The best part of doing outdoor activities or hiking is to take a break from the workload and give yourself a treat of nature’s most amazing views. Many people like to turn off their smartphones and want to get away from technology while out in nature. But sometimes smartphone helps improve your time in the wild thanks to the best hiking apps available in the play store. You will get much-needed information and directions at your fingertips via these hiking apps.
Moreover, if you are hiking in an unfamiliar area, you will not feel lost or confused because you will get all the information from those apps. Nowadays, there are thousands of hiking apps available on both Android and IOS platforms. So, sometimes it is very confusing for the users to choose a hiking app that best suits their needs. Therefore, we have made a list of the 10 best hiking apps of 2020 for both iPhone and Android Users. Let’s have a look at them.
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10 Best Hiking Apps of 2021
- Gaia GPS (iOS, Android)
- AllTrails (iOS, Android)
- ViewRanger (iOS, Android)
- Weather Live (iOS, Android)
- OS MapFinder (iOS, Android)
- National Parks by Chimani (iOS, Android)
- Peak Finder (iOS, Android)
- Google Maps Offline (iOS, Android)
- First Aid (iOS, Android)
- RunGo (iOS, Android)
Gaia GPS
GAIA GPS is an excellent navigation map for backpacking, hiking, hunting, camping, backcountry skiing, mountaineering, and other outdoor activities. GAIA is a Greek word, and the meaning of this word is Mother Nature. This app has some amazing features which allow you to find your way in the woods. It has easy to read maps and you can download multiple apps. You can also print the map for your convenience. This is a lightweight app and it is only 59MB. TrailBehind Inc. is the developer of this app.
Through this app, you can search for different hiking parks and explore different areas while you are traveling in a place that is unfamiliar to you. Regardless of your outdoor activities, GAIA GPS will track your hiking activity. With this app, you can easily share photos with your friends and family. The best part of this app is you can effortlessly keep a backup of your hiking data and memorable photos that you take on the trip. This is a free app and however, some of the features are available in the paid version.
AllTrails
AllTrails is a very popular hiking app, and you can explore 100,000+ hiking trails and mountain bike routes with this app. This app will let you enjoy your hiking trip with confidence and help you explore the hidden beauty of nature. With the help of this application, you can overlook any hurdles of lingering snow, damaged roads, and unpredictable trials. You can easily get to your trailhead if you have this app installed on your smartphone. This app has the ability to map and track around 50,000 trails.
You will require a strong internet connection to take full advantage of this app. This app is developed by AllTrails, LLC. It is a very lightweight app and it is only 37 MB. Through this app, you can connect with new hikers and share your hiking experiences with them. You can also enjoy the pictures of hurdles on trial taken by other users. If you are an experienced hiker, then you can give tips to beginner hikers or you can take tips from experienced hikers if you are a beginner.
ViewRanger
ViewRanger is excellent hiking and a navigation app and works best if you aren’t aware of your surroundings. It has very powerful navigation capabilities that are accurate and precise. There is no chance you will get lost in the wood if you have this app installed on your smartphone. All the features of this app are very easy to understand so you don’t have to be a navigation expert in using this app. All the features of this app ensure you have a memorable hiking experience.
You can easily download the maps, so you don’t have to worry about the internet connection to access the application. This app gives live statistics of distance and time so you can easily track your hiking route. With this app, you can track around 9 million lakes, peaks, and locations around the world, which is very convenient. In fact, you don’t require a conventional paper map if you have this app installed on your phone. This app is developed by Augmentra. This is an award-winning app. It has won awards like:
- 2018 Android Excellence award – Google Play
- Best New Outdoor Tech – Backpacker magazine
- Best Outdoor App – Elevation Outdoors
Weather Live
Weather Live is a very beautiful weather app available on both iOS and Android platforms. Both functionally and aesthetically, this is an excellent application. The best part of this application is; it has a fully customizable layout so you can set up the app however you wish. This app shows live weather scenes in the background. Apalon Apps is the developer of this application and the size of this app Varies with device. You can get weather forecasts for multiple locations worldwide with this app.
This app also provides highly functional and important information like wind direction, wind speed, humidity, visibility, precipitation, and pressure. All this information is very important when it comes to planning a hiking trip because the weather plays a very important role in outdoor activities. A well-planned hiking trip can be the difference between life and death out on unknown terrain. This app also provides information about rain patterns all over the world. There is also an animated weather radar available in this app and allows the user to gain precise information. The only downside of this app is; there is no free version available for this app. You have to pay money to use this app.
