Subscribe to CalTopo? Yes, it's worth it
If you're new to CalTopo, watch this tutorial video to get started.
Here's a screen grab of the cost structure and subscription levels, as of autumn 2019.
Just click that “Upgrade” link! or: caltopo.com/join
The free version of CalTopo has a lot of functionality, but bump up to a $20 “Basic” level annual subscription and you get even more. In addition to directly supporting the provider of this great software (which for many years was just one guy in California, you also get a few extra perks.
1 - Print maps on larger size paper. Standard 8 1/2” by 11” paper is usually okay, but for a longer trip covering a bigger area, or a larger scale (a more “zoomed in” map) bumping your paper size up to 11” by 17” can be really helpful.
2 - Save more private maps. Have you made a map that you think is great, complete with carefully chosen waypoint icons and different line symbols and colors? You can save it exactly like you made it, so you or anyone else can use it in the future. (If you simply export your tracks and waypoints as a GPX file, you lose all the custom formatting.) Just click “Save this Map”, and everything on your screen is saved to the cloud. The paid subscription lets you save many more private maps than the free one.
3 - Better integration with Google Earth. With a Basic subscription, you can do some Google Earth fancy cartography tricks like making a linked connection between CalTopo and Google Earth. Make a change on your CalTopo map, and a few seconds later in your Google Earth window you will see that same change happen. Very cool for certain map geek applications.
If you're more of a power user, there are two additional levels of subscription, Pro and Desktop. The Pro version offers the extremely helpful weekly high resolution satellite imagery, which is terrific for trip planning and determining snow levels. This might be a bit beyond the needs of many casual recreational users, but if you spent a lot of time in the backcountry, it could be well worth it.
So, those are the main benefits, as I see them, and I love supporting CalTopo with a $20 annual subscription. When you consider that a single printed paper map can cost between $10 and $15, $20 a year for unlimited free mapping is quite the bargain.
Supporting this software by subscribing helps ensure this great resource will be around for a long time for all of us to enjoy.
Here’s an example map for the Leuthold Couloir route on Mt. Hood, Oregon, made with CalTopo. This uses the “Mapbuilder Topo” layer, has a 1 Km UTM grid, correct magnetic declination, map datum, and ratio and bar scale - pretty much everything you need. This prints on 8.5 x 11 paper, and took me about 90 seconds to make. =^)
