Update 11/17/25: Wow! We’re blown away by the interest in this opportunity. We will be closing applications on November 21st so if you’re planning to apply, get your application in by Friday! Do you love planning your adventures almost as much as going on them? Do you geek out over routes, slope shading, and weather […]
No matter where an adventure or SAR mission takes you, you can now bring more of the power of CalTopo with you. With today’s announcement from T-Mobile, we’re excited to finally share that the latest version of the CalTopo app is satellite ready and compatible with T-Mobile’s T-Satellite service. When T-Mobile invited us to prepare […]
Search and rescue (SAR) has always been at the heart of CalTopo. Read on to hear from CalTopo founder Matt Jacobs about exciting upcoming improvements that we have planned for SAR users. CalTopo’s origins date back to one of my first searches in 2009, and the mapping difficulties I encountered on it. While both the […]
We’re thrilled to introduce the Avy Observations overlay! This tool displays reported avalanche occurrences from participating avalanche forecast centers directly in your CalTopo map. Now, you can visualize recent and past avalanche reports in an area alongside all your other mapping data, helping you to make more informed decisions before heading into the mountains. See […]
We have two big updates that we’re excited to share! More High Resolution Elevation Data It’s that magical time of year: we just finished importing the latest high resolution elevation data from the USGS 3D Elevation Program (3DEP). And why should you care about more high resolution elevation data coverage? Traditional elevation datasets typically have […]
FATMAP is retiring October 1st. Per Strava’s announcement in June 2024, all FATMAP account data will be deleted after October 1st (our condolences to all the FATMAP users out there). Luckily it is easy to move your data to CalTopo before it disappears- just follow the simple steps below. And a note before we begin: […]
Want more high resolution elevation data coverage? You got it! We just completed the latest high resolution elevation data import from the USGS 3D Elevation Program (3DEP), an ongoing project that aims to obtain nationwide LiDAR coverage plus IfSAR coverage in Alaska. And to be honest, we can’t enough of the newly updated areas. While […]
Camille Rohrlich is a 2023 Adventure Grant recipient. With the goal to become more familiar with the nearby Holy Cross Wilderness outside her home in Vail, CO, she created and attempted an original backpacking route that crossed most of the major drainages and summited 22 named peaks along the way. Below is her trip report- […]
Covering more than 40 miles and 18,000 feet of elevation gain, the Infinity Loop on Pico de Orizaba is no small undertaking. But what does it take to plan and navigate a new route like this? Nathan Longhurst, the first person to complete this route along with partner Jason Hardrath, breaks it down for us […]
Not only does Sasha Heinen write code for CalTopo, they’re also an avid packrafter. Originally a long distance hiker, Sasha got into packrafting as a way to expand the backcountry terrain available to cover, especially in the Grand Canyon. Here are their favorite CalTopo features for planning the ultimate packrafting adventure- enjoy! For desert packrafting […]