OS MapFinder
This is one of the best hiking apps you will find in the play store, and this app allows customers to download a digital version of their paper map, and view and subscribe to see all of the GB Ordnance Survey maps. This app has a free and paid version. This is an award-winning app and won the Digital Product of the year 2017 by the Outdoor Industry Association. With this app, you can search for road maps by place name, postcode, or address, which is very convenient. This application works offline so you don’t require an internet connection to access this app.
This is an excellent app when it comes to planning and tracking a hiking route. This app offers the highest quality and highest resolution maps available to its user. Users have to purchase before they can download these maps. This app also offers the trail marking and tracking features so you don’t get lost in the woods. Ordnance Survey Ltd has developed this app and it is very lightweight. The size of this app is only 8.9 MB.
National Parks by Chimani
This is an excellent app developed by Chimani and one of the best-rated apps in the Travel & Local category. In fact, this app is better than the National Geographic app. This app is available on both iOS and Android platforms. This app contains information about every unit within the US National Park Service. This app provides an impressive experience and has an exploratory game. Every time you visit a unit, you will get the point. You can also earn different badges for every park you visit. All these make outdoor exploration fun and challenging.
This app has a gallery of pictures that are beautiful and provide remarkable information about potential places to explore. So with this app, you will get an idea about the place you will be visiting, which is very convenient. This app gives the user access to a GPS-enabled map that works perfectly without an internet connection. Unlike other hiking apps, this app provides a professionally voiced 45-minute automated tour.
Peak Finder
Peak Finder is developed by Fabio Soldati, and it is a very lightweight app. The size of this app is only 2.2 MB. This is an excellent app for mountaineers and people who want to explore. This app contains information about over 350,000 peaks in the world. To use this app you have to hold your camera up to the view and the app will give you information about the landscapes. If you are visiting a mountain that you don’t know, this app will give you all the information about it.
The developer of this app has used panoramic technology, and it let the user to show a 360-degree view of the landscape. This feature makes this app stand out among other hiking apps available in the market. If you are new to hiking this app will give easy access to many mountains. The best part of this app is; you can use it offline so you don’t have to worry about the internet connection while you are in the middle of the mountains or a valley. Another amazing feature of this app is it provides images of peaks in the range of 300km/200mil.
Google Maps Offline
Google Maps Offline is a very popular app available in the play store, and it is from Google. This app is free of cost and it is used as a GPS navigation system all over the world. For this app, Google is working on the “Google Trek element.” With this new feature, you will be able to search for places on Google maps offline without any internet connection. Moreover, you will get directions to places offline too, which is very convenient. The size of this app varies with the device.
This app offers a mapping system, 360-degree panoramic views of streets, satellite imagery, route planning and also tells you the traffic condition. With all the extensive list of features, Google Maps stands as the most prominent navigation app in the business. Another feature that makes this app stand out among the other apps is the easy audio directions. Once the offline feature of Google becomes available to people, this app will give other navigation apps a run for their money.
First Aid
This is an excellent app for outdoor enthusiasts. It puts first aid on your phone. First Aid app provides instructions for emergencies. This app provides various videos and instructions for different medical emergencies. You will find medical instructions for emergencies like bleeding, concussions, asthma attacks and others that require quick medical care or situations where it will take time for professionals to arrive. Moreover, this app will provide safety tips on various natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, etc.
This app also provides advice on what precautions you should take in various natural disasters. The best part of this app is; it also works offline so you don’t have to worry about any net connection. To make this app interesting, there are quizzes available to enhance your knowledge. You can also earn points, badges and learn life-saving information. For USA users, this app provides easy access to 911 and poison control.
RunGo
RunGo is a running app that offers turn-by-turn voice directions for thousands of running routes, races, and city tours. This app will let you discover new running routes in any area, which is very convenient if you are new to the area or traveling new places. The best part of this app is you can create your own route on the mobile app or on the web app. You can download the routes and once they are downloaded, you can access them offline.
This is an excellent hiking app, and you can use it for hiking in the woods or in a route where the trail wasn’t known in Google Maps. The voice navigation works in the background so you can listen to your music at the same time when you are using the app. The voice will alert you when you are approaching a turn or you are off the route. This app also shows notification for every kilometer you have traveled and and estimated finishing time for your route.
Final Thoughts
If you are a frequent outdoor activist, then a hiking app is an ideal choice for you. Most of the hiking apps we have mentioned above are available in a free version, and they offer the most features that make them the best hiking apps. So download an app that suits your requirements and start exploring nature.
Last update on 2023-09-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
