The Topographic Map
A topographic map is a scaled replica of an outdoor location. The aver-
age topographic map has a scale of 1:50,000, where 1 inch equals 50,000
inches. It shows contour lines, grid lines, man-made objects, and natural
features such as lakes, swamps, and rivers.
The contour lines are to help you to decipher various terrain fea-
tures such as peaks and valleys, cliffs and slopes. Grid lines run both
north and south (up and down, called grid north) as well as east and west
(left and right). On a 1:50,000 scaled map, the grid lines represent one
square mile. The north/south lines run almost the same direction as true
north, but not necessarily the same direction as magnetic north. The dif-
ference between the map’s grid north and magnetic north is called the
angle of declination.
Contour linesGrid linesA topographic map gives you geographic detail about the landscape you’ll encounter.
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