Maps

From Alaska Outdoors Wiki

Contents 1 Introduction 1.1 USGS Maps 1.2 Software 1.3 Aerial Photography 1.4 Books 1.5 Land Ownership Maps 2 Online Resources

Introduction

There are many sources now for maps suitable for hunting in Alaska. At one time, the only real source were topopgraphic maps from the US Geological Survey (USGS). Today's hunter has a variety of sources ranging from the same USGS maps to aerial photography and software-generated custom maps.

USGS Maps

The USGS publishes a range of topgraphic maps covering Alaska. The highest resolution maps are 1:24,000 or 7.5 minute maps. These maps are 7.5 minutes of longitude wide. For Alaska, only the Anchorage, Fairbanks and Prudhoe Bay areas are covered with 1:24,000 or 1:25,000 maps.

USGS covers most of the state with 1:63,360 maps which are one inch = one mile in scale. These are probably the most useful of the series for outdoor pursuits. Another scale with some limited usefulness for planning is the 1:250,000 scale. These may be most useful for understanding the geographic relationship of large areas of the state.

Software

Several software publishers provide excellent resources covering the entire state. These include National Geographic Topo! Alaska, Terrain Navigator, All Topo Maps, and Topo USA National. These offer useful feature sets and are suitable for trip planning, and custom maps may be printed for specific trips.

Aerial Photography

Aerial photography is increasingly available on the Internet for free. High quality photography can be purchased from a number of sources. Google Earth is an excellent source for general planning. It works best with high speed Internet, as photos must be downloaded for every area you will be looking over.

Books

The Alaska Atlas and Gazetteer is a very useful map reference. It is coffee table-sized, and covers the entire state with a variety of scales. Most maps are 1:250,000 and some areas are even smaller scale. It is very helpful for general trip planning, and quick reference during discussion with other hunters, air taxi operators and others.

Land Ownership Maps

Alaska is the largest public land state in the nation with land in both state and federal management. Public access is generally open on these lands, with some exceptions for specific management considerations, national defense or public safety on military lands.

There are, however, large areas of Alaska which are owned by Alaska Native or village corporations. This land is usually not signed against trespass, and permission is required before entry for outdoor recreation uses.

Here is a generalized land status map for the northern half of Alaska.

Online Resources

• Topozone offers free views of small portions of topographic maps, and a variety of other resources
• Terra Server
• Map Mart
• Map Tech Map Server
• Google Earth
• Google Maps