The Tahoe Rim Trail® 
Map Reference Series

 -A Brief History of The -Tahoe Rim Trail®

 -Project  Notes

 -GPS Waypoints and Segments

 -Sample Screen Shots

 -Sample Atlas Pages

 -Included Maps

 -Map Resolution

 -Project Picture Scrapbook

"The Tahoe Rim Trail" is a registered trademark of The Tahoe Rim Trail Association.

"Bear Creek Survey Service, Inc." holds a copyright on trail data included within the reference set, and the trail location images included on this page.

The "Tahoe Rim Trail GIS Reference Map Series" is a digital mapping resource for planning and traveling on "The Tahoe Rim Trail". The product contains: 

• Every 1:24,000 scale, 1:100,000 scale and 1:250,000 scale USGS topographic map covering the entire 164 mile trail
• AllTopo viewing engine [ take the All Topo Tour ]
• All Topo Maps: GPS Tool for up/downloading coordinates from the 572 included Tahoe Rim Trail waypoints
• BigTopo: professional map seamer for building new map coverage [ take the BigTopo Tour ]
• TRTAtlas: "The Tahoe Rim Trail" Atlas Printer for printing very high resolution trail segment map images
• The Reference Series "User's Guide" containing segment and waypoint information.

Featuring incredibly high resolution images, the series allows map printing, image export, GPS interface and includes 53 beautiful predefined atlas pages, ready for printing. The Reference Series User's Guide included a complete list of GPS waypoints, elevation profiles and segment information.

Check out these links for detailed "Tahoe Rim Trail Reference Series" product information:

[ A Brief History of The Tahoe Rim Trail® ] [ Project Notes ]
[ GPS Waypoints and Segments ] [ Sample Screen Shots ]
[ Sample Atlas Pages ] [ Included Maps ] [ Map Resolution ]
[ Project Picture Scrapbook ]

The Tahoe Rim Trail Association has worked hard to complete this amazing trail through some of the most amazing vista's in the west. Without the Foundation’s many volunteers and the vision of its leaders this trail would not exist.

Jerry Brown, a world class geophysical mapping consultant has defined the "State of the Art" with his trail mapping projects. His devotion to quality and the innovative techniques and programs for gathering and processing the geographic data presented are unsurpassed.

The base topographic maps, produced by the USGS, are at once beautiful and accurate. The cartographic artisans at the USGS have the love for map making that extends back thousands of years to the first maps of our planet and the cosmos.

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 -Project Notes

 -GPS Waypoints and Segments

 -Sample Screen Shots

 -Sample Atlas Pages

 -Included Maps

 -Map Resolution

 -Project Picture Scrapbook

A Brief History of The Tahoe Rim Trail®

On February 14, 1844 John C. Fremont climbed a mountain from Carson Valley and is credited with being the first person of European descent to see what we now know as Lake Tahoe. At the advanced age of 188 years Fremont can no longer roam the wilds of the west, but you can

After 20 years of hard work, the Tahoe Rim Trail, a 164-mile loop trail that runs along the ridges and the mountaintops circling Lake Tahoe, celebrated its official grand opening on September 21-23, 2001.  The three day celebration included guided trail hikes, mountain bike tours, horseback rides, and an evening reception.  An official grand opening ceremony took place September 22 along the trail on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe, near Martis Peak.  The trail founder, Glenn Hampton, as well as representatives, from Lake Tahoe tourism,  US Forest Service, Nevada State Parks,  various counties, state and federal dignitaries, Pacific Crest Trail Association, most past presidents of the Tahoe Rim Trail Association  and volunteers instrumental in the development of the trail attended.

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 -A Brief History of The -Tahoe Rim Trail®

 -GPS Waypoints and Segments

 -Sample Screen Shots

 -Sample Atlas Pages

 -Included Maps

 -Map Resolution

 -Project Picture Scrapbook

The Tahoe Rim Trail® GIS Project Notes  (By Jerry Brown)

  Jerry Brown<- click to enlarge

I am the owner of a small geodetic mapping and consulting company (Bear Creek Survey Service, Inc.) based out of Durango Colorado. My company provides software, management, and training for exploration projects around the world. We routinely use high quality GPS equipment in the course of our business.

