"World's most beautiful maps..."
The Wall Street Journal

Maps must be accurate, but they should also be beautiful. Our Washington State and U.S. maps were prepared using base materials originally produced by the U.S. Geological Survey for their definitive 1:250,000-scale series.

These extremely detailed bases identify thousands of features, even minor lakes and streams ignored by most maps. These maps bring the U.S.G.S. materials up to date with current roads and reservoirs.

Color tints are added to depict elevation. The colors progress from greens at lower elevations, through yellows and browns, to gray and finally white at the highest altitudes. This sequence of color steps replaces the abstraction of contour lines with a graphic picture of elevation-- and, in combination with the relief shading, of the entire landform.