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Written by Michael Shostak CalTopo is an online web application to create topographic maps for anywhere in the United States or parts of Canada. This app has been primarily focused on hiking maps but has added more advanced analysis in recent years. As an avid backpacker that likes to visit less frequented places, Caltopo is great for creating maps that are not produced commercially or even to save money on maps that are available for sale. There is never a reason to leave home without a map for your hike now. The user interface when first arriving at the site will feel very familiar to those with GIS experience but also is quite friendly to those without. CalTopo uses layers to display data and has a number of preset layers that cover the entire country. The initial MapBuilder Topo layer is the most useful for creating maps that use trail and road infrastructure. To start your line simply select the +Add New Object from the table of contents and select from the available functions, markers (or points) and lines will be the most commonly used but a number of other options are available. My favorite part of this app is the snapping feature. When creating a line on a current trail or road simply hover over the starting point and the trail will become highlighted, once you click the line will then snap to the existing roads and trails as you follow along.  Importing and exporting is another useful tool that adds value to this platform. Imports are limited to GPX, KMZ, and KML allowing you to bring in lines and points that have already been created and show them on the map. Exporting adds in the ability to connect with a Garmin via GPSIO or to save as a georeferenced PDF using the print option. These PDFs can be printed or brought into any number of other applications for use on your phone while in the field. In addition, a GPX file can also be made for lines and points that you create in CalTopo.  While creating lines can be a little glitch, overall this app offers incredible value to users at the free and premium levels. The extensive base layers offer data like land management, fire history, sun exposure, slope, and SnoTel site information brining the scope beyond just hiking and into some analysis. From a cartographic sense, the finished maps do not offer much from a design perspective and suffer from some labeling issues and lack of other cartographic choices but from the functional side these maps are great for their purpose. Having paper maps could save your life someday and this app makes it easy to create them for anywhere in the US, free of charge. 
2 Comments
Michael Medina
5/10/2018 09:57:47 pm
I've been using CalTopo for a number of years and I'm always impressed with their printed maps (even with the noted issues). It's not trivial to create these printable maps on the fly, at a familiar scale (if chosen), with a declination indicator, and sufficient margins to retain scale.
Cody Simons
6/4/2018 03:45:44 pm
I had a friend recommend CalTopo to me years ago and I had completely forgot about it! It looks like an awesome source for building custom maps. I always end up having to buy the junky Rams maps for game management units in Oregon if I hike somewhere that isn't a common destination. Luckily I haven't had to rely on one of them to get myself out of the woods. It would certainly be nice to have a custom map that has all of the features that you want and need on there if you did have to rely on it though. I will definitely be using this in the future, Thanks for sharing! Leave a Reply. |
AuthorBlog posts are written by students in the Interactive Map Design course at Portland Community College. Archives
June 2018
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