Below are screenshots of Butte's Pass using the California Trail Map and other maps
on the market. Butte's Pass is a popular and easily accessible area that one would
expect to be accurately mapped. The same roads are missing from every topo map.
These roads have been there and open for decades. This example is representative
of the data available in other maps in the desert and mountain areas.
All other maps are derived from publicly available government data that was collected
typically for the purposes of a topography map where the focus is terrain, not dirt
roads or trails. Over time roads and trails have changed along with the accuracy
of maps. Roads on other topo maps are often missing, misplaced or on the map after
they’ve been closed for years of even decades. Non-Motorized trails are extremely
limited on all other maps.
A few other examples in all of the other maps that are available;
- The Wilson Trail is marked as a jeep trail that you drive on when you can't. Hiking
only.
- The location of the road to Harper Canyon is wrong. All of the maps are about 1/4
mile off.
- None of the other roads to the valleys off Kane Spring Rd are on any map. There
are almost 10 miles of roads missing from that small area.
The California Trail Map contains over 27,000 miles of trails for hiking, biking and equestrian use. None of the
topo maps include trails.
All of the maps are missing roads because they're all created with the same old government data.
Missing Roads
There is only one road in the area on Google's map and it is incorrectly placed.
Google Maps
GPS File Depot
has free the California Topo maps for Garmin pictured above.