SectionHiker.com Backpacking Gear Reviews and FAQs In my last post, I wrote that you need a New York Gazetteer in order to find the trail heads in the Catskills. It dawned on me today that many people don’t have a clue what a Gazetteer is anymore. So let me explain.
A Gazetteer is a set of very detailed topographic maps used for backcountry navigation that lists among other things back roads, recreation sites, and GPS grids. DeLorme, the map company, publishes a Gazetteer for each state in the US. Each one typically lists:
- Back roads, dirt roads and trails
- Remote lakes and streams
- Boat Ramps
- Public lands for recreation
- Land use / land cover – forests, wetlands, agriculture
- Hiking Trails and Trailheads
- Campgrounds
- Prime hunting and fishing spots
- Bicycle Routes
- Excursions/Scenic Routes
- Historic Sites/Museums
Plus, all of these locations are shown on color topographic maps provided at a scale of 1:150,000.
I spend about 60 days a year in the backcountry, backpacking and whitewater kayaking, and I rely heavily on the maps in Gazetteers for finding new places to go and for figuring out how to get there. I keep a Gazetteer for every state in New England in my car, including Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts and I use them extensively for trip planning. I haven’t found anything that can compare to them in terms of detail.
You can buy Delorme Gazetteers at bookstores like Amazon.com for under $15 a state. They’re worth it.
Surprisingly useful, even in the days of GPS and google maps. They do propagate some of the errors seen in rural Al and northern GA, though.
Amazing how bad maps are, even today.