Benchmark Road & Recreation Atlases

[JB.]

Anyone use these? I found a Nevada Atlas in Costco a few months ago and picked it up. I was so impressed, I now have CA, UT, and AZ. I also got another Nevada atlas so the 4Runner is never without while I look at the indoor one almost daily.

They're not topo maps, but the landform detail is very impressive and they have a gps grid. They're very much geared to outdoor activities and they distinguish between dirt roads and 4X4 roads. I might venture to say they're more useful, in many respects, than topos, although my experience with topos is, admittedly, small. They're packed inside with useful info and they complement computer mapping software very well as they are far handier for finding things quickly and I'm consistently pleased I have an additional source of info for comparison purposes.

Currently atlases are available for CA AZ NV UT OR WA ID NM

I highly recommend them.


http://www.benchmarkmaps.com/home.html

 

[JB.]

Considering the throngs of people who have viewed this thread, I feel it my duty to update the info. I've discovered, much to my chagrin, that the Arizona atlas is different from CA, NV, and UT. It contains nowhere near the detailed roads and byways the other three do. From what I can gather, if the cover of the Atlas doesn't list "detailed roads" in the list of advertised features, the atlas will have a severely diminished level of road detail.

Just a quick heads up on the off chance anyone was going to buy an Arizona atlas based on what I'd written.

I've ordered a Delorme Atlas & Gazetteer Nevada, and I'll make a comparison with the Benchmark and report back. (Sorry, but you'll have to find other meaning in your lives until I do so.:

 

[Cliff s]

I have the BenchMark for AZ

Another I would recommend is Backcountry Adventures Arizona(there
are ones for Utah and Colorado, also).

They give the GPS coords. for the trails along with detailed pics and directions.
You also get a history lesson as part of the package. A really well done series
with all kinds of good info.

I got the book at Costco.

Cliff s

 

[JB.]

I have the BenchMark for AZ

Another I would recommend is Backcountry Adventures Arizona(there
are ones for Utah and Colorado, also)...

Cliff s

Yes, thanks, they are good. I have both Colorado and Arizona Backcountry adventures. On ToyotaDoodz' recommendation, I checked out the Charles Wells books and ended up getting "Guide to ... Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails" for CO and AZ, as well. Both sets are very good and they complement each other as each has trails the others don't list.

JB

 

[ToyotaDoodz]

Yes, thanks, they are good. I have both Colorado and Arizona Backcountry adventures. On ToyotaDoodz' recommendation, I checked out the Charles Wells books and ended up getting "Guide to ... Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails" for CO and AZ, as well. Both sets are very good and they complement each other as each has trails the others don't list.

JB

Glad you like them!! I use them a lot. I need to check out the back country adventure books you use. I'm pretty sure I've looked at them before but I'm not sure if it was the same title.

 

[JB.]

Glad you like them!! I use them a lot. I need to check out the back country adventure books you use. I'm pretty sure I've looked at them before but I'm not sure if it was the same title.

Authors are Peter Massey, Jeanne Wilson. The Colorado book, which looks like the first, is called "4WD Adventures: Colorado". Thereafter, I believe, they go by "Backcountry adventures(location)"

Your post prompted me to compare in more detail. I was pretty surprised what I found. I had presumed both sets had an overlap rate of roughly 80-90%. Here are the numbers.

Wells Colorado - 65 trails, 24 unique by comparison.
4WD Adv Colorado - 71 trails

Wells Arizona - 75 trails, 45 unique
Backcountry..AZ - 157 trails.

The Backcountry AZ book is a 4lb. monster.

As I said before, they complement each other, but I had no idea how well until I really looked. I suppose those numbers could be slightly off due to trail naming differences, but I don't think by much.

I enjoy having both sets. I'm pretty close to NW AZ so I could put the two AZs to use right away, but I'm having so much fun discovering my own backyard lately, it may be a while.

 

[ToyotaDoodz]

That's great info. Thanks JB!! I'm going to order the Backcountry set. Can't have too much information and certainly don't want to miss any trails.

 

[JB.]

That's great info. Thanks JB!! I'm going to order the Backcountry set. Can't have too much information and certainly don't want to miss any trails.

I got 'em at http://www.amateurgeologist.com/content/features/fieldtripreports/general/suvs.html

Nice little place with nice people. As I recall, they were even a bit cheaper than amazon.

If you scan the article, there's a nice little surprise pic 'bout 3/4 of the way down.

 

[ToyotaDoodz]

Cool, thank you! Nice site too. I've always been into rocks but never really knew a lot about what I was looking at. There's a lot of raw minerals laying on top of the ground on those 10,000 + ft trails in Colorado. I found a 3" wide vein of rich purplish-red natural color Jasper about 5 feet off one of the trails.

Yes, I saw that 4th GEN!!!