Get the Most Out of Topo 24K Maps on an Outdoor Handheld

Below are tips to help get the most out of the Topo 24K maps on a Garmin Outdoor handheld.

To access the settings that are mentioned, see the Map Settings section of the device's owner's manual.

• If Topo 24K maps are added to a handheld that came preloaded with Topo 100K (such as Oregon® 600t or GPSMAP® 64st), leave the 100K Topo maps enabled under Map Information or Configure Maps. Topo detail will not show on the device if it is disabled.
• To get the best screen panning and zoom performance, leave Map Detail set at Normal when using Topo 24K.
  • With the detail set to Normal, the device will render 24K detail at closer zoom levels, where it is most useful. If the detail level is set to Higher or Most, the device will render unnecessary detail and cause the screen to become sluggish when it refreshes.
• Sometimes the combination of 24K detail and shaded relief makes maps difficult to read on the handheld, especially in areas with tan or green land cover shading.
  • Shaded relief and land cover can be turned off to help improve readability.
• The Land Cover feature allows for trails, creeks, rivers, topography lines, etc. to be hidden by a green mass, such as a dense grove or forest.
  • This feature is best set to Auto for most users. However, depending on when a user wants to set this detail, the set zoom level allows for the land cover shading to go away and the additional map detail to be visible. 

NOTE: For additional Topographic information see, USGS Topographic Map Symbols. The symbols that are displayed can vary depending on the device, or map, you are using.