Solid green marks a forested area while mottled green indicates scrub vegetation. The contour lines of glaciers and permanent snowfields are in solid blue, with their edges indicated by dashed blue lines.īlack: Roads, trails, railroads, buildings, and other features not part of the natural environment. This is what the different colors stand for:īlue: Rivers, lakes, springs, waterfalls, and other water-related features. Each quadrangle is given the name of a prominent topographic or human feature of the area.Ĭolors on a USGS topographic map have very specific meanings.
Any one will do.Įach map is referred to as a quadrangle (or quad) and covers an area bounded on the north and south by latitude lines that differ by an amount equal to the map series (7.5 minutes or 15 minutes) and on the east and west by longitude lines that differ by the same amount. The best way to follow the lesson is to study it along with an actual USGS topographic map. Some of this language is in words, but most of it is in the form of symbols drawn on a map. Consider this a language lesson, but in a language quite easy to learn and one that pays immediate rewards to any wilderness traveler.