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Garmin Explore App Map Features and Legend

The Map page of the Garmin Explore™ app offers multiple map products that you can download to help you plan your next trip, or view your activity data on.

Descriptions and map legends for each of the available map products can be found below.

Included Maps

These maps are available to download for free and can be used with or without having a compatible Garmin device connected to the app. For more details on downloading maps, see Related .

Topo (TopoActive)

Explore App Topo

Topo includes TopoActive maps that are designed for hiking, running, cycling, and other outdoor activities. TopoActive map data comes from OpenStreetMap (OSM), which is a community-developed mapping dataset, developed and added to by community mappers around the world. OSM is a highly detailed dataset. In many rural areas of the world, OSM has medium to low-detailed data. Features are added and edited by community members with local knowledge. Coverage of features may vary and includes geographic locations, place names, landmarks, points of interest, hydrographic features, and land-use/land-cover. OSM is an open data source. OSM also includes an open data source elevation dataset. Because the OpenStreetMap data is volunteered geographic Information, scale detail is not consistent. Scale detail can vary from 1:24,000 or better in major urban areas to 1:1,000,000 in more rural areas.

TopoActive Map Legend

TopoActive Points, Lines, and Areas

Points
TA Bicycle Parking Bicycling ParkingTA Boat Ramp or Slipway Boat Ramp/SlipwayTA Beach BeachTA Aquarium AquariumTA Auto Repair Auto Repair
TA Bicycle Rental Bicycle RentalTA Bridge BridgeTA Fitness Center Fitness CenterTA Arena ArenaTA Bank or ATM Bank/ATM
TA Bicycle Repair Bicycle Repair StationTA Camping CampingTA Forest ForestTA Border Crossing Border CrossingTA Casino Casino
TA Bicycle Shop Bicycle ShopTA Castle CastleTA Golf Course Golf CourseTA Bowling Alley Bowling AlleyTA Convenience Store Convenience Store
TA Compressed Air Compressed AirTA Cave CaveTA Monument MonumentTA Cemetery CemeteryTA Gas Station Gas Station
TA eBike Charging eBike ChargingTA Cliff CliffTA Park ParkTA Cinema CinemaTA Grocery Store Grocery Store
TA Airport AirportTA Dam DamTA Picnic Area Picnic AreaTA Community Building Community BuildingTA Hair and Beauty Hair and Beauty
TA Auto Rental Auto RentalTA Fishing Spot Fishing SpotTA Playground PlaygroundTA Fountain FountainTA Home and Garden Store Home and Garden Store
Cable CarTA Gap GapTA Recreation Center Recreation CenterTA Government Building Government BuildingTA Lodging Lodging
TA Ferry or Water Taxi Ferry/Water TaxiTA Hut HutTA RV Park RV ParkTA Ice Skating Ice SkatingTA Pharmacy Pharmacy
TA Taxi TaxiTA Information InformationTA Shelter ShelterTA Library LibraryTA Shopping Shopping
TA Heliport HeliportTA Lookout Tower Lookout TowerTA Shower ShowerTA Military MilitaryTA Veterinarian or Pet Store Veterinarian/Pet Store
TA Marina MarinaTA Mine MineTA Sports Complex Sports ComplexTA Museum MuseumTA Glacier Glacier
TA Train Stop Train StopTA Oilfield OilfieldTA Swamp SwampTA Police Station Police StationTA Ski Area Ski Area
TA Transit Stop Transit StopTA Ranger Station Ranger StationTA Well WellTA Post Office Post OfficeTA Danger Danger
TA Drinking Water Drinking WaterTA Ruins RuinsTA Zoo ZooTA Racetrack RacetrackTA Emergency Telephone Emergency Telephone
TA Geyser GeyserTA Scenic Area Scenic AreaTA Bar BarTA Religious Building Religious BuildingTA First Aid First Aid
TA Rapids RapidsTA Shipwreck ShipwreckTA Brewery BreweryTA Restrooms RestroomsTA Hospital Hospital
TA Spring SpringTA Tower TowerTA Coffee Shop Coffee ShopTA School SchoolTA Large City Large City
TA Swimming SwimmingTA Trailhead TrailheadTA Fast Food Fast FoodTA Theatre TheatreTA Medium City Medium City
TA Waterfall WaterfallTA Tunnel TunnelTA Fire Department Fire DeptTA Theme Park Theme ParkTA Small City Small City

TA Watermill WatermillTA Ice Cream Ice CreamTA Water Tower Water TowerTA Rock Rock

