Hey hey hiking/camping/outdoors fanatics! Guess what? You can now download topographical maps for free from the USGS. You can also order print copies from them for a few bucks, if you prefer. Cost of printing at home is your responsibility, too.
To get your topo maps, go to http://store.usgs.gov/ and click on "DOWNLOAD TOPO MAPS FREE!" on the right under "TOPO MAPS." If you're getting an error on the site, make sure to (re-)enable accepting 3rd party cookies (this is enabled by default in Firefox, but I usually disable it). I didn't have any luck in Safari, though I didn't play around with it much.
The nav site to pick your map is a mashup with Google Maps. It's pretty cool, actually, and could be very handy for those interested in some nice detailed hiking maps. :)
Hat tip to Backcountry.com.
