Travel Atlases
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
Computer Form
Wisconsin Maps
- Wisconsin Atlas & Gazetteer
The DeLorme Mapping Company produced an Atlas and Gazetteer for the state of Wisconsin. 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.
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. You can also check out the gazetteer from many public libraries.
- Wistravel.com
Wistravel.com provides a convenient map (pdf) 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, visit the Wisconsin Historical Society shop. The maps cost $12.95.
Map Solutions, LLC
Map Solutions produces a map series that divides the state of Wisconsin into smaller sectors. 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.
Many of their maps are under $10. You can order them directly from MapSolutionsAmerica.com.
Dane County Map
The Dane County web site offers a 44" x 34" map of Dane County. For more information or to order, view the map here.
National Atlas Maps
NationalAtlas.gov carries an extensive online GIS and mapping system with an incredible number of data layers from which to choose. This particular image shows nighttime lights of Wisconsin as you might see on a clear night from far above the Earth's surface. Explore features of Wisconsin, and any other states you're interested in with this full-featured online mapping system.
On-Line Travel Guides and Directions
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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.
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:
- 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.
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