There a number of commerical providers that offer atlases and travel guides that cover recreational activities, cultural events, and natural resources for Wisconsin. The following are just a few possibilities.
Printed Form
• Wisconsin Maps
• Cultural Map of Wisconsin
• Milwaukee Map Service Series
• Madison/Dane County Map
• National Atlas Maps
Computer Form
• Digital "Atlases"
• On-Line Travel Guides
The Atlas was produced at a scale of 1:150,000 (1"=2.4 miles) with each map providing a ground coverage of about 25x35 miles. With 81 map pages and 104 total pages containing information about Wisconsin, this is a great resource to have while traveling the state. The gazetteer also has an alphabetical listing of more than 14,000 Wisconsin place names which are referenced throughout the atlas. Locations of places and features are provided in several indices and are keyed to maps in the atlas. Besides having all road names on the maps, township and ranges grids are superimposed over top as an extra reference.
This DeLorme Gazetteer is sold in many bookstores, outdoor equipment shops, etc. The most recent update was in 2000, selling at $19.95 per copy. You can also contact DeLorme directly for on-line shopping.
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Wisconsin Maps
• Wisconsin Atlas & Gazetteer
The DeLorme Mapping Company produced an Atlas and Gazetteer for the state of
Wisconsin in 1988. Within this atlas you will find an extensive listing of state landmarks and attractions, as well as valuable information on the
network of Wisconsin roads and waterways. The Gazetteer also lists unique natural features, campgrounds, hiking, bicycling and canoeing routes, boat launches, historical sites/museums, art museums/science centers, ferries/boat trips, wildlife and hunting areas, product tours and state parks and forests, all of which are symbolized on the atlas maps.
• Wistravel.com
"Wisconsin's premier online resource" provides a wonderful interactive (printable) map of the state, that includes roadway systems, points of interest, and geographic features.
Cultural Map of Wisconsin
In November 1996, UW-Madison Geography Department faculty members David Woodward and Robert Ostergren published the Cultural Map of Wisconsin. The map was produced in the UW-Madison Cartographic Laboratory and serves as a companion to the state highway map, with the varied cultural landscape of the state being well represented. The "cultural landscape" includes significant historical landmarks, archaeological sites, and points of literary, musical, artistic, and architectural importance. The intent is to present a local sense of place through a well-designed cartographic portrait.
To order your own copy of the Cultural Map contact either the The State Cartographer's Office or visit The University of Wisconsin Press, located at 2537 Daniels Street in Madison or call them at (608) 224-3900 or fax (608) 224-3907.
The maps cost $12.95 from the SCO, plus shipping and handling. If you order from the University of Wisconsin Press, the map costs $12.95 folded and $14.95 rolled, plus shipping and handling.
Milwaukee Map Service Series
Milwaukee Map Service Inc. has produced a 4-volume map series that divides the
state of Wisconsin into four sectors: southwestern (revised in 1997), southeastern (revised in 1997 and 2000), northwestern and northeastern (both revised in 2000). These volumes provide indices to cities, villages and road names by county, ski touring areas, ski hills, points of interest,
trout streams, golf courses, public hunting and fishing grounds, state parks and forests and Wisconsin lakes.
The two maps revised in 1997 are $5.95 and the others revised in 2000 are $9.95. You can order them directly from Milwaukee Map Service Inc.
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Madison/Dane County Map
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Straus Printing has a available a 28" x 40" map of Madison than includes towns in Dane County and also a campus map of UW-Madison. The maps sell for $1.00 each or for orders greater than 25, $.85 each. Contact Straus Printing at (608) 251-3222 or 888-EST-1920.
National Atlas Maps
Thematic and Reference are the two most available maps for purchase. The thematic maps generally have a scale of 1:7,500,000, but this varies with the geographic area. Their sheet size is 19x28 inches, unless otherwise noted. The reference maps have a scale of 1=2,000,000 (or 1 inch = 31.5 miles) and they depict both state and international boundaries, railroads, city names and locations, county lines, highways, and airports. Contours are not shown.
These maps are $7.00 per sheet, plus a $5.00 shipping and handling charge. For more information about all of the National Atlas Maps contact any Earth Science Information Center (ESIC) office.
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There are softwares available with travel guide for world wide coverage that allows access of up to 20,000 places of interest that includes tourist attractions, natural wonders, and historical landmarks. Some packages let you import street addresses, coordinate data from spreadsheet files or data from database files. You may also select market data that will provide basic information on hotels, restaurants, and sight seeing.
Some examples of these products are:
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In 1970, the USGS published The National Atlas of the United States of America. This map is now out of print, but many of its maps can still be purchased individually.
Digital "Atlases"
There are several digital mapping packages available for travelers that can show the most desirable travel routes and calculate the time and
expense involved in reaching a particular destination. Most packages are available in DOS or Windows and range from $49.95 to $399 (many are less than $100). The more expensive versions provide detailed itinerary information and directions to the places you specify. In most programs you can set conditions such as avoiding toll roads or locating the shortest possible route. Other packages allow the user to link a database of clients, family or friends to the digital atlas so they will appear on chosen routes. In addition, most programs today have GPS (Global Positioning System) support as well as automatic on-line updates for current construction sites etc.
• Street Atlas USA 8.0
By DeLorme, provides up-to-date routes and city maps, along with door-to-door mapping, in-vehicle navigation, and map customization tools.
• TripMaker Deluxe 2004 and StreetFinder Deluxe
Both by Rand McNally, features include searchable street-level detail, travel guide, drive-in itineraries, construction updates, GPS support and business directories. TripMaker costs $29.95 and the StreetFinder software for $49.95, plus shipping and handling.
• Streets & Trips 2004
By Microsoft, has on-line travel guide, route calculation, and points of interest, as well as GPS support, Canadian data, and webpage capabilities.
On-Line Travel Guides
• MapQuest
This on-line travel planner maps out restaurants and hotels of your choice within the U.S. and helps you create your own itinerary. It also provides local facts and figures, weather, etc. If you sign up for their free membership, you can also save your maps for later uses.
• Freetrip.com
Offers accurate driving directions and times for travel within the United States.
• Maps24
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