Comments on: Backcountry road map guide: Benchmark vs Delorme

By: Randy in AZ

Randy in AZ — Sat, 29 Aug 2020 03:22:24 +0000

Im expanding my portfolio for the time in the near future when GPS is no longer available and/or I have to migrate to someplace safer. This comparison was ideal and done very well. A thousand thanks.

By: Paul Mags

Paul Mags — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 16:54:41 +0000

In reply to Richard Edwards. Glad it helped!

By: Richard Edwards

Richard Edwards — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 15:31:12 +0000

I appreciate your comments. I live in Texas and DeLorme has been the only choice up until now (2019). I am getting ready to add the Benchmark (New Mexico, Colorado, and Texas) atlases to my collection. Traveling Forest Service roads in Colorado really requires good maps. I used a DeLorme to follow the Continental Divide in my Honda CRV. For the most part it was okay, but the missing road labels caused a few errors.

I am so glad I found this site.

By: Paul Mags

Paul Mags — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 01:39:49 +0000

In reply to Matthew Millar. Hi Matthew, I am not familiar with the AZ Delorme, but the AZ (and NM for that matter) Benchmarks show the tribal lands and roads. And are designated as such. Here's a quick snap. Hope this answers the question. Now that I am in Utah, I'll have to check out the AZ Navajo land options!

By: Matthew Millar

Matthew Millar — Sun, 09 Dec 2018 19:44:32 +0000

Thanks for the great info and comparison of these two atlas products. I live in Arizona, and am looking to get a detailed atlas of the state. One thing that is incredibly important here in AZ are detailed map features of Tribal lands. For example, the Navajo Nation is one the largest sovereign nations in the United States, and they allow backcountry use, visitation, and dispersed camping (with a valid Navaho Nation backcountry permit). There are many Tribal road networks in the the Navajo backcountry that can take you out to some incredible places. Some topo maps are useful for navigating them, but not always accurate (or a reflection of the actual road condition).

Does either Delorme or Benchmark show Tribal lands, similar to how USFS an BLM lands are identified? Do these maps show road systems on tribal land?

By: Philippa Howard

Philippa Howard — Sun, 10 Jun 2018 15:18:01 +0000

My boyfriend recently acquired the reportedly most recent New Mexico Delorme map. There were a lot of errors in it. Roads that of been in existence for five or 10 years were not marked and other roads they had on the map didn’t exist or had been significantly changed over the last 5 to 10 years and this was the most recent addition. It does say you couldn’t let them know but I’m not sure if they pay much attention .

By: Paul Mags

Paul Mags — Sun, 10 Jun 2018 13:40:03 +0000

In reply to Philippa Howard. As mentioned, I prefer the Benchmark. The New Mexico one has worked well for me.

By: Paul Mags

Paul Mags — Fri, 07 Oct 2016 21:10:21 +0000

In reply to Bridger DeVille.

Bridger,

Thanks for stopping by my neck of the virtual woods!

Has Benchmark thought of adding the Dakotas for the atlases? A lot of Westerners go to the Badlands, the Blackhills, Theodore Roosevelt NP, etc and would love the Benchmark quality for these areas.

Keep up the excellent work.

By: Bridger DeVille

Bridger DeVille — Fri, 07 Oct 2016 19:48:45 +0000

Hi Paul, Thanks very much for the excellent review and to everyone for your positive comments. We were just pointed to this article and I’d like to speak to a few items for your readers:

-The accuracy of map and POI content in Benchmark’s Road & Recreation Atlas series is a credit to our field-checkers having driven tens of thousands of miles in each western state since the mid-1990s.
-Benchmark’s team of cartographers in Medford, Oregon is world class, having won several national & international awards. Their talents blend many data sources and design techniques to produce maps that present clearly and are rich with road & recreation detail.
-The carto base layer in our Landscape Maps (blue section of atlas, largest scale) has transitioned in recent years from hypsometric color (relative to elevation) to a combination of ground cover (color by vegetation) and land use (public land ownership).
-Benchmark’s Road & Recreation Atlases are currently limited to western states due to our location, the length of time it takes to produce a new Benchmark state atlas from scratch (~2 years), and the comparative wealth of terrain and public land available in the American West. We are also kept busy with regular updates to our existing titles, on average every 2 years per state atlas. While we feel Benchmark atlases are the superior product in the market, the competition with Delorme’s brand and distribution in the eastern US is formidable and recently bolstered by Garmin’s acquisition of Delorme earlier this year. However our line of folded state Recreation Maps has expanded eastward to include the Great Plains states, and we’ll soon add Oklahoma and Texas (Eastern & Western) Recreation Maps. We continue to explore new state atlas projects and appreciate any feedback you can add to our ongoing discussions: atlas@benchmarkmaps.com.

Thanks again for the appreciation and encouragement. We’ll continue to do our best to help you plan and execute your adventures with accurate and helpful map products. Please stay tuned to our web site and Facebook page for current title info, new releases, and occasional posts from the world of map making.

Safe travels!

By: Paul Mags

Paul Mags — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 17:01:46 +0000

In reply to Bastek. Both show the BLM lands in addition to USFS/ state lands, etc. Handy!