US Public Lands 2024.7

The US Federal Government owns nearly 650 million acres of land, which accounts for almost 30 percent of the land area of the United States.

These lands are held for the benefit of all Americans.

The US Public Lands app provides a convenient way to access the boundaries of these properties without the need for physical maps or extensive online searching.

The app includes on-device map layers for most of the federal government-administered properties, such as the Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, National Park Service, Army Corps of Engineers, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, Tennessee Valley Authority, Department of Defense, and Other (National Laboratories, Test Sites, etc.).

Key Benefits & Features:

• Easily identify which US agency owns and operates the land you are on or planning to visit by using the "Layers" icon to customize the displayed agencies on your own map.
• Links to each agency's website are provided within the app so that you can access further information on land use rules, including permits, fees, allowed activities, and stay limits.
• All map layers are stored on the device, eliminating the need for an internet connection.
• Turn on the 'Basic' base map to view labels for each public land area. This base map layer is also stored entirely on your device and can be used offline or to conserve bandwidth.
• If you have an internet connection or cached maps, you can utilize Apple Maps and satellite view as the base layer underneath the public land overlays.
• While not a campsite locator, the app can help boondockers by using satellite view maps to scout trails, roads, and dispersed camping locations within public land boundaries.
• Quickly toggle between 'Show' and 'Hide' via the "Map" icon to clearly see satellite images below.
• If GPS access is available, click the 'Locate Me' icon to show your present location and determine the type of land you are on.
• Utilize the built-in search tool to locate cities, states, zip codes, addresses, and points of interest that are supported by the device maps (requires internet access).
• The app relies on data from the Protected Area Database (PAD-US) of the U.S. Geological Survey and will be updated in the future to stay in sync with improvements to this data set.

Please note that the accuracy of boundaries may vary due to the evolving nature of the USGS PAD-US database. Additionally, private unmapped inholdings may exist within public lands. Always pay attention to local signage and consult with field offices, administration websites, and other resources for precise information.

The US Public Lands app should be used as a general overview, and confirmation of more specific details should be obtained from local authorities. It is not advisable to rely solely on this app for determining public or private land status.