On July 29, 2001 we completed the GPS field work for new maps of the +,- 165 miles long route of the  Tahoe Rim Trail at beautiful Lake Tahoe, Nevada / California.  This spectacular trail encircles Lake Tahoe along high ridges with breathtaking scenery.  A total of 51,452 GPS points were observed using Trimble professional grade equipment.  The data was post-processed differentially, and was used to plot the maps.  Weaker data was culled from the database on the basis of satellite geometry, GPS coverage, and multipath considerations.  The resulting database used for the actual mapping contains 32,814 points.  The average final spacing for the project is one point every 35 feet.   

The new maps are finished and are now becoming available in CD  format.  A paper map product is also being developed.  The GPS data also covers alternative trails that may be combined with the regular trail to create a 112 mile mountain bike ride.  These additional sections include the well known Flume Trail as a bypass to a portion of the main trail that is closed to bicycles, and "Toad's Wild Ride", which exits from section F . We also mapped the Stanford Rock trail and Tunnel Creek.  A total of 222 miles of trails and access routes were mapped.  

The field part of the project was completed in 15 days.  Frank Floyd, who also helped on the Colorado Trail project, and friend Bruce Malone,  assisted during the first week.  Mark Silver, the AllTopo programmer arrived to provide shuttle while the rest was completed.   It took an equal amount of time to differentially correct and post-process the data. The results can only be described as spectacular.  Unless you have already seen the Colorado Trail maps, you have probably never seen maps as good as these.

DEM data included in TRT CD    The TRT product contains  detailed digital elevation modeling data.   This represents the first time anyone has combined the full USGS DEM database with a digital map.  As a result, it is possible to pick elevations off of the map within a accuracy of 10 feet or so simply by rolling the cursor over the spot you wish to get a elevation for.

The GPS gear used to map "The Tahoe Rim Trail®" (click image to enlarge)

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 -A Brief History of The -Tahoe Rim Trail®

 -Project Notes

 -Sample Screen Shots

 -Sample Atlas Pages

 -Included Maps

 -Map Resolution

 -Project Picture Scrapbook

Trail Segments, Elevation Profiles and Waypoints

The reference series includes a trail ready reference booklet containing a full list of Trail Segments, Elevation Profiles and GPS coordinates for trail reference points.

The segment length and elevation gain/loss are included on the Trail Segments page:

 <- click to enlarge

Every Trail section has a included profile:

<- click to enlarge

GPS Coordinate pages provide full trail coverage for GPS users:

<- click to enlarge

In addition to the printed GPS coordinate reference, all coordinates are available for direct download using the All Topo GPS tool. [ Take the All Topo Map GPS Tool Tour ].

[ back to top ]

 -A Brief History of The -Tahoe Rim Trail®

 -Project Notes

 -GPS Waypoints and Segments

 -Sample Atlas Pages

 -Included Maps

 -Map Resolution

 -Project Picture Scrapbook

The Tahoe Rim Trail® GIS Reference Map Series Sample Screen Shots

All Topo Viewer:   <- click to enlarge

Atlas Printer: <-click to enlarge

Explore The Tahoe Rim Trail® using the USGS 1:250,000, 1:100,000 and the 1:24,000 scale maps.  With over 500 levels of zoom with-in each scale.

1:250,000 scale <- click to enlarge

1:100,000 scale <- click to enlarge

1:24,000 scale <- click to enlarge

[ back to top ]

 -A Brief History of The -Tahoe Rim Trail®

 -Project Notes

 -GPS Waypoints and Segments

 -Sample Screen Shots

 -Included Maps

 -Map Resolution

 -Project Picture Scrapbook

Sample Atlas Page

The TRTAtlas program included with the Reference Map Series prints out high resolution, fully annotated 8½ x 11 inch trail atlas pages. Click on the links below to view sample atlas pages, your browser may allow you to print these as full resolution :

These images are intended to be printed to 8 1/2 x 11 page size, 250dpi for 1:24,000 scale maps.

