Customer Reviews

Benchmark Arizona Road & Recreation Atlas

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As an enthusiastic motorcyclist, I am always searching for new and interesting roads to travel. I love back-roads and this atlas has enough detail to let the 'inner-explorer' in me discover places I never would have thought to look. In a car, on a bike, or stretched out on the living-room carpet, this atlas delivers. Benchmark makes a big deal of the "3D like" shading effect on their maps, and rightfully so. Not only can you find the mountains, you can also find the hidden valleys nestled away in their depths. The only drawback of this series is that there isn't enough. California, New Mexico, Oregon, and Arizona have their own atlas...where's the rest of the states? Come on Benchmark, get printing, I have serious exploring to do!

As an avid off-roader, I look for remote, under-the-radar types of places. Fortunately, my home state is one of the best places for 4x4 wandering. Anybody can hook up with some Glamis types and rip-it-up at a local sand dune. For me, wilderness means getting far out of Phoenix, driving long distances on dusty back roads and eventually finding that perfectly lonely camp site. Enter the Benchmark Maps' "Arizona Road & Recreational Atlas." For browsing alone, it has been the impetus for multiple back country trips. When used with Google Earth and a guidebook, this tool has been perfect for triangulating locations and showing routes. The DeLorme Atlas is the obvious comparison. The DeLorme is also a good atlas, but I really appreciate the "readability" of the Benchmark. The colors are in harmony with desert esthetics while better expressing elevation. This atlas shows tons of back roads, GPS grids, a recreational guide for the newbies and legends that are clear to read. As an added plus, it shows additional maps for getting around in urban Tuscon and Phoenix. When exploring the desert or getting around in the city, Benchmarks Maps' "Arizona Road & Recreational Atlas" is about all anyone will need to get around in the Grand Canyon State.