Colors and map symbols

Here you will learn about the colors and symbols of orienteering maps used to depict different terrain features.

Colors in an orienteering map

Here you can see an aerial photo of the same location and an orienteering map. By dragging the slider, you see that the map has different colors than the aerial photo. On the map, the colors are different from those you see in the location. Location details are depicted using symbols of various colors. Symbols can represent an object, such as rocks, roads, and buildings, or an area, such as dense forests, swamps, and fields.

Try to memorize the meaning of the map's colors

There are 6 different colors on the orienteering map. Tap the color buttons to see what they symbolize.

Trimming — Forests, fields, meadows and open areas

Field — Forests, fields, meadows and open areas

Meadow — Forests, fields, meadows and open areas

Open area — Forests, fields, meadows and open areas

Forest — Ordinary forest on the map is white.

Parking Lot — Parking lots, main roads, small and large hills are marked in brown on the map.

Paved road — Parking lots, main roads, small and large hills are marked in brown on the map.

Big mountain — Parking lots, main roads, small and large hills are marked in brown on the map.

Small hill — Parking lots, main roads, small and large hills are marked in brown on the map.

Diversity of map colors

These maps depict the same area but in different colors. The last map is how an orienteering map should be!

TIP

Remember:
○ Black is firm
○ Blue is wet
○ Yellow is open
○ Green is dense
○ Brown is terrain or road
○ White is light

Buildings

Path

Electric Line

Fence

Stone

Cliff

Rock

Rocky area

Special object

Solid black

Lake, pond

Puddle

Bog

Marshy land

River, ditch

Open marsh

Blue is wet

Arable land

Field

Open area with trees

Yellow is open

Dense forest

Big tree

Bush, small tree

Meadow/Plot - prohibited running area

Green is dense

Horizontal

Mountain

Small hill

Pit

Small pit

Highway

Road

Parking Lot

Brown is a terrain or road

Click the map icon to learn what it represents

Maps depict many details that you can see in the area, but not all. There is no space for that. The map author selects the big and important details and omits those that are too small.