Ben--Closest fuel can be found on your GPS.

 

Ah, sweet.

 

Why is it most call their GPS , " Lying Bitch " then ? Most common reference I've heard about them .

OP I've traveled the whole US , part of Canada and Europe on a bike with the good old fashion Rand McNally road atlas . No one map is going to give the the goat trails too , to get that fine you'll need individual state editions . Be warned when you get that detailed what may be referenced as " Unimproved " can be two dirt ruts through the woods , been there before so heads up even with the GPS gizmo's also .

The book map won't break when it gets dropped or wet , you never have to hunt for the reset button and nobody will break into your stuff trying to steal it .

 

From my experience, the individual state "atlas and gazetteer" that is sold by Delorme seemed to provide the best overall detail. But that's a lot of freakin' atlases to carry...

 

Son and I went through one of our state parks last summer. map said a short stretch of gravel,, Yea,, right, 13 miles of it.

At least we know one park we wont be going to again.

 

Well, I have a geography degree and I am old school. Screw the GPS shat! You can't sit down and visualize where you want to go, and where you are going on a little screen. Sorry. Mapquest/Google Maps etc...maybe, it's just not the same as spreading a good map out in front of you on a table. I have buddies that rely on the GPS stuff and they are always missing turns because they don't see the map in thier mind. I know this can be a skill that some people don't have. But with just a little bit of studying I can see in my mind the curves, turns etc..

Don't get me wrong, the GPS is a great tool, and I own one. But for me it's not what I use to plot a desired route or see what is out there to ride. People miss so many great side roads by relying on the new technology.

The USGS Topographic Maps will likely be overkill. But I have had very good luck with contacting each state goverment (websites) and they usually will send you a free copy of their "offical" state maps. They are typically pretty up to date and include most of the small roads.

Have a great trip!

 

Been using Rand McNally state maps forever. Am in the process of updating to the Rand McNally Easy-To-Read versions. Bigger but definitely easier to read! And if I get to an area where I want to explore a bit more I go to the Chamber of Commerce for information.

 

I have an Oregon map that shows all this detail -- I like riding forest service roads, and the detail on this map (http://www.amazon.com/Benchmark-Oreg.../dp/0929591887) actually shows where these roads go from pavement to gravel (which I try to avoid), plus every other road as well...

I really like this brand and I expect that they'd have them for other states as well. Drawback: size is probably 11"x17", it fits in my tourpack, but may be challenging for some.

 

I went from WV to Idaho with an atlas and a sense that as long as I went west with the occasional north, I'd be fine.

If "getting lost" is your favorite way of seeing the country, it works well.

 

Worked for me better than 30 plus yrs and had a good time doing it too