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Thread: Free USGS Topographic Map DRGs for all 50 states

  1. #1
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    Free USGS Topographic Map DRGs for all 50 states

    I found this resource from another kayaker forum:

    8-bit USGS DRGs are now available under a Creative Commons license at the following website:

    http://libremap.org/

    For example, for California:
    http://libremap.org/data/state/california/drg/

    "DRGs are scanned, digitized and georeferenced USGS topographic maps at 1:24,000, 1:100,00 and 1:250,000 scale."

    FYI: If using the tiff images along with the tfw file, you have to import the tiff in meters to get it to the correct scale

  2. #2
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    Nice, I do like it better than Topozone. Easy and you get the whole quad. Now I need a big plotter and fancy paper.

  3. #3
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    JONG question -- what's a tfw?
    not counting days 2016-17

  4. #4
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    a world file. I lets a GIS know how display the TIFF in relation to other geographic data. </simple version>

    Edit: California DRG's have been available for a long time from Http://gis.ca.gov
    "if the city is visibly one of humankind's greatest achievements, its uncontrolled evolution also can lead to desecration of both nature and the human spirit."
    -- Melvin G. Marcus 1979

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by alpinedad View Post
    JONG question -- what's a tfw?
    Not a jong question ... it's a GIS geek file that stores coordinates so that the .tif image comes into a GIS system spatially referenced.

  6. #6
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    THanks for this!

    Free = better than topozone... but custom maps w multi quad section on one map and that steezy waterproof paper are $$$
    "Those 1%ers are not an avaricious "them" but in reality the most entrepreneurial of "us". If we had more of them and fewer grandstanding politicians, we would all be better off."
    - Bradley Schiller, Prof. of Economics, Univ. Nevada - Reno.

  7. #7
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    www.jdmcox.com

    USA Photo Maps

    It will download this stuff and make it scrollable plus you can easily create custom sized areas for printing. Additionally, you can get overhead photos.

    I've been using it for 5 years.
    Quote Originally Posted by blurred
    skiing is hiking all day so that you can ski on shitty gear for 5 minutes.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Summit View Post
    www.jdmcox.com

    USA Photo Maps

    It will download this stuff and make it scrollable plus you can easily create custom sized areas for printing. Additionally, you can get overhead photos.

    I've been using it for 5 years.
    Is this better than google earth? What advantages does this program have over google earth?

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gerome View Post
    Is this better than google earth? What advantages does this program have over google earth?
    unless I'm wrong GE doesn't do topo maps, just aerial photos.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gerome View Post
    Is this better than google earth? What advantages does this program have over google earth?
    USAPM better than GE:
    Allows you to have all the area downloaded for offline use
    Allows printing of large high quality maps
    Allows USGS topo maps
    Allows contours to be superimposed on photos
    Allows GPS route creation and upload and downloaded tracks to be superimposed

    GE better than USAPM:
    Color aerial photos instead of USAPMs mostly B&W
    3D rendering of terrain
    Better UI

    I use USAPM and GE depending on what I am trying to figure out.
    Last edited by Summit; 10-05-2007 at 03:19 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by blurred
    skiing is hiking all day so that you can ski on shitty gear for 5 minutes.

  11. #11
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    cool resource thanks for posting

  12. #12
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    you might also think of getting ArcExplorer. It's trying hard to compete with GE as a visualization tool, and still has a way to go, however you can bring in different datasets to view in ways that Google Earth does not yet let you do (ie elevation draped topographic maps).

    For use with ArcExplorer you can still get a hold of free data through ArcOnline.
    "if the city is visibly one of humankind's greatest achievements, its uncontrolled evolution also can lead to desecration of both nature and the human spirit."
    -- Melvin G. Marcus 1979

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Summit View Post
    www.jdmcox.com

    USA Photo Maps

    It will download this stuff and make it scrollable plus you can easily create custom sized areas for printing. Additionally, you can get overhead photos.

    I've been using it for 5 years.



    this is fucking awesome!
    god created man. winchester and baseball bats made them equal - evel kenievel

  14. #14
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    I use this one:
    http://www.topoquest.com/find/state....ate=WA&start=S

    Has it listed by cell name, but no search funtion.

    Woot, 600 posts

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