TOPO U.S. 2008 features digital topographic maps for the U.S., including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. It is available in two different formats making it easy and convenient to load data to your compatible Garmin device: MapSource DVD and preprogrammed micro SD data cards.

Amazon.com Product Description
Garmin's United States TOPO MapSource CD-ROM is similar to U.S. Geological Survey 1:100,000-scale topographic paper maps. It includes trip and waypoint management functions that allow you to transfer waypoints, routes, and tracks between your PC and nearly all Garmin GPS units (excluding the GPS 100 family and panel-mount aviation units). With MapSource, you can view highways, roads, hiking trails, snowmobile trails, backwoods trails, elevation contours, point and summit elevations, some bathymetric contours, geographic names, churches, and schools. Shoreline detail is included for lakes, reservoirs, small bodies of water, waterways, rivers, and streams. Icons represent boat ramps, dams, marinas, campgrounds, public facilities, mile markers, first aid stations, picnic sites, swimming areas, ski areas, wrecks, fuel locations, and dangerous and restricted areas.

In addition, nautical navigational aids for the 50 states are provided, including radio beacons, RACONs, and fog signals; river, harbor, and other lights; and day beacons and lighted and unlighted buoys. Shipwrecks, submerged rocks, obstructions, and other hazards to nautical navigation are also displayed.

Note on compatibility: The trip and waypoint management functions of this product work with nearly all Garmin GPS units, excluding the GPS 100 family and panel-mount aviation units. Specifically, the map-download features of this product work with the eTrex Legend, eTrex Vista, eMap, GPS V, StreetPilot, StreetPilot ColorMap, StreetPilot III, and GPSMAP 76, 162, 168, 176, and 295. Some units may require a Garmin data card to upload map data.

Mapsource's topo maps have few contour lines and omit many dirt roads, small lakes, and many other details. Most importantly, Township, range and section lines are omitted. In it's favor, Mapsource is easy to use. And the price is good: The entire U.S. for $100.

I later obtained MapTech's Terrain Navigator software, and it works much better for me. The details are almost as complete as USGS topo maps. Township, range and section lines are included, as are complete contour lines and even some abandoned, bermed roads (on public land). MapTech is not, however, as intuitive as Mapsource. And MapTech costs much more in relation to the area covered: I paid for one small part of our state.

So if you want maps for the whole U.S. and don't necessarily need details, get Mapsource. If you want USGS-quality maps with excellent detail, look at others, including MapTech.


Where's the beef?   January 2, 2001
 85 out of 89 found this review helpful

I recently got an eTrex Summit GPS and bought this software in order to download the trips I take into a printable format as well as to plan hikes before starting out on them. The bottom line is that this 3 CD-ROM set doesn't contain nearly enough information to do that. I took a 4 mile hike this weekend near San Francisco, and downloaded it to the software. It does show the track that we walked, but the topographic information from this software is so coarse that you can't tell that we went up and down, gaining some 500 feet in elevation since the contour lines are so far apart on the map generated. Furthermore, the road into the park wasn't drawn correctly, the ranger station and other services weren't marked and so on. In short, the maps provided won't allow you to plan a hike, which was the point in the first place right?


I agree... the detail is lacking   April 11, 2001
 60 out of 60 found this review helpful

I bought this product for hikes and to guide me in navigating rivers. Only very major roads are named so I can't use this very easily to calculate my route there. Most roads are there but they just vanish at some points and reappear in others. Using a real topo map it is immediately obvious that these same roads do not dissapear and in fact continue on their course uninteruppted like a road should. The elevations and detail are very course. No trails are shown. I am not very happy I bought this product and am going to look into the roads and recreation to see if it does a better job. FYI I bought this to use with my Etrex Legend which I think is just great.


Great for basic mapping   August 8, 2004
 52 out of 52 found this review helpful

After reading all the negative reviews, I was very reluctant to take the plunge with this product. However, as the date of my Vermont hiking trip approached, I decided to go for it.

I was very plesantly surprised. Here's what I found:

1. This product provides good BASIC topo maps for garmin GPS (I personally use an etrex legend). If you are looking for 1:24,000 level of precision with every obscure trail, fire road, etc. you WON'T find it here. However, I found the maps to be more than adequate for orienting myself and cross-referencing with USGS paper maps if necessary. (As others have repeated ad nauseam, you should ALWAYS carry paper maps in addition to electronic gizmos like this). Also, as other reviewers have pointed out, you can get good USGS-derived paper maps from Maptech.

2. My experience was that the accuracy was good, once I enabled the WAAS on my unit. I didn't encounter any of the missing lakes, etc. which others have spoken about (I also used it recently in the boundary waters area of MN). That having been said, I don't think it's necessarily the best for roads-- also as other reviewers have pointed out. It is best suited for topographic features. There are other products which are more suited for roads and highways.

3. I didn't have any problems with installation-- went very smoothly. The software is somewhat rudimentary, but that also makes it very simple to use. I was up and running in no time. Downloads were also very easy and straightforward.

4. Can't beat the price!! You get all 50 states-- not like other products that are state by state. You buy it once and then you are done.

So overall, know what you are getting into and you will not be disappointed. DONT expect any bells and whistles like fancy 3d flybys, etc. DO expect a cheap, basic, reliable-- and in my experience-- accurate map which will get you MORE than adequately oriented with your surroundings.


Mapsource Topo IS for real!   May 2, 2003
 49 out of 49 found this review helpful

After reading many disappointing reviews for Garmin's Mapsource Topo, I was very skeptical to purchase this product. I previously owned Garmin's "Points of Interests" (by Mapsource)for their E-Trex Venture. The GPS was great, but the software was very limited. It lacked detail of any kind. After time, I upgraded to Garmin's E-Trex Vista. This is probably the best hand held receiver on the market today! Now I needed the mapping software to go with it. Again, I researched the Mapsource Topo, and anything else I could find. Only after reading (one) person's review, (praising it), did I see any hope for Mapsource. I talked with a Garmin rep and he pointed me to a demo of "TOPO" and I thought it looked OK. Now, after buying it, and using it, I am totally satisfied! I would like to raise a couple of points that should clear things up. First, when you begin to view the maps on your PC, set the DETAIL settings(found under Edit) to LOW, as this will allow you to find the specific area you are looking for, without the computer trying to constantly redraw all that detail. Then, when you are in the general area, and zoom size, go back and crank up the detail to HIGH!!! Viola, tons of detail and info. The second point, is to also do this with your GPS receiver under Map settings. I have found that you probably will see TOO MUCH detail at times! And the real kicker for me was, after looking at the map detail on the PC, your GPS will show much better graphics than what's on the computer. Map legends and symbols that are not shown or shown as dots and slashes, come alive on the GPS. I don't know why this is, but it's true. If only I had known this last year, I would have bought it right away. And Amazon has a great deal on the price too. I also use Maptech's Terrain Navigator for viewing and printing Topo maps of New York's Adirondack mountains. It's excellent, but is unable to download maps to the GPS. In closing, I just wonder how so many people could have overlooked this remedy? GREAT PRODUCT!!!