Looking for a new hiking map app

[Dave Bourque]

I’m looking for a mapping app that works as a GPS lite, I don’t need the ability to program a route to follow with waypoints or other advanced features. Tracking and the ability to download maps for offline use, or, like with AllTrails, being able to track your route in no-service areas as long as the app was already running, are the only functions I really need. And USGS maps.

Backcountry Navigator offers what you are looking for and much more. You can pre-load all kinds of maps and aerial photos (many free). Once you are in the woods it uses the GPS satellites, not cell towers to triangulate. BN also has some great tutorials on YouTube.

 

[JoshandBaron]

Backcountry Navigator offers what you are looking for and much more. You can pre-load all kinds of maps and aerial photos (many free). Once you are in the woods it uses the GPS satellites, not cell towers to triangulate. BN also has some great tutorials on YouTube.

All these apps use GPS.

 

[Ear Drum]

One more fun thing with CalTopo is the historical maps. A couple weeks ago I hiked North Brother in Baxter, and looked into doing the other NEHH nearby, including the bushwhack to Fort (I didn't do these due to rain). I searched here on Views for info, and found a post by peakbagger from maybe 15-20 years ago, about doing the old Marston Slide Trail which went up towards South Brother -- it's now an abandoned trail, and the re-route goes left and past the pond. CalTopo has a map layer with the old trail, and it even shows a trail over to Fort. Interesting to see, and useful for a future hike.

 

[DayTrip]

I just don’t understand why they’d stop supporting USGS maps,

I noticed on CalTopo (Free Web Version) of late that many of the areas I look at do not load anything in the Forest Service layer. Not sure if there is some sort of issue with the USFS, if it's a licensing thing now that most apps have a paid version, etc. I used to use that feature often in Caltopo to print jpegs of hikes for sharing on Facebook. Gaia only prints to PDF so I have to then convert it to make the jpeg. So without that layer I've essentially stopped using CalTopo.

I find Gaia way more intuitive and it has tons of layers (premium and above) and features that make the app a no brainer for hiking, kayaking, etc. I find the occasional inconsistency with Gaia but it is nothing like all the snafus in AllTrails. I've only researched a few things in AllTrails (local CT stuff not major trails like say the Franconia Ridge) and they were pretty much all messed up so I gave up on that app pretty quickly. That was several years ago though so maybe it's better.

 

[NH2112]

Backcountry Navigator offers what you are looking for and much more. You can pre-load all kinds of maps and aerial photos (many free). Once you are in the woods it uses the GPS satellites, not cell towers to triangulate. BN also has some great tutorials on YouTube.

I’ll have to give it a try. Thanks!

 

[Rockhopper]

Not sure where you are hiking, but if it’s in the Whites, I strongly recommend AMC maps through Avenza app. Actually, I’ve used Avenza all over the country with great success. You do have to ‘buy’ the maps of where you are going—but one could argue in the Whites there are no better maps then AMC and Avenza supports all of the Trails Illustrated maps for NPs etc. I even have the Maine Delorme book on Avenza. It’s a fee app, AMC maps are $5.99, I think.

 

[sierra]

I have the AllTrails+ subscription ($36/year) and the only way I can get USGS maps is if I’ve already downloaded them for offline use. Other than that my map choices are AllTrails, satellite, road, and terrain.

I see the same maps, I've been using for years, so I guess I'm not sure what's the issue.

 

[NH2112]

I see the same maps, I've been using for years, so I guess I'm not sure what's the issue.

They used to have USGS topo maps and now they don’t, those are the only ones I like.

 

[Peakbagr]

Cal Topo subscription user. I look at All Trails as the mapping version of 'Hiking App for Idiots'

 

[NH2112]

Cal Topo subscription user. I look at All Trails as the mapping version of 'Hiking App for Idiots'

I’ve never had it steer me wrong, but don’t use its mileage/time figures if you’re hiking to kill time before an important event. I like it and use it mostly for planning and tracking my routes.

 

[TEO]

I noticed on CalTopo (Free Web Version) of late that many of the areas I look at do not load anything in the Forest Service layer. Not sure if there is some sort of issue with the USFS, if it's a licensing thing now that most apps have a paid version, etc. I used to use that feature often in Caltopo to print jpegs of hikes for sharing on Facebook. Gaia only prints to PDF so I have to then convert it to make the jpeg. So without that layer I've essentially stopped using CalTopo.

Forest Service maps only cover Forest Service land (and maybe neighboring land). But, why are you sharing hiking routes on Facebook?

 

[DayTrip]

Forest Service maps only cover Forest Service land (and maybe neighboring land). But, why are you sharing hiking routes on Facebook?

The Forest Service layer on CalTopo always populated maps that were very much like the paper maps for pretty much everywhere I've ever gone. Showed trails and trail names, elevations, peak names, etc. That is no longer the case.

