Best map for the Whites

[yvon]

What is the best map for the Whites?
Today, I just bought "White Mountain Guide" who include 3 maps. But, on those maps they did not show where the parkings are located.
In the Adirondack I use The National Geographic map and I like it very much. Is it the same for the Whites?

I am preparing our summer vacation, in july, and we want to go in the White for few days.
Maybe start a new list, after we had finished the ADK 46.

We went only one day for hiking since we started that fantastic activity.

 

[Willoughby]

Map Adventures

Map Adventures has a good map of the Whites, which covers all of the White Mountain National Forest - I think, certainly all of the 4,000 footers. It shows the parking areas as well.

I tend to hike with the AMC maps, but do research with the Map Adventures map.

There's a good summary of available maps here, although it's slightly dated - the current edition of Map Adventures covers Moosilauke, for example, and the Delorme map is out of print.

 

[dentonfabrics]

yvon,

If you're going to be hiking the trails (as opposed to bushwacking), the AMC maps you got with the guide are all you need. Parking and directions to the trailheads are well described in the guide.

bob

 

[Mohamed Ellozy]

There's a good summary of available maps here, although it's slightly dated - the current edition of Map Adventures covers Moosilauke, for example, and the Delorme map is out of print.

I would go further and say that it is badly dated ... I really should pull out all my maps and update it. Note that I said that I should do it, not that I will do it

 

[NewHampshire]

I will second dentonfabrics. I don't know how the Adirondacks are since I have never been there, but most trailheads (most importantly trailheads heading up to 4000 footers) here in the Whites are fairley well signed. I don't recall ever having much trouble finding trailheads in the Whites except for more obscure non-4K trails.

Brian

 

[roadtripper]

Map Adventures' White Mountains Map V3.0 is my hands down favorite

link:
http://www.mapadventures.com/pr_waterproof_white_mtns.htm

 

[Quietman]

Map Adventures. I'm a map nut and I really like that it includes trail mileage and shows where the good viewpoints are. I have lots of maps, but this is the one that I carry.

 

[Mohamed Ellozy]

What is the best map for the Whites?

"Best" is obviously in the eye of the beholder.

I have a huge map collection. When hiking the NH AT south of Rt 25 I use the National Geographic map (for some reason I have never acquired the NH/VT AT maps). For the northern presis I use the Randolph Mountain Club maps.

But for everything else in the Whites I use the AMC maps. I use the tyvec versions on the trail (putting them in with the wash when they become too grimy ) and the paper versions at home.

 

[4Khiker]

For what it's worth, I'm in the wholesale business and sell various hiking maps to area retailers. The Map Adventures map outsells every other map I carry by probably a 3-1 margin. It's also my personal favorite.

 

[RickB.]

We call the Map Adventures map the Map of Ultimate Truth (MUT) and use its authority to settle our constant trail bickering relating to peak locations, distances, climate change and the like. And having the contours in meters sharpens our elderly minds by forcing conversions, sans calculator.

 

[NewHampshire]

"Best" is obviously in the eye of the beholder.

Alright, I am going to absolutely, wholeheartedly agree with this. Truth told the USGS topo quads are the absolute most detailed, yet their updating leads their trail info something to be desired. The AMC maps are probably the most up to date and accurate trailwise (and detail of said trails.) The MapAdventures map, as was noted, has a bit more detail outside of the trails. I don't know when the MpAdventures map was last updated but I found yesterday some distance descrepencies on my friends MapAdventure map over my AMC maps (I have the current edition tyvex maps, and considering the expensive GPS mapping system used to generate those maps I will generally lean towards their being more accurate).

So what does all this mean? Well.....I guess it is a really long way of saying yes, I agree with Mohamed.

Brian

 

[Willoughby]

Truth told the USGS topo quads are the absolute most detailed, yet their updating leads their trail info something to be desired.

Slightly off-topic but an interesting example of this. The Friends of the Wapack publish an IMHO excellent trail guide and map of the Wapack trail (in southern NH and MA). My edition of the map shows a GPS track of the trail, overlaid on the appropriate USGS quads - and there are places where you can see the USGS marking of the trail, well off from the actual GPS track.

