Palisades Trail Map (Tom Harrison Maps) Map – Folded Map, August 1, 2012

I’ve been using Harrison and maps on backpacking trips for many many many years years. Perfect. Even if you get them wet, they just wipe off.

This map covered most of the area we were needing to see. The scope was just right. Mileage was helpful for gauging time.

NORTH FORK BIG PINE

Exactly as expected and described

Purchased from Amazon, this trail map was smothered in a smelly liquid when received. Can't take a map that smells on the trail. Better to buy direct from the manufacturer.

So you want to visit the Palisades and need a good map. Perhaps you want to climb over some of the Sierra's last remaining glaciers, or maybe you want to hike to First and Second Lakes, or perhaps you want more detail about the Pacific Crest Trail in the area. All are nice reasons to visit and you should take a good map with you. Is this Harrison product that map? Often I would say yes. Harrison maps are the most detailed maps available for most of California. They are GPS compatible, show trails clearly, and include point by point mileage. Elevation profiles are accurate and the contour lines on these topographical maps are easy to read.But I don't recommend this particular trail map, at least not whole heartedly. The reason is that, except for the trails right out of Big Pine, none of the other routes show entry or exit points. I prefer maps that either focus narrowly on a single trail or route (the Harrison map of the Dipsea trail is an excellent example) or alternatively cover a large enough area to build several loop hikes around (the Harrison map of the trails around Bishop Pass is an excellent example of this sort of map). The map of the Palisades falls smack in between. Too broad to be useful for hiking the canyon alone, it is too narrowly focused for those who want an extended backpack trip. It has all the accuracy Harrison maps are famous for, but is less useful.