Is there no place to get topographic maps for free?
What country? And do you want paper maps on orline versions? While not exactly free, US topographical maps can be viewed and photocopied at any depository library for US Government documents. There is at least one in every congressional district, and most large University libraries are depositories for federal documents. Those maps can then be photocopied at nominal charge. Some US topographic maps are available online through state, counties, and cities, but the whole US may not be included (have not searched to know). Several countries place some or all of their topographic maps online. I am most familiar with France (http://www.ign.fr ) and Spain (Instituto Geográfico Nacional de España), but I am sure there are other countries that also put them online. A good general source for map information is the University of Texas Library: http://ww.lib.utexas.
