GeoMapViewer · Maps

Where to find maps

Free sources for georeferenced topographic maps you can load straight into GeoMapViewer — as GeoTIFF or GeoPDF, with live GPS on top.

GeoMapViewer opens georeferenced map files — a GeoTIFF or a GeoPDF that carries its own real-world coordinates. The national mapping agencies below publish exactly that, free of charge. For hiking and exploring, aim for the 1:25,000–1:50,000 range: enough detail to read terrain, tracks and contours.

What the scale means

Larger scale = more detail over a smaller area. A quick guide for choosing a sheet:

1:25,000Walking, fine detail
1:50,000Day hikes, wider routes
1:100,000Touring, overview
1:250,000Regional context

01United States — USGS

The National Map & topoView

United States

USGS US Topo & Historical Topographic Maps

The USGS publishes the current US Topo series (2009–present) and the scanned Historical Topographic Map Collection (1884–2006). Both follow the classic 7.5-minute quadrangle layout at 1:24,000 — the gold standard for US backcountry detail. topoView is the easiest browser for finding and downloading sheets; The National Map Downloader covers the current series.

1:24,000GeoPDFGeoTIFFJPEG · KMZFree

The National Map Downloader

02Australia — Geoscience Australia

National coverage

Australia · National

Geoscience Australia topographic maps

The national mapping agency offers free 1:50,000, 1:100,000, 1:250,000 and 1:1,000,000 sheets through interactive index dashboards — pick a tile, then download. The newer AUSTopo 1:250,000 series is rolling out as fresh GeoPDFs. Note that Geoscience Australia does not hold 1:25,000 maps — for those, go to the relevant state or territory agency (see NSW below).

1:50k → 1:1mGeoPDFGeoTIFFFree

03Australia — NSW Spatial Services

The finest-detail Australian state series

Australia · New South Wales

NSW Topographic Maps (Spatial Collaboration Portal)

DCS Spatial Services publishes the NSW Topographic Map series as georeferenced PDFs you download yourself from the Spatial Collaboration Portal. Scale follows the terrain: roughly 1:25,000 across the populated east and coast, 1:50,000 through the centre, and 1:100,000 in the far west. Released under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0), so free to use and print.

1:25k · 1:50k · 1:100kGeoPDFCC BY 4.0Free
Other Australian states & territories run their own portals with comparable 1:25k–1:50k coverage — among them Queensland (QTopo), WA (Landgate), Tasmania (theLIST / LISTmap), Victoria and SA. Free availability and formats vary by state; search the agency name plus “topographic maps”.

04New Zealand — Toitū Te Whenua LINZ

Topo50 series

New Zealand

LINZ Topo50

Land Information New Zealand's Topo50 is the official 1:50,000 series covering the mainland, Chatham and offshore islands (some islands at 1:25,000). Georeferenced raster images are published at 300 DPI under CC BY 4.0. Use the Topo50 Map Chooser to grab a single sheet, or the LINZ Data Service for georeferenced downloads and bulk access.

1:50,000GeoTIFFCC BY 4.0Free

LINZ Data Service (georeferenced)

05United Kingdom — Ordnance Survey & NLS

A two-part answer

United Kingdom

Ordnance Survey — current series

OS is the UK's national mapping agency, but unlike the others its current walking maps are not free. The Explorer (1:25,000) and Landranger (1:50,000) Colour Raster products are sold as GeoTIFF through the OS Data Hub or licensed partners. What is free on the OS Data Hub is OS OpenData — but only at smaller scales (1:250,000 Colour Raster, VectorMap District, OpenMap Local). Good as backdrops; not hiking detail.

1:25k · 1:50kGeoTIFFOpenData ≥ 1:250k free

OS Data Hub — OpenData downloads

United Kingdom · Free & georeferenced

National Library of Scotland — historic OS maps

For free, hiking-scale, properly georeferenced UK mapping, the NLS is the answer. It serves out-of-copyright OS maps for the whole of Great Britain as georeferenced GeoTIFF (British National Grid, EPSG:27700) under CC-BY — including the One-Inch (1:63,360, the Landranger's ancestor) and Six-Inch (1:10,560) series. Historic rather than current, but excellent for exploring and superb terrain detail.

1:10,560 · 1:63,360GeoTIFFCC-BY · historicFree

NLS Georeferenced Maps viewer

Loading a map into GeoMapViewer

The workflow is the same wherever the file comes from:

  1. Find your area on the portal's index map and select the sheet that covers it.
  2. Choose the format and scale — pick GeoTIFF or GeoPDF, and the largest scale available for your area (1:25k or 1:50k for walking).
  3. Download to your device and save it somewhere GeoMapViewer can reach, such as the Files app or iCloud Drive.
  4. Open it in GeoMapViewer and the map drops onto your location with live GPS. Keep maps on-device for offline use in the field.

Before you head out

Supported files

GeoMapViewer reads georeferenced .tif / .tiff and georeferenced .pdf. A plain scan without coordinates won't position on the map.

File size

Full-resolution quads can run to tens of megabytes. Download over Wi-Fi before you lose signal, then they work fully offline.

Coordinate systems

Each source uses its own datum — UTM, NZTM2000, British National Grid (EPSG:27700) and others. GeoMapViewer reads the system embedded in the file.

Tracks aren't rights of way

A road or track on a map doesn't guarantee public access. Check with the relevant land manager before crossing private or restricted land.

Links to USGS, Geoscience Australia, NSW Spatial Services, LINZ, Ordnance Survey & the National Library of Scotland. Availability, formats and licences are set by each agency and may change.