Last updated February 15, 2016
I like to collect maps. I have a modest collection that includes a few state maps, a map of the Willamette National Forest in Oregon, and some trail maps I've picked up during camping and hiking trips. I am also interested in planning future adventures around the United States.
How can I get the benefit of paper maps AND plan my trips? (hint: the answer is below)
After browsing the shelves at Barnes and Noble in early December, I decided I wanted to get a map from each state. However, individual state maps cost around $5-10. I don't want to pay that kind of money. Was there anything available on the web?
Turns out, yes, there is. Many states offer travel guides by mail, including state maps. States maintain websites from their tourist boards and commissions where you can enter your mailing info, and you'll get maps in the mail. Bingo! Many of these guides include a wealth of information on regions, campgrounds, attractions, and other things to see. Since it is in a nifty guide, it helps you focus your efforts so you're not paralyzed by typing "things to see in XYZ state" into Google. Guides provide a whole inventory of cool stuff in each state, the best things they have to offer.
So, I submitted requests to each state. If a state didn't have a request page on the web for a package that indicated it included a highway map, I emailed the Department of Transportation to request a map. This page is a writeup of this experiment to see what kinds of travel info and maps I receive.
Plus, everyone likes getting mail.
The
free state maps page from Hey, It's Free really helped get me started. The person running this site did a lot of the up-front research to get the ball rolling. Thanks for finding all those links!
Time to fill this baby up. My map bag is cool, no?
What They Sent
Here is what each state sent. I will post pics of things too if I can.
State | | Status | | What they sent | | Photos | |
Alabama | | Waiting | | | | | |
Alaska | | Received
(1-16-16) | |
- State vacation guide
- Map Received from the state DOT, late January
| | 
 | |
Arizona | | Received
(12-31-15) | |
- State visitor's guide
- State transportation map
| |  | |
Arkansas | | Received
(1-8-16) | |
- An informative set of books with pretty photos:
- Arkansas Tour Guide
- State Highway Map
- Arkansas Adventure Guide
- Arkansas Fall/Winter 2015-2016 Calendar
- Arkansas State Parks Guide
- More information cards (postage required)
| | 
 | |
California | | Received
(12-28-15) | |
- California vacation guide, with tear-out state map
- California "road trips" insert
- Requested a state highway map of DOT since it was a tear-out map
| |  | |
Colorado | | Received
(1-4-16)
(1-15-16)
(1-16-16) | |
- State travel guide (1-4-16)
- State map (tear-out from the guide) (1-4-16)
- State bicycling and scenic byways map (1-15-16)
- State highway map received (1-16-16)
| | 
 | |
Connecticut | | Received (Feb. 2016) | |
- Travel guide
- Request in to DOT for highway map
| |  | |
Delaware | | Received (Jan. 2016) | |
- State travel guide (small booklet)
- State highway map
| |  | |
Florida | | Received
(12-31-15)
(1-4-16)
(1-14-16) | |
- State visitor's guide (12-31-15)
- State highway map, by request to the DOT (1-4-16)
- State camping guide (Camp Florida) (1-14-16)
| | 

 | |
Georgia | | Received
(1-4-16) | |
- A large package from Georgia! Includes the following:
- State travel guide
- State highway map
- Letter from the governor
- Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites
- Georgia's Atlanta Campaign Trail (civil war)
- Visit Savannah
- Atlanta street map
| |  | |
Hawaii | | Received
(1-15-16) | |
- Hawaiian Islands travel guide
- No state map apparently available, emailed HI DOT to ask
| |  | |
Idaho | | Received
(1-11-16) | |
- State RV and camping guide, with tear-out Idaho map
- State travel guide and 2 highway maps
- Directory of guided outdoor adventures (Feb. 2016)
| |  
 | |
Illinois | | Received
(12-29-15) | |
- Illinois travel guide
- State highway map
- Brochure of IL state parks
| |  | |
Indiana | | Received
(1-16-16) | |
- State travel guide
- State highway map
- Indianapolis travel guide
| |  | |
Iowa | | Received
(12-31-15) | |
- Iowa state travel guide
- State transportation map
| |  | |
Kansas | | Received
(1-4-16) | |
- Kansas official travel guide
- Kansas state travel map
- Kansas state parks
- Kansas outdoors
- Byways of Kansas
- Kansas River Water Trail Map
| |  | |
Kentucky | | Received
(12-26-15) | |
- Visitor's Guide
- State Highway Map
- Kentucky State Parks Brochure (Feb. 2016)
| | 
 | |
Louisiana | | Waiting | |
- After requesting a map from the DOT, I was informed that the state does not mail paper maps anymore.
| | | |
Maine | | Received
(1-9-16) | |
- State travel guide
- State highway map
| |  | |
Maryland | | Received
(12-29-15) | | Maryland sent a whole goodie bag! Of note, there were five brochures on the civil war, each unfolding into a map of it's topic. An African-American heritage brochure has maps on things like the underground railroad and other points of interest.
- Maryland visitor's guide
- State highway map
- Road trips brochure
- African-American Heritage points of interest
- Civil war brochures
- Civil war trails
- Baltimore: A house divided
- Gettysburg
- John Wilkes Booth
- 1864 Attack on Washington
| |  | |
Massachusetts | | Received
(1-11-16) | |
- State highway map (after request to DOT)
| |  | |
Michigan | | Received
(1-11-16) | |
- State highway map (after request to DOT)
- State travel guide and map (sent after DOT map request)
| |   | |
Minnesota | | Received
(12-24-15)
(1-5-16)
(1-7-16) | |
- Visitor's Guide
- State Highway Map
- State Bicycle Map
- Southern Minnesota Guide
- Minnesota ATVventures offroad trail rider book
- Minneapolis / St. Paul guidebook, city map, and Institute of Art brochure (1-5-16)
- Visit Grand Rapids, MN guidebook (received 1-7-16)
| | 

