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Real 3D Raised Relief Map
This 3D Raised Relief Map of the contiguous United States is a Muir Way original, and it's built around one of the most dramatic facts in American geography: Mount Whitney, in California's Sierra Nevada, is the highest point in the lower 48 at 14,505 feet, and it sits only about 85 miles from Death Valley's Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level. That western extreme is balanced by the ancient, rounded ridgelines of the Appalachian Mountains running down the East Coast — among the oldest mountain ranges in the world — along with the Rocky Mountains, the Great Plains, the Mississippi River, and the Great Lakes, all heated and vacuum-formed right into the terrain. This map covers the 48 contiguous states; Alaska and Hawaii aren't included due to size restrictions.
Each map begins as a flat sheet of durable plastic, heated until pliable and vacuum-formed over a precisely sculpted mold built from modern digital elevation data. The result is a genuinely raised, three-dimensional terrain model—not a flat print like our 2D Vintage Relief paper maps—accurate down to individual mountain ranges and river systems.
The entire map is left completely white, with no printed roads, labels, or text of any kind. That's by design: with nothing else to look at, the terrain itself is the whole point. Place it near a window or a lamp and view it at an angle, since it's the shadows cast across the relief that reveal the detail in the mountains and valleys.
Framed versions have no glass or acrylic covering the terrain, so the map stays fully touchable. Run your hand from the Rockies down into Death Valley and feel the real elevation change of the country, not just see it on a flat surface.
- Size - unframed 36x24 inches
- Size - framed 37x25 inches
- White plastic mounted on foamboard
- Handmade real Walnut frame available
- Individually made in our San Diego, CA shop
FREE SHIPPING within the contiguous US
Shipping times - not including transit:
- Unframed maps - 3-5 business days
- Made-to-order framed maps - 3-4 weeks
RETURN POLICY
We accept returns within 30 days of purchasing your unframed map. There are NO restocking fees but return shipping costs are at the customer's expense. Returned maps must be in new condition with no visible marks or damage. Please email us at [email protected] with your order # to receive detailed instructions. Unauthorized returns may not be accepted and do not guarantee a refund.
If prints are shipped back to us and are not in new condition, we offer a store credit or can return them to you.
*Framed Prints – We do not accept returns or exchanges on framed prints because they are custom-made to order. If your order arrives damaged or wrong, please email us at [email protected] so we can correct it for you. We will require pictures of the damaged print and the shipping container it arrived in.
Each frame is handmade by a local craftsman.
- Real Walnut hardwood (not veneer)
- Frames vary in color and grain
- 7/8" face x 1" deep
- Finished back – paper dust cover, rubber bumpers, and hanging wire
- No acrylic or glass on front
Vacuum-formed over a precision 3D mold, real raised terrain
Every ridge, valley, and peak is actually there. You feel it, not just see it.
Molds cut from NASA elevation data for accurate topography
Precise data used to create the most detailed raised relief maps available.
No glass, no acrylic, every map is made to be touched
Run your fingers across the Rockies or trace the Appalachians. The map wants to be touched.
Highly formable plastic mounted onto foam core
Vacuum-formed to replicate every ridge and valley, mounted on foam core for rigidity and easy framing.
Each map individually made in our San Diego, CA shop
Not printed and boxed at scale. Every relief is hand-formed by our small studio team.
USA-made materials, a portion of profits supports outdoor charities
Sierra Club, Leave No Trace, and Waterkeeper Alliance protect the places these maps depict.
Handmade from real walnut, no pressed wood, no veneer
Real hardwood grain, not a stained lookalike. Built by local craftsmen to last.
Open-face design with no glazing, so the terrain stays touchable
Nothing between you and the landscape. The frame protects without hiding.
Framing adds about one inch to each dimension
A slim profile that fits your wall, not a bulky box that dominates it.
The original map designs are of historical maps. We use scans of the old maps and georeference them with modern elevation data to align the raised terrain with the map. Then, we cut a detailed mold for the map. The maps get printed, heated, and vacuum formed onto the mold. We remove the newly formed map from the mold, cut it, and mount it onto matboard for a rigid raised relief map. The 3D maps we sell are only available by Muir Way.
No, we offer each map in a single size because they are vacuum formed to a particular 3D mold that takes approximately 40 hours to cut.
The maps are printed on a thick, highly formable plastic that is highly formable under extreme heat and mounted on foamboard.
For any reason, you can send back the print within 30 days of receiving it for a full refund. The print must be in new condition. We do not accept returns on framed prints. Please email [email protected] for return authorization.
Unframed maps ship out in 1-2 days and framed maps ship out in 2-3 weeks of ordering. Please also allow transit time from our shop in San Diego.
No, our frames do not have glass over the 3D prints so you can touch the protruding terrain. If you prefer glass, your local frame shop can make a deeper frame that will allow for the glass.
Ours are inspired by those older raised relief maps but our new versions are on another level of quality, precision, and craftsmanship.
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Rated 5 out of 5
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Rated 5 out of 5
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Quality product with great detail. I framed it myself and hung it in my study. I love the way it changes appearance depending on how the light is shining.
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Rated 5 out of 5
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Rated 5 out of 5
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My US relief map is everything that I expected it to be and more. The frame is very good quality and the product itself is striking.
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Rated 5 out of 5
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Rated 5 out of 5
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like the other 3 I've ordered (MT, VA, CA - all the places I've lived) it is well made w/ good detail. It's in my local frame shop now - gotta support my local small-town economy - pop just over 5100).
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Rated 5 out of 5
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Rated 5 out of 5
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I couldn't be more thrilled! The level of detail on this map is incredible. It exceeded my expectations and I loved sharing it with my kids. They were excited to get to feel all of the different raised geography. It is not only a great looking piece, but it has also turned into an educational tool that brings our family together. Highly recommended for anyone who loves maps and wants a hands-on learning experience!
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Rated 5 out of 5
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Rated 5 out of 5
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