A friend with an older edition of the map found this out the (slightly) hard way, in winter, following the USGS track directly over Holt peak of Temple Mt, when the actual Wapack runs somewhat to the east and has a spur to the summit.

 

[cushetunk]

Yeah, I almost never trust trails on USGS quads, but for showing the terrain they really excel. For serious bushwhacking, a quad and the AMC map are a great combo.

 

[Peaks]

Map Adventures. I'm a map nut and I really like that it includes trail mileage and shows where the good viewpoints are. I have lots of maps, but this is the one that I carry.

I believe that the latest AMC maps in the White Mountain Guide also include trail mileages.

 

[MadRiver]

I believe that the latest AMC maps in the White Mountain Guide also include trail mileages.

The new 28th edition has milage. Although I bought the 28th edition I only carry the Map Adventure map because I can beat it to death and not worry about soiling my AMC maps. I like the 3rd edition because it includes Moosilauke.

 

[NewHampshire]

Slightly off-topic but an interesting example of this. The Friends of the Wapack publish an IMHO excellent trail guide and map of the Wapack trail (in southern NH and MA). My edition of the map shows a GPS track of the trail, overlaid on the appropriate USGS quads - and there are places where you can see the USGS marking of the trail, well off from the actual GPS track.

A friend with an older edition of the map found this out the (slightly) hard way, in winter, following the USGS track directly over Holt peak of Temple Mt, when the actual Wapack runs somewhat to the east and has a spur to the summit.

Another slightly off topic example....I have the current copy of NG TOPO! software. While setting up to print a map of the Osseo trail I found that the USGS topo map used had the OLD Osseo Route on it, but not the new (which was actully a good thing in this instance since it was my intention to try following the old route.....but if your looking to do the current incarnation of the Osseo you would be in trouble.)

Brian

 

[BlackBuffalo]

They may not be called the best, but the Wilderness Map company makes great ones. I own them all, even the Long Trail map.

The Rolfes are local in Twin Mountain and fantastic cartographers.
I do own the AMC maps as well, but find the Wilderness Maps simpler to see where I am and where I intend to go.
http://www.wildernessmaps.com/

Dave g.

 

[Silverfox]

I went with the Map Adventures versions awhile back.. I like its durablity and that it covers such a broad area.. While I have multiple sets of AMC, including I think 12 copies of the Presidential Range..where do the rest of them go,, topos, and a second Map Adventures in command central it is the bombproof Map Adventures map that stays in my back at all times

 

[Jazzbo]

Map Adventures

Another good thing about the Map Adventures is the fact that it shows other roads, ski trails, snow-mobile trails. There's quite a few trails that aren't shown on AMC maps, but do exist and it can be confusing to see these other trails on the ground. Some hikers (myself included) get notions to hike to objectives and we just want to hike the most direct way possible and don't particularly care if we walk on a road or a skit trail to get there. Fact that the Map Adventures shows viewpoints is nice feature too. Fact that it covers most of NH Whites is convenient so I pretty much always leave a copy of the Map Adventures in my pack so I'm always sure I'll have a map for the times I forget to stick the map in my pack in my rush to get out the door. Map Adventures also pioneered showing trail mileage another feature which revolutionized hike planning for me. Meter contours is the only downside of Map Adventures. But for Yvon this is probably an advantage seeing as how he comes from a land of metric standards. Some day us dummies south of the border will go metric, but that would make a problem for the 4000 footer committee wouldn't it? Hummm ... the 1219M club??? And all those patches ... what to do with them?

 

[peakbagger]

I would recommend the AMC white mountain guide as it is the most up to date along with a copy of the Delorme NH map book, which has a majority of the trails shown and is the most accurate up to date book on the roads that get to the trailheads and parking lots.

If you look in the back seat of most serious hikers cars, the odds are good that you will find a copy of the Delorme guides for Me, NH and VT. Delorme also has a hiking map that covers most of the whites. It definitely not for off trail hiking as the topo is tough to read but is great for planning and is good to leave in the pack.