 | |
Mississippi | | Received
(1-4-16) | |
- State travel guide
- State highway map
- Mississippi Blues Trail map/brochure
| |  | |
Missouri | | Received
(12-26-15)
(12-29-15) | |
- State Highway Map (by request to the DOT) (Received 12-26-15)
- State travel guide and state highway map (Received 12-29-15)
| |  | |
Montana | | Received
(1-7-16) | |
- Valuable package of resources for outdoors people!
- State visitor guide book
- State highway map
- National Geographic Greater Yellowstone Region map - Includes Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and surrounding areas in MT, WY, ID (geotourism map)
- National Geographic Crown of the Continent map - Glacier National Park and Canada above Glacier area (geotourism map)
| |  | |
Nebraska | | Received (Jan. 2016) | |
- State travel guide
- Highway map after request to DOT (received one week later, Feb. 2016)
| | 

| |
Nevada | | Received
(12-28-15) | |
- Nevada travel guide
- Requested a highway map from DOT on 12-28-15 since one was not included
| |  | |
New Hampshire | | Waiting | | | | | |
New Jersey | | Received (Feb. 2016) | |
- State travel guide
- Request in to DOT for state highway map
| |  | |
New Mexico | | Received
(12-26-15)
(1-9-16) | |
- State Highway Map (by request to the DOT)(received 12-26-15)
- State travel guide (1-9-16)
| | 
 | |
New York | | Received
(12-28-15) | |
- New York travel guide
- State highway map
- Winter travel guide (Feb 2016)
| | 
 | |
North Carolina | | Received
(1-14-16)
(1-15-16) | |
- NC State Winery Guide (1-14-16)
- State highway map (1-15-16)
- Travel guide (Feb. 2016)
| | 

 | |
North Dakota | | Waiting | | | | | |
Ohio | | Received
(12-31-15) | |
- 2 state maps after a request to the DOT
- State travel guide
- Pull-out state map
- Arts in Ohio
- Fall/Winter 2016 - In Ohio
| | 
 | |
Oklahoma | | Received
(1-4-16) | |
- Oklahoma's package was very impressive! They had so many things that it was shipped in a parcel box.
- Large, glossy and embossed leather-appearance travel book
- Oklahoma state map
- Oklahoma Indian Country guide
- Oklahoma western experiences brochure
- Great Plains Trail of Oklahoma map and info - Western Oklahoma Scenic Drive Map
- Oklahoma State Park and Outdoor Recreation Guide (a thick book!)
| | 
 | |
Oregon | | Received
(12-26-15)
(1-15-16) | |
- "Passport to Bounty" - a literal passport book that has "stamps" you can put in it when you visit certain locations (12-26-15)
- Oregon Scenic Bikeways map (12-26-15)
- Oregon travel guide (1-15-16)
- Oregon state highway map (1-15-16)
| |
 | |
Pennsylvania | | Received
(12-28-15) | |
- Two state highway maps, one for a friend! (by request to the DOT)
| |  | |
Rhode Island | | Waiting | |
- After a request to the DOT, the state informed me that they do not print paper maps anymore.
| | | |
South Carolina | | Received
(1-4-16) | |
- State travel guide
- State highway map
| |  | |
South Dakota | | Received
(12-30-15) | |
- South Dakota vacation guide
- State highway map
| |  | |
Tennessee | | Waiting | | | | | |
Texas | | Received
(1-4-16) | |
- State travel guide
- State highway map
| |  | |
Utah | | Received
(12-26-15)
(12-30-15)
(1-8-16) | |
- Moab Travel Planner (Received 12-26-15)
- Bryce Canyon Travel Guide (Received 12-30-15)
- Two identical packets received (Received 1-8-16)
- Life Elevated - State Travel Guide
- State Highway Map
| | 
 | |
Vermont | | Received
(1-5-16)
(1-14-16) | |
- Vermont state travel guide
- Vermont Campground Guide
- Vermont State Parks
- State highway map received separately after request to DOT (1-14-16)
| | 
 | |
Virginia | | Received
(Feb. 2016) | |
- State travel guide
- State highway map
- State scenic roads & byways map
- State campgrounds brochure
- Virginia's Civil War pamphlet
| |
 | |
Washington | | Not Coming | | The State of Washington does not send travel guides or state maps for free anymore. | | | |
West Virginia | | Waiting | | | | | |
Wisconsin | | Received
(1-4-16) | |
- A treasure trove of resources!
- Wisconsin travel guide
- Wisconsin state highway map
- State campground directory
- Official biking guide
- Wisconsin State Park visitor activity guide
- Wisconsin state lodging directory
- Great Wisconsin Birding & Nature Trail (Central Sands Region)
- Great Wisconsin Birding & Nature Trail (Southern Savanna Region)
| |  | |
Wyoming | | Received (Jan. 2016) | |
- State travel guide
- State highway map
| |  | |
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