Topographic Map Symbols: The Complete USGS Legend
Every line, color, and tiny icon on a USGS topo map means something specific. This page shows all 197 symbols from the official USGS legend, grouped the way you'll meet them on the map. Start with the colors below, jump to the category you need, or open one of our in-depth guides for what each symbol means on the ground.
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What the colors mean
Contour lines and elevation: the shape of the land.
Water: streams, lakes, springs, marshes, and glaciers.
Vegetation: woodland, scrub, orchards, and vineyards.
Man-made features: buildings, minor roads, trails, railroads, and boundaries.
Major roads, township and section lines, and some recreation symbols.
Revisions added from aerial photos on older maps. No longer used, but still common.
Built-up areas where individual buildings are left out.
WATCH: 60-SECOND LESSON
Topo Map Reading, part 6: Map Symbols
Contour lines, benchmarks, rivers, streams, lakes, swamps, roads, trails, buildings, and campgrounds in under a minute.
Watch the full Topo Map Reading series →ALL 197 SYMBOLS
Symbols by category
Tap a category to see its symbols.
Contours (14)
Index, intermediate, and supplementary contours, depressions, cuts and fills.
Read the guide: Contour Lines on Topo Maps: Index, Intermediate & Depression Contours →
Topographic
Index
Index – approximate or indefinite
Intermediate
Intermediate – approximate or indefinite
Supplementary
Depression
Cut
Fill
Continental divide
Bathymetric
Index Topo-bathymetric maps
Intermediate Topo-bathymetric maps
Index primary Topo-bathymetric maps
Primary Topo-bathymetric maps
Supplementary Topo-bathymetric maps
Rivers, Lakes, and Canals (22)
Perennial and intermittent streams, lakes, washes, dams, springs.
Read the guide: Water Symbols on Topo Maps: Streams, Lakes, Springs & Wetlands →
Perennial stream
Perennial river
Intermittent stream
Intermittent river
Disappearing stream
Falls, small
Falls, large
Rapids, small
Rapids, large
Masonry dam
Dam with lock
Dam carrying road
Perennial lake/pond
Intermittent lake/pond
Dry lake/pond
Narrow wash
Wide wash
Canal, flume, or aqueduct with lock
Elevated aqueduct, flume, or conduit
Aqueduct tunnel
Water well, geyser, fumarole, or mud pot
Spring or seep
Submerged Areas and Bogs (5)
Marshes, swamps, and land that floods.
Read the guide: Water Symbols on Topo Maps: Streams, Lakes, Springs & Wetlands →
Marsh or swamp
Submerged marsh or swamp
Wooded marsh or swamp
Submerged wooded marsh or swamp
Land subject to inundation
Roads and Related Features (20)
Highways, light duty and 4WD roads, trails, gates, trailheads.
Read the guide: Road, Trail & Railroad Symbols on Topo Maps →
Primary highway
Secondary highway
Light duty road
Light duty road, paved USGS–Forest Service quads
Light duty road, gravel USGS–Forest Service quads
Light duty road, dirt USGS–Forest Service quads
Light duty road, unspecified USGS–Forest Service quads
Unimproved road
Unimproved road (Forest Service style) USGS–Forest Service quads
4WD road
4WD road (Forest Service style) USGS–Forest Service quads
Trail
Highway or road with median strip
Highway or road under construction
Highway or road underpass; overpass
Highway or road bridge; drawbridge
Highway or road tunnel
Road block, berm, or barrier USGS–Forest Service quads
Gate on road USGS–Forest Service quads
Trailhead USGS–Forest Service quads
Railroads and Related Features (13)
Track gauges, sidings, yards, bridges, and tunnels.
Read the guide: Road, Trail & Railroad Symbols on Topo Maps →
Standard gauge railroad, single track
Standard gauge railroad, multiple track
Narrow gauge railroad, single track
Narrow gauge railroad, multiple track
Railroad siding
Railroad in highway
Railroad in road
Railroad in light duty road USGS–Forest Service quads
Railroad underpass; overpass
Railroad bridge; drawbridge
Railroad tunnel
Railroad yard
Railroad turntable; roundhouse
Buildings and Related Features (21)
Buildings, schools, campgrounds, picnic areas, airports, cemeteries.
Read the guide: Building, Campground & Landmark Symbols on Topo Maps →
Building
School; house of worship
Athletic field
Built-up area
Forest headquarters USGS–Forest Service quads
Ranger district office USGS–Forest Service quads
Guard station or work center USGS–Forest Service quads
Racetrack or raceway
Airport, paved landing strip, runway, taxiway, or apron
Unpaved landing strip
Well (other than water), windmill or wind generator
Tanks
Covered reservoir
Gaging station
Located or landmark object (feature as labeled)
Boat ramp or boat access USGS–Forest Service quads
Roadside park or rest area
Picnic area
Campground
Winter recreation area USGS–Forest Service quads
Cemetery
Boundaries (13)
State, county, national park, and National Forest boundaries.
Read the guide: Boundary Lines on Topo Maps: States, Counties, Parks & Public Land →
National
State or territorial
County or equivalent
Civil township or equivalent
Incorporated city or equivalent
Federally administered park, reservation, or monument (external)
Federally administered park, reservation, or monument (internal)
State forest, park, reservation, or monument and large county park
Forest Service administrative area USGS–Forest Service quads
Forest Service ranger district USGS–Forest Service quads
National Forest System land status, Forest Service lands USGS–Forest Service quads
National Forest System land status, non-Forest Service lands USGS–Forest Service quads
Small park (county or city)
Land Surveys (22)
Township, range, and section lines, corners, and land grants.
