From the U.S. Geological Survey:
In keeping with rapid demand, the USGS has posted new US Topo quadrangles covering Colorado (1,794 maps) and Minnesota (1,689). These new quads replace the first edition US Topo maps for those states.
The replaced maps will be added to the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection and are also available for free download from The National Map and the USGS Map Locator & Downloader website.
The new design for US Topo maps improves readability of maps for online and printed use, while retaining the look and feel of the traditional USGS topo map. Also, map symbols are now easier to read over the digital aerial photograph layer whether the imagery is turned on or off.
Other re-design enhancements and new features:
- New shaded relief layer for enhanced view of the terrain
- Military installation boundaries, post offices and cemeteries
- New road classification
- A slight screening (transparency) has been applied to some features to enhance visibility of multiple competing layers
- New PDF legend attachment
- Metadata formatted to support multiple browsers
In addition, the new Colorado US Topo quads include recreational trails in National Forests, provided by the U.S. Forest Service. Although this first test of trails was successful, the Forest Service does not yet have comparable data in other states, and schedules for adding trails in all National Forests have not been set.
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The new digital electronic topographic maps are delivered in GeoPDF image software format and may be viewed using Adobe Reader, available as a no-cost download.
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