How To Read A Topographic Map Scale

How to read a topographic map scale

For example a scale of 1 24 000 means that 1 inch on the map is the equivalent of 24 000 inches or 38 mile in reality. A couple of states map at 1 25 000 and most of alaska due to its size maps at 1 63 360. The more populated areas of alaska.

How To Read A Topographic Map Gander Rv Outdoors

What is a topographic map.

Know the scale of the map. These are large scale maps and bring a lot of detail into focus. Using online maps like those on topozone is different mainly because the maps can be zoomed in and out which makes the scale change.

a map of africa

A topographic map can be easy to read once you know the details. Your map will then be able to tell you a richly detailed tale about the terrain you ll be exploring. Method 1 assessing the contour lines.

How map scales work.

Then take a class with the rei outdoor school or another outdoor organization and.
This article covers these concepts.
The scale can be found in the map legend and usually shows the ratio of map inches to real ground inches.
You ll find most of the united states mapped at the 1 24 000 scale with only a few exceptions.

For usgs topographic maps 1 24 000 is the scale most often used.

On a 1 24 000 scale map 1 inch on the map is representative of 24 000 inches or 2000 feet on the ground. How contour lines let you visualize your terrain. Other useful map details.

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How To Read Topographic Map

If you have a paper map the scale is easy to understand.

First look for the map s scale which will let you know how much detail the map contains.
Each map covers an area of about 6 by 9 miles or 9 by 14 kilometers.
Learning to read that paper topo map short for topographic map is every bit as essential.
You can then orient yourself using the map so you do not get lost or turned around.