Alt Text NPS Map Elements. This key of map symbols is made up of sixteen sections, all but one of which is labeled with a title. Most of the symbols are black and white but blue, red, yellow, or green are sometimes used. The document was updated May 14, 2018. Extended Description This description will work first across the top of the page and then down. All the text is sans serif except where noted, and headings are bold. Map Symbols The first section is Map Symbols. Fifty-one symbols are each shown twice. In the first column, they appear as black letters, objects, or figures representing people against a white background, which is then enclosed with a black line. In the second column, the letters, objects, or figures are white against a black background. There are two exceptions, in which the black is replaced with blue; these are Hospital and Emergency telephone. What follows is a description of the symbols followed by the meaning. An airplane for Airport, Head and torso of a person over two horizontal lines for Amphitheater, Boat on a trailer on an incline for Boat launch, Shuttle boat on a wavy line for Boat tour, Person riding a bicycle for Bicycle trail, Front of a bus for Bus stop/Shuttle stop, Fire burning over two logs for Campfire, Triangle with thicker legs making the upside-down V for Campground, Person rowing a canoe for Canoe access, Person wearing skis and holding poles while appearing to run for Cross country ski trail, Person crouched over skis for Downhill skiing, Cup shape filled with a rippling line for Drinking water, Equal-sided cross for First Aid, Fish head with an open mouth near a curling hook for Fishing, Fork and knife for Food service, Open-topped vehicle for 4-wheel-drive road, Nozzle hanging on the side of a rectangular gas pump for Gas station, Person swinging a golf club across the body and over one shoulder for Golfing, Person on a horse for Horseback riding (rental, guided tour), Capital letter H for Hospital (in blue), Person on ice skates leaning forward onto one foot with arms stretched back for Ice skating, Question mark in a circle for Information, Person dropping trash into a can for Litter receptacle, Person lying on a bed for Lodging, Anchor for Marina, Person riding a motor bike for Motor bike trail, Capital letter P for Parking, Dog on a leash for Pets on leash, End view of a picnic table for Picnic area, Envelope for Post office, Nozzle dropping liquid into the open hood of a car for Radiator water, Simple house-like structure with a flag flying from the top for Ranger station, RV for RV campground, Three arrows making a triangle for Recycling, Two people on either side of a vertical line, the left of which wears a dress, for Restrooms, Camper with an arrow pointing from the back end and into an underground tank for Sanitary disposal station, Sailboat for Sailing, Diving person wearing a tank of oxygen for Scuba diving, Person wearing a backpack and standing by a display, all surrounded by a dotted line that points back at the person for Self-guiding trail, Structure with a wall, floor, and angled roof for Shelter, Person under a showerhead with one hand on their chest and one arm lifted for Showers, Person angled downward while belly-down on a sled for Sledding, Person on a snowmobile for Snowmobile trail, Structure with a wall, floor, and angled roof over a horse for Stable, Jug and apple for Store, Person half lifted out of water, one arm overhead for Swimming, Telephone handset for Telephone, Telephone handset in blue for Emergency telephone, Person wearing a backpack and holding a walking stick for Trailhead, Person sitting in a wheelchair for Wheelchair-accessible, and Person holding a sail and braced on a line for Wind surfing. Road Symbols The next section is Road Symbols, and the icons are shown in batches. The first subsection is for White Fill - Large, and rows of symbols appear as follows: First row has a shield shape with a black bar along the top. One shield has two rows of two zeros; the next has a row of three zeros; the next has two zeros; and the fourth has one zero. Second row has the shield shape without the black across the top. Shields are shown with six (in two rows of three), four, three, two, and one zero. Third row has ovals. The first has the word “LOOP” over three zeros. The next oval has four zeros, and then three, two, and one zero. Fourth row has rectangles filled with four, three, two, or one zero. Fifth row as an arrowhead shape filled with three, two, or one zero. The next subsection for White Fill - Small repeats the shapes and zeros as White Fill - Large but without the arrowhead-shaped symbols at the end. Then the next subsection, No Fill - Small, repeats the symbols found in White Fill - Small. The next row is labeled BIA Road Shields. One large shield shape has two zeros in it and the next has one zero. Then, two smaller versions of the shield are marked first with two zeros and then with one. The Navajo Road Shields have more rounded bottoms and deeper shoulders under the neck. The first in this row of four has four zeros, and then three, two, and one. There are five ways shown to indicate Directional Notes. All five begin with “To,” and four use the shield symbols with the black across the top. All the text is italic, and they read as follows: “To [shield 00] and” on one line and “Shepherdstown” on the next. “To [shield 00] and Frederick” on one line. “To Rohrersville” on one line and “00mi 00km” on the next. “To Leesburg” on one line and “and [shield 00]” on the next. “To Purcellville” on one line and “and [shield 00] on the next. Distance Indicators is shown as a downward-pointing, narrow arrow next to two lines of text, “00mi” and “00km.” Roadside Pullouts are shown as a larger or smaller semicircle. Highway Interchanges are three outlined boxes in large, medium, and small sizes, and Roundabout is represented with three arrows making a circle within an outlined circle in black on white and white on black. Legend Boxes - large, medium, and small Three columns of horizontally oriented rectangles are outlined in black. In each, the first two boxes are labeled “Legend box.” The third in each column is labeled “Legend box” above “line 2.” The leftmost set of boxes is the largest and most widely spaced. The next column is smaller, and the third is the smallest. North Arrows - large, medium, and small Four pairs of symbols and one single symbol are shown. A row of six symbols across the top all have an upward-pointing arrow in a black circle. Each has the word “North” overhead. In each pair, the left symbol is slightly larger than the other, and each pair gets smaller. The single symbol is at the end of this row, and it shows a compass rose with “North” labeled with a serifed font. The compass rose is like a four-pointed star oriented with one arm vertical and one horizontal over a smaller four-pointed star in which the arms point diagonally. The smaller star is encircled with a ring that appears to be behind the larger star. In the next row, two circles are around upward-pointing arrows. In the first icon, the words “North,” “East,” “South,” and “West” are spelled out. In the second, the word “North” is spelled out but the other directions are indicated by the letters E, S, W. Bar Scales (one-inch long) - large, medium, and small Twenty bar scales measure kilometers and miles or meters and feet. They all start at 0 to the left and the number “00” is used as a placeholder for each measurement throughout. The top group of fifteen scales has kilometers over miles. The first two columns, the large and medium examples, show the kilometers bar as a solid black bar and miles as an outlined bar. The top scale in each of these columns has a tick mark for the outermost kilometer and mile. The second in these columns have tick marks showing the middle of each distance. The third has tick marks dividing each scale into quarters. The fourth has five tick marks in the first half of each measurement, and the fifth has the whole bars divided into fifths. The arrangement of the tick marks remains the same for the third column, small bar scales. The difference here is that there is a single line from which the tick marks point up for kilometers and down for miles. Below these three columns are five more bar scales. Moving first down and then across, they appear as follows. The first measures meters with a solid black bar and feet with an outlined bar. The scale repeats this below but with slightly smaller text. The third in this column shows tick marks for meters and feet pointing up and down off a shared, single line. The scale in the second column also measures meters and feet but each with its own solid black line. The last scale, also made up of two solid black lines, measures kilometers and miles. Legend Boxes, examples Twenty-three legend boxes give examples of property types, boundaries, trails, roads, natural features, marine features, and markers. All are gray or black within white rectangles outlined in black. They appear as follows. White section separated from a gray section for Authorized park boundary, Gray for Wilderness area, Gray for NPS Property, Gray for Private land within authorized park boundary, Black dashed line for Hiking trail, Black wide-dashed line for Unpaved road, Black line for Unpaved road, Double black, dashed lines like a row of equal signs for Unpaved road (closed to motor vehicles), Black line with black semicircle for Overlook, Narrow