Don t Get Lost Just Hike On

6 Best Hiking Apps To Keep You Away From Getting Lost

Are you someone who enjoys traveling around the world whenever the opportunity presents itself? If that's the case, using the right smartphone hiking apps can help you improve your trekking experience.

It's possible that getting away from technology is one of the reasons for venturing into the wilderness. Smartphone apps, on the other hand, can help you get to your adventures faster, minimize your fear of getting lost in the woods, and track your fitness gains from walks. When you have your phone and these excellent hiking apps, no one can stop you from finding your way.

1. AllTrails Pro

One of the most well-known hiking applications is AllTrails. Over 200,000 trails from across the world are cataloged by the app. Hikes in this app may be found by difficulty, length, elevation gain, route type, and user rating. Hikes can also be found using categories such as trail running, dog-friendly, or wildflowers. When you locate a trek, you may examine particular data such as mileage and an elevation profile map. All Trails also offers advice and information on how to get to the trailhead, how long the trek should take, and user reviews. AllTrails users may also record their treks, monitoring the route with GPS and the time it takes to finish. AllTrails allows you to download maps ahead of time and examine map overlays of your selected route that indicate everything from the weather to the air quality to the degree of light pollution.

While the basic edition of All Trails is free, a Pro version is available for $29.99 per year. AllTrails Pro allows you to download maps offline and receive warnings if you deviate from the track. The Pro edition also includes 3D maps.

2. Gaia GPS

Gaia, a hiking-friendly map app, provides topographical and satellite maps for any outdoor trip. Whether you're going on a day walk, a mountain bike trip, a hunting expedition, or deep in the wilderness, the app is designed to get you there safely and with as much information as possible. There is a free version, but for more skilled hikers, the premium membership, $40 for a year on both iOS and Android, is definitely worth it. This membership allows you to download maps for offline usage. You also receive weather predictions and layers to differentiate between private and public property, as well as air quality, snow, and recent wildfires. Gaia GPS supports over 30 languages, ranging from English to any regional language.

3. Guthook Guides

Guthook Guides is the most popular long-distance hiking and backpacking smartphone app. It's a go-to for thru-hikes like the Pacific Crest Path or the Appalachian Trail, with over 35,000 miles of trail in its database. It was created by previous thru-hikers who saw the necessity for a dependable offline map. The app includes extensive route information like mileage, elevation, waypoints, water sources, and campsites, which can be seen on topographic or satellite maps. The software actively follows your location on the map, ensuring you're always on the right route. In addition, all these seven map types, function offline also, GPS tracking, and other features, each guide includes an extraordinarily detailed list of waypoints, including photos to make confirm you're in the proper place, as well as comments written by other Guthook users. You may keep your family and friends updated on your hike's progress and discover extensive information on anything from trailheads to local stores along the way. The guides range in price from $4.99 to $59.99, depending on the length of the route.

4. Google Maps

There's a good chance you're already using this app. However, you are not utilizing it to its greatest potential. The option to download maps offline is Google Maps' greatest feature for hikers. If you download maps ahead of time, you will be able to navigate to the trailhead even if your phone loses service. Because GPS continues to function in the absence of mobile phone coverage, you may use Google Maps to navigate with your downloaded map. Enabling the topographic map layer will allow you to see more information in the spaces between landmarks, and you can then download the map of your hiking area for offline viewing. Place a few pins along the route and you should be able to navigate using the offline GPS feature. You can also collaborate with others on your trip.

5. Hiking Project

Hiking Project is one of the top hiking applications available in the App Store. This crowd-sourced hiking software is also excellent for getting ideas. While Hiking Project's functionality is comparable to that of AllTrails, it also includes places of interest. Hikes can be found by area, place of interest, or hike characteristics. Hiking Project, which focuses on hikes in the United States and Canada, allows you to view statistics by state, as well as routes ranked by popularity. You may browse comprehensive descriptions, wildlife and plants in the region, user ratings, and trail conditions for a given trek. You can get a sense of the trek before you ever set foot on the path by using the Hiking Project app. It is also a free app, so have fun with it.

6. Cairn

Cairn is the most important hiking safety software. All the app's functions are intended to keep you safe when hiking. Sharing your route and GPS position with friends and family, downloading offline maps, and real-time location and status updates are among the most popular features. The app estimates the time it will take you to finish the trek based on your location and allows you to track your progress using offline trail maps. You'll also discover information on where other hikers have found cell service along the trail, and you'll be informed when you enter a cell-service-enabled region.

When you have a mobile connection, the free edition of the program allows you to access basic features such as maps, trails, and cell coverage. The premium edition of the program allows you to use it completely offline, including offline maps and live status updates to your emergency contacts. Before purchase, all customers can obtain a 30-day free trial of the premium version. Cairn is available on Android and iPhone, with a 60-day free trial followed by a $26.99 annual premium.