Odd Anglo-US question :-)

[nickm 1]

Hi folks,

This is totally unrelated to Visas or anything..

I am in the process of planning our Honeymoon, we are planning an going hiking and camping in the White Mountains State Park in New Hampshire.

Here in the UK we have the Ordnance Survey (OS) maps, they are very detailed for when out in the hills and mountain in places like the Lake District and Breacon Becaons.

Is there an American alternative to the OS maps?

All i can find is some very basic trail maps, and one thing i dont like is trail maps..

When im out in the mountains i think one of the most important things is a good detailed map, getting lost becasue of poor maps is very embarassing, especially after all the orienteering i have had to do..

If anyone has any idea of where i can look for such maps i would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks

Nick.

[Otto 83]

US Forest Service would be a good place to start.

Detailed Map/White Mountains

http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/white_mountain/maps/location_maps/wm_forest_visitor_map.pdf

Source Website

http://www.fs.fed.us/maps/forest-maps.shtml

[nickm 1]

Thanks, its not quite detailed enough for what im am wanting. I really need the topographic information to be there as well as major landmarks and such.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Something like this? http://www.mountainwanderer.com/proddetail.php?prod=NHH13

[Terca 6]

I went with a group of friends (we are all inexperienced hikers), stayed at pinkham notch "Joe Dodge" lodge for a night and hiked to greenleaf hut in Mt. lafayette. We bought the maps @ the little bookstore in their visitor center next door to the lodge, they had all sorts of maps and other hiking goodies. So if you cannot find it before you go, you may find it at town stores or visitor centers close by.

[nickm 1]

Something like this? http://www.mountainwanderer.com/proddetail.php?prod=NHH13

That look like the type of thing im after, shame they dont have inside views the map, for that price it might be worth getting anyway. Thanks. I had even looked through that website and couldn't find anything for the White mountains.

I went with a group of friends (we are all inexperienced hikers), stayed at pinkham notch "Joe Dodge" lodge for a night and hiked to greenleaf hut in Mt. lafayette. We bought the maps @ the little bookstore in their visitor center next door to the lodge, they had all sorts of maps and other hiking goodies. So if you cannot find it before you go, you may find it at town stores or visitor centers close by.

Thanks, thats good to know. I was hoping to get the maps before hand so i could do some route planning, but as a last resort we can always go to the shop there.

I am pretty lucky in that i have spent alot of time in the mountians.

So is it as beautiful as it looks in the pictures? Or better?

We went to Yosemite National Park a few years ago and there isnt a picture anywhere that can show just how amazing it is there. Places like these are one of the reasons i cant wait to be back in the states..

Edited March 30, 2010 by nickm

[Terca 6]

It is beautiful, we went in july and snow was still melting on some spots so we got to see a gradient. In the fall the colors are breath taking. Reaching Mt. Lincoln summit was a very intense feeling for all of us. All that beauty and the fact that we made it all the way there made some of us cry. That's when I fell in love with it, it was a lot of work and made me feel like I could do anything in life. I stood on the highest rock I could find and did a "Leonardo dicapario in Titanic" impersonation couldn't help it

[nickm 1]

It is beautiful, we went in july and snow was still melting on some spots so we got to see a gradient. In the fall the colors are breath taking. Reaching Mt. Lincoln summit was a very intense feeling for all of us. All that beauty and the fact that we made it all the way there made some of us cry. That's when I fell in love with it, it was a lot of work and made me feel like I could do anything in life. I stood on the highest rock I could find and did a "Leonardo dicapario in Titanic" impersonation couldn't help it

I know this feeling very well, i call it mountain CHI, there is hardly anything that can compare to the feeling of success and achievement when sat at the top of a mountain.

We are hoping to go around july time. I am also hoping we can go to see tha fall up in New England.

Strangly enough i did the same "titanic moment" at the top of yosemite falls

I cant wait to get there now.

[Damian&Kelly 16]

My husband and I went to the smokey mountains in TN for our honeymoon. Best decision we've ever made. It was amazing. So Beautiful! We bought a hiking book while we were down there. Took some hikes and stayed in our own cabin which was secluded and the views from our cabin were absolutely breath taking! We can't wait to go back. and Not to mention our own cabin cost less then staying at a hotel and it had a kitchen, 2 hot tubs, and a pool table!

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Is there an REI store near you ? They also carry topo maps of the area.

[nickm 1]

Yeh there is an REI.. its quite a drive so we are going to order online. (Unless we need some other stuff then we may take a drive down).

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

24k USCS topo maps are what you are after. They are the highest detail paper maps you can get.

http://mapsport.com/index.php?cPath=120_1789_1799_1800&osCsid=fe1870a132d57f89aea4904fc4dd6167

Edited April 1, 2010 by Sousuke