Can I put street maps on my hiking GPS?

As we recently discussed, putting topographic maps onto your hiking GPS makes it a much more powerful tool. Many outdoors-oriented GPSes can also have street maps loaded onto them, making them just as useful in the urban jungle.

Putting street maps onto a GPS really brings two features: the maps themselves, and (often but not always) the ability to get "turn by turn" directions just like a car "nav" system.

Generally speaking any Garmin GPS that support their MapSource TOPO series of outdoors maps can also support their City Navigator street maps, and show the incredible level of detail that modern GPS street maps contain. If you've ever used Google Maps or Yahoo! Maps you're actually getting something of a preview of a GPS street map since the GPS map is based on the exact same NAVTEQ or Tele Atlas map data.

More advanced outdoors GPS units, such as the Garmin eTrex Vista HCx and Colorado 400t, can also do the same turn-by-turn route finding that you can do on Google Maps or on a driving-oriented GPS. When loaded with City Navigator maps you can search the point-of-interest (POI) database for cities, hotels, gas stations, addresses, etc, have the unit calculate the shortest route, and then guide you to it!

Relates to:

• Garmin eTrex Vista HCx

Articles Archive

• Dan Neil of LA Times calls Colorado 400t utterly vital
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