black arrow next to text reading “0.5mi” on one line and “0.8km” on the next for Distance indicator, Person on a bicycle on a line for Bikeway or foot trail, Black line with a black semicircle or a thin rectangle for Parking areas, Black line with black semicircle for Parking area, Double black, dashed lines connected to a solid line that is spanned by two vertical lines, each of which has tiny circles at either end for Locked gate, Black diamond shapes and dashes for Marsh, Black area in an uneven gray line for Rapids, Number and dot next to an uneven gray line for River milepost, Black triangle on gray for Red starboard daymarker, Black square on gray for Green port daymarker, Circle with a blade shape coming off one side on gray for Buoy, Dotted black line for Continental Divide, White area in gray for Glacier, and Inward-facing brackets on either side of a gray line for Canal and gate. Mountains Five examples of font sizes are given in a row, and all are italicized. From left to right they read “Mount Huge,” “Mount Large,” “Mount Medium,” “Mount Small.” Two lines under each read “0000ft” and then “0000m.” The fifth entry is made up of the “0000ft” and “0000m.” All five are accompanied by a dot. Pictograph Alignment Fourteen squares are arranged in two rows of seven. Each square has slightly rounded corners, and they are placed near each other but not touching. Map Symbols This second section titled Map Symbols has sixty-three symbols shown in nine rows by seven columns. Most show the symbol in white within a black square. Moving left to right and top to bottom, they appear as follows: Triangle with thicker legs making the upside-down V, End view of a picnic table, Simple house-like structure with a flag flying from the top, Two people on either side of a vertical line, the left of which wears a dress, Capital letter P, Person lying on a bed, Fork and knife, Person wearing a backpack and standing by a display, all surrounded by a dotted line that points back at the person, Person sitting in a wheelchair, Question mark in a circle, Jug and an apple, Telephone handset oriented vertically, Person walking and wearing a backpack while holding a walking stick, Boat on a trailer on a ramp, Anchor, Diving person wearing a cylindrical tank on their back, Sailboat, Shuttle boat on water, Person half lifted out of water, one arm overhead, Fish head with an open mouth near a curly lure, Person rowing a canoe, Person wearing skis and holding poles while appearing to run, Person crouched over skis, Person on a scooter-like vehicle over a wavy line, Person angled downward while belly-down on a sled, Person on ice skates leaning forward onto one foot with arms stretched back, Person on a horse, Horse in a shelter, Person on a bicycle, Capital letter M, Front of a bus, Vehicle with an open top, Person on a motor bike, Nozzle dropping liquid into the open hood of a car, Gas pump, Airplane, Cup filled with liquid, Outline of an envelope, Equal-sided cross, Capital H on a blue square, Head and torso of a person over two horizontal lines, Person swinging a golf club across the body and over one shoulder, Flame over two logs, Person dropping trash into a can, Three arrows making a triangle, Dog on a leash, Shelter, RV, Camper with an arrow pointing from the back end into an underground tank, Person under a showerhead with one hand on their chest and one arm lifted, Telephone handset in a blue square, and Person holding a sail and braced on a line. The remaining symbols are black against a white background: Triangle with thicker legs making the upside-down V, Shelter, Walking person wearing a backpack and using a walking stick, Person on a bicycle, Person appearing to run on skis, Person on a horse, Open-topped vehicle, Person a snowmobile, Person on a motor bike, All-terrain vehicle, and Person on a scooter-like vehicle over a wavy line. Old Map Symbols (Pre 2006) Fifty-nine symbols are arranged in a grid of seven columns by nine rows. The corners of these icons are noticeably more rounded. Most show objects, people, or letters in white on black. Those include the following: Upside-down, thick-walled V on a line, End of a picnic table, including the seats, Person standing with hands on hips and wearing a brimmed hat next to a house-like structure with a flag flying from the top, Two people on either side of a vertical line, the left of which wears a dress and both of whom are in a white structure, Capital letter P, Person lying on a bed that includes a footboard, Fork and knife inside a white circle, which is inside the black square, Person striding toward a stand, all surrounded by a continuous dotted line, Person in a wheelchair, this person with a thinner, more angular