She likes.
In the Sierra Nevada the Hiking Lady compared USGS topo with Tom Harrison maps and the new National Geographic Trails Software.
… On the trail, I found I much preferred the National Geographic and Tom Harrison maps to the USGS maps. They are well labeled and trail distances are clearly marked. The National Geographic map definitely proved to the best.
Here’s why. After we set up camp near Garnet Lake, the next day we decided to take a look around and head to Thousand Island Lake. Using just the USGS and Tom Harrison maps, we plotted a route up to the saddle to take a look at Thousand Island Lake. However, as you can see in the maps below, the National Geographic map has the additional detail that shows that there is a trail from Garnet Lake to Thousand Island Lake! …
USGS – Garnet Lake Topo
Tom Harrison Map – nice shaded relief, but no trail!
National Geographic Map – the only one that includes the trail!
Additionally, the shading on the map gave me a good perspective on elevation, so I didn’t need to spend so much time counting contour lines!
I am quite impressed with the software program. The cost is $49.95 for the entire Sierra Nevada range (10 map regions), so it is definitely more cost effective than buying each map individually.
Bottom line: The National Geographic Trails Software impressed me, and I will be purchasing it for other region where I hike.
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