And relax. I'm not revealing the secret locations of your favorite off trail spots. Just tracing out the trails I took on that particular day. I usually add a map of what I did with photos for people like my Mom so they can see where I went in photo albums.

 

[NH2112]

I went on a very short known distance hike (a surveyed 4000’ cut where a trail was widened) this morning to check the fit and comfort of my Lowe Alpine Contour IV, and used AllTrails, Backcountry Navigator, and OnX Backcountry to track myself. AllTrails and OnX gave almost identical readings at 0.83 and 0.82 miles respectively, BCN said 1.31 miles outbound and 1.01 inbound. So I definitely need to work more with BCN to see where the inaccuracy came from. I really like its default map, and it also uses USGS topos so it’s like a twofer. I also downloaded Avenza but haven’t used it yet.

 

[Ear Drum]

I went on a very short known distance hike (a surveyed 4000’ cut where a trail was widened) this morning to check the fit and comfort of my Lowe Alpine Contour IV, and used AllTrails, Backcountry Navigator, and OnX Backcountry to track myself. AllTrails and OnX gave almost identical readings at 0.83 and 0.82 miles respectively, BCN said 1.31 miles outbound and 1.01 inbound. So I definitely need to work more with BCN to see where the inaccuracy came from. I really like its default map, and it also uses USGS topos so it’s like a twofer. I also downloaded Avenza but haven’t used it yet.

Perhaps each app has a setting for how often it samples your location.
I have noticed that if I have Strava and Gaia mapping my hike, that Strava's total mileage is often about 10% more than Gaia's. It's pretty consistent that these two apps are that much in disagreement. I need to try walking about a 1/4 mile track or something with a known distance and see what they say.

 

[NH2112]

Perhaps each app has a setting for how often it samples your location.
I have noticed that if I have Strava and Gaia mapping my hike, that Strava's total mileage is often about 10% more than Gaia's. It's pretty consistent that these two apps are that much in disagreement. I need to try walking about a 1/4 mile track or something with a known distance and see what they say.

I did stop quite a few times to make small adjustments to the pack, maybe that confused BCN. I’ll try them all again this weekend.

 

[TEO]

The Forest Service layer on CalTopo always populated maps that were very much like the paper maps for pretty much everywhere I've ever gone. Showed trails and trail names, elevations, peak names, etc. That is no longer the case.

And relax. I'm not revealing the secret locations of your favorite off trail spots. Just tracing out the trails I took on that particular day. I usually add a map of what I did with photos for people like my Mom so they can see where I went in photo albums.

Here are the areas covered by FS maps. If you zoom in to a particular area, such as here, you will see that all of the information that you are used to seeing is still there. I suspect that much of your hiking has been near or in NF land and that is why you were used to seeing the FS maps.

If you're not publicly posting tracklogs/routes of off-trail hikes, go for it! I love the idea of sharing your route with your mom, et cetera, so they get a better picture of what you're doing.

 

[dave.m]

Not sure where you are hiking, but if it’s in the Whites, I strongly recommend AMC maps through Avenza app. Actually, I’ve used Avenza all over the country with great success. You do have to ‘buy’ the maps of where you are going—but one could argue in the Whites there are no better maps then AMC and Avenza supports all of the Trails Illustrated maps for NPs etc. I even have the Maine Delorme book on Avenza. It’s a fee app, AMC maps are $5.99, I think.

In Avenza, is there a way to increase the font size on maps?

One reason I stick with PocketEarth Pro is that it allows me to crank up the font to readable levels. I find it frustrating to zoom in on a feature to read the name only to have it automatically resize down.

Or, are the AMC maps more like a photo scan, so you can zoom in on features and their labels?

 

[DayTrip]

Here are the areas covered by FS maps. If you zoom in to a particular area, such as here, you will see that all of the information that you are used to seeing is still there. I suspect that much of your hiking has been near or in NF land and that is why you were used to seeing the FS maps.

That is interesting because those areas in NH are definitely NOT coming up for me in CalTopo. I was in the Dolly Sods Wilderness area yesterday and that came up fine. I wonder if it has something to do with my browser configuration. Very strange. Oh well.

 

[TEO]

That is interesting because those areas in NH are definitely NOT coming up for me in CalTopo. I was in the Dolly Sods Wilderness area yesterday and that came up fine. I wonder if it has something to do with my browser configuration. Very strange. Oh well.

That is very strange. Have you tried the iPhone/Android app or another browser?

 

[DayTrip]

That is very strange. Have you tried the iPhone/Android app or another browser?

I'll tell you what is even stranger: since I clicked that link you gave me it works fine. Chrome updates itself all the time so maybe there was a corrupt reference to something somewhere?? I was curious so I closed my browser, cleaned the history, cookies, etc and relaunched CalTopo and it still works fine. Not really sure what the hell happened but thanks for the link!