Read the guide: Township, Range & Section Lines on Topo Maps →
Public land survey system
Range or Township line
Range or Township line – location approximate
Range or Township line – location doubtful
Range or Township line – protracted
Range or Township line – protracted (AK 1:63,360-scale)
Range or Township labels
Section line
Section line – location approximate
Section line – location doubtful
Section line – protracted
Section line – protracted (AK 1:63,360-scale)
Section line – section numbers
Found section corner
Found closing corner
Witness corner
Meander corner
Weak corner USGS–Forest Service quads
Other land surveys
Range or Township line
Section line
Land grant, mining claim, donation land claim, or tract
Land grant, homestead, mineral, or other special survey monument
Fence or field lines
Control Data and Monuments (15)
Benchmarks (BM), spot elevations, and survey monuments.
Read the guide: Benchmarks & Spot Elevations: What BM Means on a Topo Map →
Principal point Provisional maps
U.S. mineral or location monument
River mileage marker
Boundary monument
Third-order or better elevation, with tablet
Third-order or better elevation, recoverable mark, no tablet
With number and elevation
Horizontal control
Third-order or better, permanent mark
With third-order or better elevation
With checked spot elevation
Coincident with found section corner
Unmonumented Provisional maps
Vertical control
Third-order or better elevation, with tablet
Third-order or better elevation, recoverable mark, no tablet
Bench mark coincident with found section corner
Spot elevation
Vegetation (5)
Woodland, shrubland, orchards, vineyards, mangrove.
Read the guide: Vegetation & Surface Symbols: What Green Means on a Topo Map →
Woodland
Shrubland
Orchard
Vineyard
Mangrove
Surface Features (5)
Levees, sand, gravel, moraines, disturbed ground.
Read the guide: Vegetation & Surface Symbols: What Green Means on a Topo Map →
Levee
Sand or mud
Disturbed surface
Gravel beach or glacial moraine
Tailings pond
Mines and Caves (8)
Quarries, pits, shafts, tunnels, prospects, tailings.
Read the guide: Mine, Cave & Utility Line Symbols on Topo Maps →
Quarry or open pit mine
Gravel, sand, clay, or borrow pit
Mine tunnel or cave entrance
Mine shaft
Prospect
Tailings
Mine dump
Former disposal site or mine
Glaciers and Permanent Snowfields (4)
Glacier contours, formlines, advance and retreat.
Read the guide: Contour Lines on Topo Maps: Index, Intermediate & Depression Contours →
Contours and limits
Formlines
Glacial advance
Glacial retreat
Transmission Lines and Pipelines (4)
Power lines, telephone lines, and pipelines.
Read the guide: Mine, Cave & Utility Line Symbols on Topo Maps →
Power transmission line; pole; tower
Telephone line
Aboveground pipeline
Underground pipeline
Coastal Features (9)
Reefs, rocks, wrecks, piers, and depth curves.
Read the guide: Coastal Symbols on Topo Maps: Shorelines, Reefs, Rocks & Wrecks →
Foreshore flat
Coral or rock reef
Rock, bare or awash; dangerous to navigation
Group of rocks, bare or awash
Exposed wreck
Depth curve; sounding
Breakwater, pier, jetty, or wharf
Seawall
Oil or gas well; platform
Marine Shorelines (3)
Surveyed and apparent shorelines.
Read the guide: Coastal Symbols on Topo Maps: Shorelines, Reefs, Rocks & Wrecks →
Shoreline
Apparent (edge of vegetation) Topo-bathymetric maps
Indefinite or unsurveyed
Bathymetric Features (3)
Channels, sunken rocks, and tidal flats.
Read the guide: Coastal Symbols on Topo Maps: Shorelines, Reefs, Rocks & Wrecks →
Area exposed at mean low tide; sounding datum line Topo-bathymetric maps
Channel Topo-bathymetric maps
Sunken rock Topo-bathymetric maps
Projection and Grids (11)
Neatlines, graticule ticks, UTM and State Plane grids.
Read the guide: Map Grids on Topo Maps: Latitude, Longitude, UTM & State Plane →
Neatline
Graticule tick
Graticule intersection
Datum shift tick
State plane coordinate systems
Primary zone tick
Secondary zone tick
Tertiary zone tick
Quaternary zone tick
Quintary zone tick
Universal transverse mercator grid
UTM grid (full grid)
UTM grid ticks USGS–Forest Service quads
KEEP THE LEGEND HANDY
All 197 symbols in the official USGS brochure, ready to print and keep with your maps.
WHICH MAPS USE THESE SYMBOLS?
This is the legend for traditional USGS 7.5-minute quadrangles and historic USGS maps, and you'll find the same symbols on our Explorer and Backpacker maps. US Topo maps (2009 and later) are generated from GIS data and look a little different, but the colors and core symbols are the same.
Symbols tagged USGS–Forest Service quads appear only on single-edition quads made jointly by the USGS and the Forest Service. Provisional maps symbols appear on provisional-edition quads (look for "Provisional Edition" in the lower-right corner). Topo-bathymetric maps symbols appear only on combined land and water-depth maps.
Symbol artwork from the U.S. Geological Survey Topographic Map Symbols brochure (public domain). Questions? Call 877-587-9004 or email support@mytopo.com.