The US Forest Service offers free access to digital maps for outdoor enthusiasts

Montgomery, Ala. – The US Forest Service has launched a new resource for outdoor enthusiasts, offering free access to an extensive collection of digital maps on the Forest Service Digital Maps website. Available in a variety of scales, these maps provide important information such as topography, hydrography and vegetation and are perfect for backcountry navigation. The maps are geo-enabled and can be downloaded for offline use on mobile devices.

The annually updated digital maps are automatically created using publicly available data from partner agencies and company records. Users are encouraged to provide feedback on map content to ensure accuracy and continuous improvement.

While these digital maps provide a convenient option, they do not replace traditional printed forest visitor maps, which continue to be available at Forest Service Visitor Centers and the USGS Store. The new digital service increases transparency, consistency and ease of access, strengthening the public’s connection to America’s forests.