced, it shows that the terrain is relatively flat. When the contours are close together, the landscape in that area is very steep. On most topo maps, every 5th line is a shade darker than the rest and has a number in the line to show the elevation.

Test your knowledge:

Find a topo map of a popular backpacking area.
• When was it printed?
• What is the scale?
• What is the symbol for a campground?
• What is the latitude and longitude (or UTM) for one campground on the map?
• What is the elevation of that campground?
• Approximately how far is it from the trailhead to that campground?