Colorado is renowned for its outdoor recreational opportunities. One of these pastimes is, of course, backcountry hiking. The Colorado Backpack Loops South Topographic Map Guide covers a dozen backpack loops selected by National Geographic staff for their diversity, remoteness, and inspiring vistas. Each page of the Topographic Map Guide includes a detailed map of the trail with directions to the trailhead from the nearest major town as well as a trail profile with mileages to foreshadow the elevation changes that will be put along the way. GPS coordinates are also provided for strategic points along the trail to help with navigation.

The trails are organized by the number of nights backpackers can expect to be in the backcountry, from one to more than three. They range from 10 to 26 miles long with elevation gains from 2,000 to over 9,000 feet. Written descriptions of each trail give an overview of the natural features that will be encountered along the way as well as the length, total elevation gain, and nearest town to each trailhead. This Topographic Map Guide will get you into the wild lands of southern Colorado that most hikers in the country can only dream about.

More convenient and easier to use than folded maps, but just as compact and lightweight, National Geographic's Topographic Map Guide booklets are printed on "Backcountry Tough" waterproof, tear-resistant paper with stainless steel staples. A full UTM grid is printed on the map to aid with GPS navigation.