TA Windmill WindmillTA Restaurant Restaurant
TA Summit Summit


TA Winery Winery

Lines
TA Airport Runway Line Airport RunwayTA Contour Line Contour LineTA Abandoned Railroad or Cable Car Line Abandoned Railroad/Cable CarTA Trail or Sidewalk Line Trail/SidewalkTA Major Highway Line Major Highway
TA International Border Line International BorderTA Glacier Contour Line Glacier Contour LineTA Cable Car Line Cable CarTA Via Ferrata Line Via FerrataTA Major Road Line Major Road
TA State Border Line State BorderTA River or Stream Line River/StreamTA Railroad RailroadTA Stairs Line StairsTA Minor Road Line Minor Road
TA Major Park Border Line Major Park BorderTA Intermittent Stream Intermittent StreamTA Subway Line SubwayTA Paddle Trail Line Paddle TrailTA Unpaved Road Line Unpaved Road
TA Marine Park Line Marine Park
TA Tramway Line Tramway
TA Alley Line Alley
TA State Park Line State Park
TA Cycleway Line Cycleway
TA Ferry Line Ferry
Areas
TA Reef Area ReefTA Sand or Beach Area Sand/BeachTA Orchard Area OrchardTA Attraction Area AttractionTA National Forest or State Park Area National Forest/State Park
TA Water Area WaterTA Rock Area RockTA Commercial or Residential Area Commercial/ResidentialTA Dam Area DamTA National Park or Monument Area National Park/Monument
TA Intermittent Water Area Intermittent WaterTA Scree Area ScreeTA Reservation Area ReservationTA Playground Area Playground
TA Wetland or Flat Area Wetland/FlatTA Woods Area WoodsTA Military Base Area Military BaseTA Recreation Ground Area Recreation Ground
TA Glacier Area GlacierTA Scrub Area ScrubTA Airport Area AirportTA Sports Complex Area Sports Complex

Satellite Imagery

Explore App Satellite Imagery

Worldwide coverage that provides a photorealistic perspective from above. Imagery resolution may vary.

Hybrid Maps

Hybrid Maps Example

Hybrid Maps is a setting that allows downloaded area maps to be displayed on top of downloaded satellite imagery.

Hybrid maps can be toggled on or off in the Garmin Explore app by selecting Unfolded Map Symbol Map > Icon of Three Stacked Layers > Satellite > three dots in a circle. For more details on managing maps in the app, see Related .

USGS Quadrangle Maps

Explore App USGS Quads

High-quality 1:24,000 scale U.S. Geological Survey raster maps that display terrain contours, trailheads, camping areas, trails, points of interest, water sources, and more.

Coverage is available for all 50 U.S. States.

Hybrid Maps

USGS Hybrid Off or On

Hybrid Maps is a setting that allows downloaded area maps to be displayed on top of downloaded USGS maps.

Hybrid maps can be toggled on or off in the Garmin Explore app by selecting Unfolded Map Symbol Map > Icon of Three Stacked Layers > USGS quadrangle maps > three dots in a circle. For more details on managing maps in the app, see Related .

Basemap

Explore App Base Map

Low detail representation of Earth's major features including water bodies, land cover, and transportation networks.

Relief Shading

Explore App Relief Shading

Map with shading that helps visually depict elevation changes and terrain features.

Coverage includes Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K., U.S. and Vatican City.

SD Contour Lines

Explore App SD Contours

Lines of elevation showing topography. Contour intervals may vary based on local geography. SD (Standard Definition) contours are included without any additional purchase. HD (High Definition) contours are only available with an Outdoor Maps+ annual subscription.

Hiking Popularity

Explore App Hiking Popularity

Find popular hiking paths with a heatmap layer that shows you where other hikers like to hike.

Outdoor Maps+

These maps require purchasing an Outdoor Maps+ annual subscription. Before you can purchase an Outdoor Maps+ annual subscription through the Garmin Explore app, you must first pair a device that is compatible with Outdoor Maps+. For more details, see - Getting Started With Outdoor Maps Plus in the Garmin Explore App.

HD Contour Lines

Explore App HD Contours

Lines of elevation showing topography. Contour intervals may vary based on local geography. SD (Standard Definition) contours are included without any additional purchase. HD (High Definition) contours are only available with an Outdoor Maps+ annual subscription.

You can toggle between SD and HD contour lines in the Garmin Explore app by selecting Unfolded Map Symbol Map > Icon of Three Stacked Layers > Contour Lines > three dots in a circle. For more details on managing maps in the app, see Related .

NRC CanTopo

Explore App NRC CanTopo

High quality national topo raster maps produced by Natural Resources Canada (NRC) that display terrain contours, trails, points of interest, water sources, and more.

Coverage is available for Canada.

Hybrid Maps

CanTopo Hybrid Off or On

Hybrid Maps is a setting that allows downloaded area maps to be displayed on top of downloaded NRC CanTopo maps.

Hybrid maps can be toggled on or off in the Garmin Explore app by selecting Unfolded Map Symbol Map > Icon of Three Stacked Layers > NRC CanTopo > three dots in a circle. For more details on managing maps in the app, see Related .

Public Lands

Explore App Public Lands

These maps include public land boundaries to show the differences in National Forest, reservations, BLM, etc.

Coverage is available for all 50 U.S. States and Canada.

Map Legend

  • Orange – Native American Lands

  • Yellow – Bureau of Land Management

  • Light Green – National Forest

  • Dark Green – Protected Wilderness

  • Purple – National Park or Monument

  • Pink – Department of Defense/Army Corp of Engineers

  • Blue – Scenic River

HMU (Hunting Management Units)

Explore App HMU

Contains full state hunting management unit boundaries for multiple species (where applicable).

