North Carolina Atlas & Gazetteer (North Carolina Atlas and Gazetteer) Reviews

• The best atlas, but has room for improvement

  
  By A2Y65QL1HMC200 on 2000-03-22
  I own several of the DeLorme state atlases. They are great resources for the planning of non-motorized touring (biking, hiking).

  Strengths include: (1) Physical land features: topographic contours, water resources, vegetation, etc. (2) Off-road options: trails, abandoned railroads, ferries. (3) Recreation: Parks, outdoor sports, points of interest.

  DeLorme's atlases have two shortcomings: (1) Road naming is too creative. Many of the printed names bear no relation to actual road signs. (2) There's no indication of whether a road is paved, gravel, dirt or sand--every road is shown by a thin, red line. Consult "The Roads of North Carolina" for pavement info.

  All in all, a "must" for the do-it-yourself traveler.
  
  

• Best book for finding NC trout streams

  
  By A156BI33VNRAD4 on 2002-11-24
  I am a full-time fishing guide in the mountains of North Carolina and I have found this book to be the absolute best reference material for finding trout streams in our mountains. If you do any type of outdoors activities you will benefit from this book.
  
  

• A compromised but required series of maps

  
  By A1PXI8ZUKGJV9U on 2006-03-28
  For years I refused to buy this road atlas because it got the name and length of the 1970's era street I live on wrong. In fact, I noted several errors within the vicinity that I'm most familiar with. That said, it's still the only serious contender for a reasonably decent compendium of local maps. I finally broke down and bought a copy because so many birding and canoeing resources reference the "Delorme" as it's usually called locally. It's no real alternative to having very detailed USGS topo maps of any area of intense interest, but I'll give it credit for being a reasonably compact, (by large, bulky, car use standards), version of a state map. It's position is between that of the free Dept of Transportation maps and the highly detailed local maps that can be purchased from convience stores for road use, and from the better outdoor provision and recreational companies for topographical and lake and shore details. For what it is, it's definitely worth the price. Just don't expect it to be the last local map you'll buy. It's a compromise all the way around. But, sometimes a compromise is the best solution. That said, I went ahead and got the one for SC, and will probably get the one for VA as well.
  
  

• This map book has really helped me to get to know my state.

  
  By on 1997-08-01
  I have this book and will not go anywhere with out it. This book not only has great maps, but it has the good places to go fishing, camping and a whole bunch or other useful things
  
  

• A great read

  
  By AR33Z5J9RXYTW on 2000-06-11
  When I first picked it up I couldn't believe the detail. A real page turner. From Nag's Head to Asheville, its a book I just couldn't put down.
  
  
• NC Atlas & Gazetteer - Very Useful Guide
  By AN5X2CX62CQ2I on 2005-08-09
  This Atlas, like all in the DeLorme series of Atlas & Gazetteer references, are wonderful map resources. A wealth of information is included. If anything, the level of detail, coupled with the topographic information, may seem a bit too much at first glace (if you are new to these guides). But if you're willing to spend a bit of time with the maps, you will find these guides to be very useful.
  
  In addition to the maps and the useful indexes and cross-references, these guides include listings or location sources for hiking, camping, fishing, recreation areas, unique natural features (mountains, beaches, rivers, caverns, etc.), bicycle routes, horse trails, etc. And of course, GPS (Lat/Lon) coordinates are printed on each map.
  
  Although the scale of these maps demand it, it would be nice if the guide book dimensions were a bit smaller. At 11" x 15.5", it's a good size book, so it's not quite as easy to stow in the backpack or the motorcycle storage area, etc.
  
  Overall, these are excellent guides for any traveler or outdoor enthusiast.
  
  
  
• Invaluable For Outdoor Excursions
  By A137LIDV2205M7 on 2005-07-13
  This series of books is invaluable for anything you are planning outdoors. (Especially if you plan on being in the mountains!) Normal maps do not even come close to the quality and accuracy of the maps in this book. They also include sights to see and information on lakes, wildlife, etc. Top-notch book!
  
  
• Very good but a couple complaints
  By A1M5MK92RIF3HF on 2006-09-25
  This highly detailed map is an invaluable reference but its size and layout make it cumbersome to refer to on the go. Also there's no overlap from one page to the next. If your route is in the middle of the page, you're in luck! But going from Asheville to neighboring Black Mountain requires flipping among 4 different pages.
  
  
• very disappointing
  By AHOL5686FJA5H on 2007-11-13
  I bought this book to explore the national forest areas of North Carolina. I was very disappointed when I got the atlas to find that even the larger forest roads are not on the maps! The road map I picked up for free at the Welcome Center Rest Stop shows the roads as well as this atlas.
  
  
• Fritz's Review
  By A14HOMYTYC7A2L on 2005-10-06
  I found the maps useful for detailed travel in a small area. Of course they are MUCH better than the normal road map. Elevation information gives you an idea of what you can expect. My two complaints are: (1)the elevation information is difficult to see -- finding the actual elevation number to go with a line is very hard as there are few numbers and they are not highlighted to make them easier to find; and,(2) additional information about the type of road surface would be helpful for the adventurous.
  
  
• delorme gazetteer series
  By A9MSFKYNYKM27 on 2006-03-07
  the delorme gazeteer series is perfect for people who want to wander off of the main roads. my wife and i like to point the car as whim sees fit. the map has backroads with enought detail to let us find our wish and our way back. essential for indirect travel. also has marked 4wd trails to unknown wonders, as well as a smattering of known wonders (waterfalls, museums, fishing, camping...). not a replacement for usgs quads, but will make the travel to your hike more fun. if you are interested in exploring a state, or some portion thereof, the gazetteer series is an invaluable tool.
  
  
• NC Gazetteer
  By A23D9U80SOUIVL on 2007-01-03
  I bought this atlas and gazetteer for my mother who loves to travel in books. She had heard about it on a travel program and wanted one. She has thoroughly enjoyed it and has found a lot of places in NC that she had heard about and would like to visit one day. She had never heard of it before but it was exactly what she was looking for.
  
  
• North Carolina Atlas & Gazetteer (North Carolina Atlas and Gazetteer)
  By A3NJ5WFQAAKZU8 on 2007-06-01
  Bought in order to better plan my bike trips. Was disappointed to find numerous errors (2006 Edition) in street names of some main roads in my area and that the scale (1:500,000) does not allow for much detail. It does not suite my purpose and have few alternatives given we live off the usual city maps coverage. Will use it for car trips but the lack of detail and errors leaves me doubtful of its usefulness for leisure activities.
  
  
• Delorme Quality with a lot of versatility
  By AE263P8EM8PL on 2007-07-31
  These are one stop maps. Just about anything you need to know to navigate an area on foot, motorcycle or car is on easy to read pages, provided you are not overwhelmed by details normally found on Topographic maps. If you are looking for a road atlas, buy one and leave these to those looking for a little more detail. Plenty of other useful info included such as park information, camping, fishing piers, boat ramps etc. The info varies by Gazetteer.
  
  
• Great atlas
  By AOPFCRW3EQFWI on 2008-01-20
  We've used this atlas for years, and we were happy to find an updated version. This is so handy for finding a way around accidents or construction on the highway, or for finding alternate directions to your destination. It includes road names and highway numbers.