Mobile apps have become the way of the future for a variety of industries and communities, and the hiking world is no different. Though many hikers venture into the wilderness to escape technology, the reality is that there are now several apps designed to supplement the experience without becoming too distracting.
If you are ready to give your next hike a tech boost, here are some of the most helpful apps currently on the market.
The Mountain Collector app has been described as “Google Maps for peak baggers,” and for good reason. The app is an easy-to-use listing of nearby mountains, complete with mountain-specific stats, routes, websites. A checklist feature allows users to check off mountains that they have already conquered.
MapMyHike’s name is fairly self-explanatory. The app is dually aimed at weight loss tracking and hike mapping, providing a split view of burned calories, nutritional statistics, and map content to keep users en route to their destination. The app’s MVP plan introduces features like heart rate analysis and personal training plans.
Another self-explanatory app, AllTrails literally provides insight to nearly all the trails surrounding a user’s location. Over 50,000 US and Canadian trails are represented, and with over 3.5 million downloads to date, the app enjoys a large following amongst hikers and other adventure seekers. The app is offered in both a free and member version, with the latter providing access to National Geographic Maps and printable maps.
Park Maps aims specifically at trails and other hiking locations contained in state parks, giving users information on trail heads, camping sites, and attractions and scenic points on trails. While details vary from park to park, this useful insight is sure to maximize one’s time exploring a park that may be unfamiliar or overwhelmingly large.
Regarded as one of the most accurate GPS hiking apps on the market, the Trail Tracker GPS app encapsulates a variety of trail-based activities transcending hiking alone. Hikers, runners, cyclists, and walkers alike will enjoy the app’s features, which range from PR sharing to color-coded mapping functionality.