Coverage is available for all 50 U.S. States and Canada.

Parcel

Explore App Parcel

Also known as state plat maps, these maps help to identify landowner names and boundaries for public/private land types.

Coverage is available for all 50 U.S. States (see Parcel Coverage PDF), Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Great Britain, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, and Spain.

Hydro

Explore App Hydro

Detailed mapping of surface water features from the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD), including inland lakes, rivers, streams, and wetland features.

Coverage is available for all 50 U.S. States.

NOTE: This does not include depth range shading, shallow water shading, or lake contours.

Outdoor POI

Explore App Outdoor POI

Points of interest for natural features and outdoor destinations.

PLSS

Explore App PLSS

Public Land Survey System boundaries denoting township, range, and section information (where applicable).

Coverage is available for all 50 U.S. States.

Night Lights

Explore App Night Lights

Map depicting the amount of artificial light pollution affecting the night sky. Generally used for camping and star gazing. Where there is a darker gradient of gray it indicates a higher concentration of lights in that area.

Coverage is available between 80ºN latitude and 60ºS latitude.

Burn Zones

Explore App Burn Zones

See where wildfires or controlled burns have happened, with important details such as when the burn took place.

Coverage is available for all 50 U.S. States.

Campgrounds

Explore App Campgrounds

Comprehensive campground directory featuring amenities and supplemented with photos where available.

Coverage is available for all 50 U.S. States and Canada.

Campgrounds Map Legend

Campground Points

IconAbbreviation and Description
ALA CampgroundALA - Allagash NRA
AT CampgroundAT - Appalachian Trail
BLM CampgroundBLM - Bureau of Land Management
BOR CampgroundBOR - US Bureau of Reclamation
BWCA CampgroundBWCA - Boundary Waters CAW
CA CampgroundCA - Conservation Area
CGC CampgroundCGC - Colorado River - Grand Canyon
COE CampgroundCOE - US Army Corps of Engineers
COL CampgroundCOL - Colorado River
CP CampgroundCP - County / Regional Park
DEL CampgroundDEL - Delaware River
DES CampgroundDES - Deschutes River
FPT CampgroundFPT - Florida Paddle Trail
FS CampgroundFS - BC Forest Service
FT CampgroundFT - Florida Trail
FLT CampgroundFLT - Finger Lakes Trail
FWS CampgroundFWS - US Fish & Wildlife Service
GRE CampgroundGRE - Green River
GRE CampgroundGRR - Grande Ronde River
JDR CampgroundJDR - John Day River
LSR CampgroundLSR - Lower Salmon River
MFS CampgroundMFS - Middle Fork Salmon River
MIL CampgroundMIL - Military
MISC CampgroundMISC - Miscellaneous
MU CampgroundMU - Municipal Park
NA/FN - First Nation / Native American
NMW CampgroundNMW - North Maine Woods
NP CampgroundNP - National Park
NPR CampgroundNPR - Non-Profit
PCT CampgroundPCT - Pacific Crest Trail
PP CampgroundPP - Provincial Park
ROG CampgroundROG - Rogue River
RP CampgroundRP - Regional Park
SAL CampgroundSAL - Salmon River
SCR CampgroundSCR - St. Croix River
SEL CampgroundSEL - Selway River
SEP CampgroundSEP - GA Paddle Trail
SJ CampgroundSJ - San Juan River
SMI CampgroundSMI - Smith River
SNA CampgroundSNA - Snake River
ST CampgroundST - State
TP CampgroundTP - Territorial Park
TVA CampgroundTVA - Tennessee Valley Authority
Utility CampgroundUtility - Utility Company
Y-G CampgroundY-G - Yampa-Green Rivers

Boat Ramps

Explore App Boat Ramps

Provides locations of boat ramps and kayak and canoe launch sites. Trailerable ramps are indicated with a solid icon Solid Boat on the map and non-trailerable ramps are indicated with an outlined icon Outlined Boat.

Coverage is available for all 50 U.S. States.

Atlas Points

Explore App Atlas Points

Map that depicts points of interest from the Delorme® Atlas & Gazetteer topographical map series, such as unique natural features like mountains and waterfalls, available outdoor recreational activities, family-friendly attractions, recreational areas such as state/national parks/forests and places to fish or hunt.

Coverage is available for all 50 U.S. States.

Atlas Points Map Legend

Atlas Points

Points
Atlas Dice Casinos
Atlas Fishing Fishing
Atlas Vehicle Family Outings
Atlas Hunting Hunting
Atlas Arrow Outdoor Adventures
Atlas Tree Recreation
Atlas Natural Features Unique Natural Features

USFS Points

Explore App USFS Points

Comprehensive directory of US National Forest Service locations for camping, hiking, picnic areas, outdoor learning, nature viewing, fishing, and more.

TOPO PRO

Explore App Topo Pro

Provides mapping content from premium local providers for multiple countries in Europe, with roads and trails, points of interest, contour lines, and more.

Coverage is available for Albania, Andorra, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czechia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Vatican City.

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