Field workers often do not have the extensive time or equipment to gather the information that they need for development projects. This paper noted that standard PRA mapping exercises expressed community perceptions but not geographical accuracy, while mapping methods based on aerial photographs could be expensive, as well as difficult to use in areas of high topographical variation like Nepal. Creating sketch maps in collaboration with local residents - participatory mapping - proved an excellent means of overcoming the shortcomings of other approaches to gain accurate but locally relevant maps of site features and patterns of use and tenure. The authors provided guidelines to running the meetings at which maps were drawn.