body, Question mark, Outline of a carton of milk next to a loaf of bread, which has the outline of an apple inside, an egg lying to the left, Telephone headset at a diagonal angle, Person wearing a backpack leans forward while using a walking stick, Boat on a trailer on a narrow triangle, Anchor, Person diving with a tank on the back and knees bent, Two sails over a line with a serrated bottom edge, Person half lifted out of water, the raised arm angled back, Whole fish with a J-shaped hook, Two people rowing a canoe, Person wearing skis and holding pole, one leg lifted, Person shown with angular shapes hunched over skis, Person on a snowmobile, Person lying belly-down on a sled that has rails underneath, Person leaning forward with a line under each foot and arms spread, Person on a horse with spindly legs, Horse in a hut-like shelter, Bicycle, Capital letter M, Shuttle bus, Open-topped vehicle, Scooter, Nozzle dropping liquid into the open hood of a car for Radiator water, Gas pump with a hose and nozzle, Airplane with a line down its center, Cup with a wavy line, Envelope filled in with white, Black equal-sided cross in a white square, which is, in turn, in the black square, Capital letter H in a blue square, Box with three curved, nested lines radiating down, Person holding a stick with a tab-like end over one shoulder, Flames over logs, Outline of a trash can turns into an arrow pointing to a ring inside, Three arrows making a triangle, Person holding a leash attached to a sitting dog, Structure with a wall, floor, and angled roof for Shelter, Camper, Camper with a line leading to an underground tank, Person under an overhead shower head, one hand to the head and the other arm raised, Black tent against a white background, and Person holding a sail and braced on a line for Wind surfing. The other icons are represented in black against the white background: Open-sided vehicle, Person on a snowmobile, Person wearing skis and holding pole, one leg lifted, Person on a horse, Scooter, Bicycle, and Structure with a wall, floor, and angled roof for Shelter. Miscellaneous Symbols Black tower on X-shaped legs for Fire tower, Blue dot, blue outline of a circle, blue dot with wavy tail, or blue outline of a circle with a wavy tail for Spring, Three blue dashes making a triangle, two blue dashes with one longer than the other, or one blue dash for Waterfalls, Black, wide V shape for Lock, Orange or yellow starburst for Battle, Three styles of cannons shown from the side and two cannons as if seen from above for Cannon, Airplane with angled wings for Airport, Airplane with perpendicular wings for Airfield, Pairs of black arrows with one arched and one straight, one pair larger than the other for Arrow (plain), Pairs of black arrows with one arched and one straight, one pair larger than the other and all with slightly flaring tails for Arrow (tapered), Black straight line for Leader, Two yellow dots outlined in black in two sizes for Town circles, Black box with inward curving sides for Ruin, Cross with a shorter crossbar for Cemetery, Inward-facing brackets for Bridge, Inward-facing curved lines for Mountain pass, and Three five-sided structures: one is a black outline of such a building’s footprint, one is blue and rendered in three dimensions, and the third is rendered in three dimensions and has an American flag at its center for Fort. Nautical Symbols Black outline or black silhouette of a tall, conical building with a bulb shape on the top for Lighthouse, Black outline of a dot and a pointed blade shape for Buoy, Black outline of a dot with a red pointed blade shape for Starboard buoy, Black outline of a dot with a green pointed blade shape for Port buoy, Black outline of a square for Daymarker, Dark pink triangle for Red starboard daymarker, Green square for Green port daymarker, Dark pink, long teardrop shape with a black dot at the pointed end for Light, Cylinder with small diamond shapes above and below for Mooring buoy, Six-lined asterisk against gray in a circle made up of a dotted black line for Coral reef near water surface, and Horizontal line with three shorter vertical lines bisecting it, all in an oval outline made with a black dotted line. Tour Stops Four groups of numbers or letters are shown. In the first, the numbers 0, 1, 2, and so on through 29 are white within black circles. This repeats to the right with white on blue. The third group shows individual letters A through Z in white within black circles, and the fourth shows them within blue circles. Flow Arrow - Use Width Tool in Adobe Illustrator to adjust A black arrow pointing right tapers to a fine point to the left and swells in the middle leading up to the arrow. The arrow curves gently up and then down.