Very detailed and easy to read map

For the most part, I always pick a Harrison Map as my first choice when hiking California. His maps are printed on waterproof plastic that is tear resistant, and they hold up quite well. They are GPS compatible, for those who think hiking requires they carry a unit with them, and trails are clearly defined, easy to read, and feature point to point mileage. And yet, ... I sometimes feel as though the miles are less than what they should be.

For example, on this map, Harrison lists the distance from the Onion Valley Trail head to Kearsarge Pass as 4.7 miles. And at one time I suspect it was. But the trail has been extensively rerouted since then to a more moderate grade, and almost every other source has the mileage as 5.5 miles. Since Harrison has been producing maps for over 20 years I almost wonder if he has actually revisited these High Sierra Trails on the ground recently. Similarly, the map shows the distance from the pass to the junction with the Pacific Crest/John Muir trail via Bullfrog Lake trail as 2.4. The Park Service sign has 3.5 miles. This is not an insignificant difference, though I'm not sure I trust the park service signs altogether either. But what bothered me most about this map is that it does not show all the trails that are actually on the ground. The (steep) route to Golden Trout Lakes is signed from the Onion Valley trail head, but does not appear on this map at all.

Still, it is hard to be too critical of any Harrison map. After all, the Rae Lakes Loop is probably the single best High Sierra backpack trip available, and is justifiably popular. And while following the trail is easy enough, you will want to see and experience more, and this map allows for that. But just allow extra time. If you find yourself hiking slower than normal, it may not simply be because of the high elevation (or advancing age in my case) but also because, unlike some other maps, the point to point mileage portrayed here really does seem longer than normal. As my father once noted after a long Sierra hike with me, perhaps Harrison occasionally uses nautical miles just for variety. That would appear to be the case with this particular map. And despite the cavil, it is probably still the best available map for the area.

A terrific color topo waterproof map thats almost as detailed as the 1:24k USGS maps. Conveniently has the whole Rae Lakes loop on one map. This isn't terribly necessary if you're planning to stick to the trail, but this would be very handy if on a cross country trek through Gardiner Basin (the center of the loop). If you are on a tight budget you'd best stick with the "Kings Canyon High Country" map (1:63k), also by tomharrisonmaps.com, which covers an enormous amount of terrain on a useful scale.