Entries by Meghan

Update: Discover New Routes & Maps with Shared Maps

Our users plan, explore, and document adventures all over the world. Along the way, many of those maps are shared publicly- creating a massive, community-driven collection of routes, tracks, waypoints, and local knowledge. The Shared Maps layer makes that information visible directly on the map, turning the contributions of other users into a powerful resource […]

Update: Map Object & SAR Tool Changes

We’re excited to roll out the latest updates to Map Objects and SAR tools– now live on the web and expected shortly in version 1.25.1 of the mobile app! While the individual changes may seem small, these small quality of life improvements can add up in a big way. SAR users in particular will notice […]

How to Find Good Tree Skiing– Before You Leave Home

While many backcountry skiers might covet steep couloir and alpine faces, I love hunting for those perfect trees – widely spaced, brush free, with silky powder between. My name is Kyle McCrohan and I’m a PNW skier and author of the blog climberkyle.com. My goal is to share a few tools for finding good tree […]

We’re Looking for CalTopo Educational Ambassadors!

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 […]

New Feature: Avy Observations

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 […]

More LiDAR Plus a Better Way to Visualize It

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 […]

Moving from FATMAP to CalTopo

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: […]

Let’s hear it for more LiDAR!

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 […]