Best offroad map app?

I was wondering what everyone was using for an app for offroad and overlanding? I've heard of Gaia GPS but am looking for the opinions of the real experts. You guys and gals.

 

Watching.

 

I was given a trial subscription to Gaia GPS as part of some activities with the Expedition Utah Overland Skills Camp last year, and I really like it. I plan to start paying for it when my trial ends.

It's fast, has attractive graphics, and a good user interface. Lots of ways to overlay data for different views, and ways to download content locally for use when out of range.

Here's their logo so you'll see the right one in your app store.

 

I pay for the premium GAIA GPS subscription.

The multiple overlays with transparency are amazing.

 

Wow. I’m always surprised when people recommend GAIA. I must not be using it correctly because I find it very difficult to use and even harder to find routes. The app is even worse than the web interface. Idk. It’s ok but I feel like it could be way better.

 

I used to have the free gaia, liked it enough to go premium. I work for the forest service and the app has helped me navigate the back roads (some roads are missing from the USFS layer and MVUM layer-still great though) the public land layer is probably my fav.
Gaia is worth it

 

I use GAIA GPS and have enjoyed using it. Lots of features in the premium version which I went ahead and snagged since we do a lot of trail hiking as well as exploring in the FJ and Tacoma

 

It takes some getting used to.

My wife is way better with it than me, she is my navigator.

Every time I open it and look at the tracks she has way points and shit all setup with water crossings labeled. Hard obstacles labeled. Here I thought she just looked out the window when we wheel. She is putting in work

 

Gaia works OK for me, but I prefer OnX Offroad or just pinning locations on Google maps and then routing myself to them manually.

 

Is there one you like better?

 

Looks like Gaia has the votes so far.

 

I have Gaia premium. Used it to mark property boundaries with neighbors, also to mark and have record all the trails I build on my land for hikers in the future and friends who come by, and so I know how much I've done!

I use it 4wheeling, to keep track of where I went incase I get lost. I use it skiing to see how fast I got on the last run, and a few other useful tidbits.

I went to AZ (from MA) and used it to find all the local hiking trails and it went great.

Very happy with it.

 

I like OnX better. GAIA seems to be filled with a bunch of garbage where people tracked themselves around their neighborhood on a bicycle. Most good tracks are a pain to find unless you know exactly who created it.

 

I tend to use them for tracking myself or finding the fastest access to a coordinate set. For that, I'm a big fan of Gaia for iOS: the Android version is much less capable. Garmin Explore is ~ on par with Android Gaia but below iOS Gaia.

AllTrails is easy for well established routes, and I'll utilize offline Google Maps and Topo as well. If you're pre-planning, CalTopo is great for printed maps or Google Earth for building routes.

Seen OnX from the hunting side but don't currently run it: lots of capability there as well.

 

I've never checked out OnX. I'll have to give it a spin. Admittedly GAIA can be cumbersome to use and, I agree, I hate when people have left garbage routes public. I do like some of the features and layering. We use it for being able to easily pull in WMA layers and public/private land layers.

 

I have Gaia on my iPhone. I’ve never really been able to find a trail on it. I had a trial membership for Gaia Pro but it seemed useless to me. I’ve looked for a couple well known trails and I couldn’t find them on the app.

 

A friend of mine in the San Diego area sent me a link to alltrails.com. He's used it to explore some of the OHV trails in the Borrego Springs area. For one of those "community" sites, which I'm generally not a fan of, this one seems OK. I haven't spent enough time on it to offer a first-hand recommendation, but for those of you with the energy and interest, it might be worth exploring.

https://www.alltrails.com/explore/t...on-via-fish-creek-wash?ref=sidebar-static-map

 

Everyone I know uses onx.

I use backcountry navigator premium w/boundary upgrade.

Love it!

I checked out onx and gaia...

Great programs but bcn works for me and Im used to it.
Downloadable and entire state/region maps do it for me. No service required if you download and save maps before you go.

Theres a learning curve on all, just find your favorite and learn it.
Indispensible imo

Still carry paper maps and use google earth also.

 

I used Backcountry Navigator on my android phone on our last trip. It accurately tracked where we went, but there were no previous tracks uploaded for the area we went. I am a noob at using navigation apps, but am getting the hang of it. I did like that i was able to download maps of where we were going beforehand, as there was no cell service there and the app functioned perfectly.

I wonder if i could project from my phone onto the head unit in the truck?

Throwing another option out there to consider.

Happy Trails!

: )B

 

one more vote for Gaia here... takes some time to configure to your liking, but its well worth it with the amount of overlays.