Topo map symbols/legend

[Manosteel21]

Trying to decipher topo map. Planning for next year already. Want to make sure I’m comparing roads on topo to MVUM correctly. I have 1:24000 mytopo maps of an area we went a few years ago and want to come up with a better plan. There are red boxes that seem to label roads. Some are horizontal some are vertical , all are 5 digit numbers. Are these actually road labels? And how do you/can you apply that to a MVUM

 

[Manosteel21]

 

[Drenalin]

The legend on one of my USGS maps indicates that red numbering in a horizontal line is a NF road suitable for passenger cars. In a vertical line, suitable for high clearance vehicles. Spot checking against OnX, these numbers on the USGS map appear to line up with the designations shown on OnX. So yes, they are road labels and hopefully they'll still be accurate road labels, depending how old the info on your map is and whether or not the road designations have changed.

 

[Drenalin]

 

[Manosteel21]

Thanks. Mine didn’t have a legend and I must have skimmed past when I looked at a usgs legend I did find. Do those labels translate anywhere else, or are they just designators for USGS?

My understanding is the current published MVUM map supersedes any other map? I understand the topo can have road inaccuracies as far as length, exact location.

 

[Drenalin]

MyTopo doesn't do a great job with legends, and the USGS online legend doesn't show this info even though it does show up on their individual maps.

The road designations come from the National Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/maps/mvum-faq

I'm not sure this answers your question, but my understanding is that OnX's MVUM layer pulls directly from NFS's MVUM data, and should line up with what you see on a typical USGS map (which is what you get from MyTopo, just centered over your specified location). I'd caveat that last sentence by saying some maps haven't been updated in decades and may not show the designations at all, let alone correctly. You might have to do a little back-and-forth between your MVUM and your topo.

When it comes to the roads, I imagine the current version of an MVUM would supersede anything else with respect to vehicle class and open/closed dates. Though I've also seen roads that were supposed to be closed left open, and vice versa. Might be worth a call to the local ranger district prior to your trip to check on roads, especially if it will be later in the fall or spring.

 

[def90]

MVUM maps that are posted online at the USFS site are current and the only thing I would go by as far as road accessibility goes.