True North Map Company

We make rugged, high-quality cloth maps of wilderness areas—including the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and a growing collection of National Parks. Unlike traditional paper maps or decorative fabric prints, our maps are built to go wherever adventure leads: waterproof, tear-resistant, ultra-packable, and tough enough to be used on real backcountry expeditions.

What sets us apart is simple—we’re the only company making true navigational cloth maps that are designed for field use, not just for souvenirs. Each map is printed on durable performance fabric and carefully designed with clarity, accuracy, and real-world usability in mind. From the shape of a portage trail to the location of campsites and contour lines, every detail is thoughtfully placed. Our maps are made to live in your pack, your canoe, your glove box, or even hung on your wall after the trip as a reminder of the adventure.

We’re proud to design, print, and finish our maps in the USA, working with local print partners and drawing on extensive firsthand experience in the places we map. Our founder, Jerod Arlich, started True North Map Company after years of paddling, hiking, and navigating the backcountry himself. A technologist by trade and an adventurer at heart, Jerod was frustrated with flimsy paper maps that fell apart when wet and didn’t last a full trip—let alone a full season. So he decided to make something better.

What began as a personal side project quickly gained traction. Jerod started selling his first maps of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area to friends, outfitters, and fellow adventurers. Word spread quickly thanks to the unique material, beautiful cartography, and real-world usefulness of the maps. Customers loved that they could stuff a map in their pocket, use it as a tablecloth on a portage trail, or hang it in their cabin afterward. They weren’t just getting a map—they were getting a tool they could trust in the wilderness and a keepsake they’d be proud to display.

Over the past five years, True North Map Company has grown steadily—expanding our line of BWCA maps, building a loyal following among paddlers and outdoor enthusiasts, and becoming a go-to resource for premium navigation gear. In the last year, we’ve taken a major step forward by expanding into National Parks, starting with detailed cloth maps of Zion, Isle Royale, Great Smoky Mountains, and Voyageurs National Park. This shift allows us to serve a broader audience across the country while staying true to our core mission: making reliable, beautifully designed maps that people actually use in the wild.

Each map we produce is carefully crafted with both design and function in mind. Our cartography balances clarity with detail—showing campsites, portages, trails, contour lines, and natural features in a clean, easy-to-read layout. We include elevation shading, coordinate grids, and other navigational tools that help users plan their trips and stay oriented in the backcountry. We also gather feedback from experienced adventurers, park visitors, and local experts to continuously refine our maps based on real-world use.

Beyond the product itself, what truly sets True North Map Company apart is our connection to the land and the people who explore it. We’re not a faceless brand. We’re a small team of mapmakers, wilderness lovers, and families who believe the outdoors is sacred space—worth preserving, protecting, and exploring with care. We believe in equipping people to experience it well and return home with stories, not stress. That’s why we put so much heart into every map we make.

Whether it’s a family paddling across Insula Lake or a solo hiker navigating Zion’s backcountry trails, we want our maps to provide not just direction, but confidence. That’s what we hear from our customers time and time again—that having a True North map on hand gave them the knowledge, peace of mind, and sense of connection they needed to fully enjoy their adventure.

We’re excited about where we’re headed next—mapping more National Parks, expanding into retail, and continuing to innovate with new tools for modern adventurers. But no matter how we grow, we’ll stay grounded in the same purpose that started it all: to help people explore wild places with confidence, clarity, and care.