 S02 Map B4, M 12.0 - M18.9 (Relay Peak to Highway )

S07 Map G2, M 3.4 - M8.9 (Round Lake to Little Round Top)

 S08 Map H2, M 3.6 - M 7.5 (Tamarack Lake to Heather Lake)

[ back to top ]

 -A Brief History of The -Tahoe Rim Trail®

 -Project Notes

 -GPS Waypoints and Segments

 -Sample Screen Shots

 -Sample Atlas Pages

 -Map Resolution

 -Project Picture Scrapbook

The Tahoe Rim Trail® GIS Reference Map Series Included Maps

These 1:24,000 scale maps are included  in the TRT map series:

English Mountain - CA; Ebbetts Pass - CA; Pacific Valley - CA; Markleeville - CA; Carson Pass - CA; Woodfords - CA,NV; Freel Peak - CA; Minden - CA,NV; South Lake Tahoe - CA,NV; Mokelumne Peak - CA; Bear River Reservoir - CA; Peddler Hill - CA; Caldor - CA; Omo Ranch - CA; Caples Lake - CA; Tragedy Spring - CA; Leek Spring Hill - CA; Old Iron Mountain - CA; Sly Park - CA; Echo Lake - CA; Pyramid Peak - CA; Kyburz - CA; Riverton - CA; Pollock Pines - CA; Emerald Bay - CA; Rockbound Valley - CA; Loon Lake - CA; Robbs Peak - CA; Devil Peak - CA; Genoa - CA,NV; Glenbrook - CA,NV; Carson City - CA,NV; Marlette Lake - CA,NV; Washoe City - CA,NV; Mount Rose - CA,NV; Mount Rose Nw - CA,NV; Meeks Bay - CA,NV; Homewood - CA; Wentworth Springs - CA; Bunker Hill - CA; Greek Store - CA; Kings Beach - CA,NV; Tahoe City - CA; Granite Chief - CA; Royal Gorge - CA; Duncan Peak - CA; Martis Peak - CA,NV; Truckee - CA; Norden - CA; Soda Springs - CA; Cisco Grove - CA; Boca - CA,NV; Hobart Mills - CA; Independence Lake - CA; Webber Peak - CA.

These 1:100,000 scale maps are included  in the TRT map series:

Truckee 100K - CA; Carson City 100K - NV,CA; Smith Valley 100K - NV,CA; Placerville 100K - CA; Lake Tahoe 100K - CA,NV.

These 1:250,000 scale maps are included  in the TRT map series:

Chico 250K - CA,NV; Reno 250K - NV,CA; Walker Lake 250K - NV,CA; Sacramento 250K - CA; Lake Tahoe 250K - CA,NV.

[ back to top ]

 -A Brief History of The -Tahoe Rim Trail®

 -Project Notes

 -GPS Waypoints and Segments

 -Sample Screen Shots

 -Sample Atlas Pages

 -Included Maps

 -Project Picture Scrapbook

The Tahoe Rim Trail® GIS Reference Map Series Sample Resolution

The map images contained in the reference series are very high (250 DPI, 660 dot per mile) resolution color images. The maps are stored with lossless compression so there are no ugly compression artifacts. 

1. Sample Image from the iGage Reference Series (at 100%):

Image sample representative of the TRT series

The All Topo viewer includes a high performance RIP (Raster Image Processor) that allows viewing at any zoom factor, other products typically allow viewing at 25%, 33%, 50%, 100%, 150%... This is the sample image is at 40% zoom:

Sample of "Zoomed Out" screen display

[ back to top ]

 -A Brief History of The -Tahoe Rim Trail®

 -Project Notes

 -GPS Waypoints and Segments

 -Sample Screen Shots

 -Sample Atlas Pages

 -Included Maps

 -Map Resolution

GIS Trail Project Picture Album

The Tahoe Rim Trail® project picture album: