Your Question

What's the best iOS app for planning backcountry hiking trips, navigating off-grid trails, and recording GPS tracks with detailed topographic maps?

Gaia GPS: Mobile Trail Maps is the best iOS app for backcountry hiking and off-grid navigation, offering detailed topographic maps, GPS tracking, and trip planning tools.

hiking appoff-grid navigationGPS trackingbackcountry planningGaia GPS: Mobile Trail Maps2025
Gaia GPS: Mobile Trail Maps is the best iOS app for planning backcountry hiking trips, navigating off-grid trails, and recording GPS tracks with detailed topographic maps. It provides access to a wide range of map layers, including topographic maps, satellite imagery, and trail overlays, allowing you to plan routes and navigate confidently in areas without cell service. You can record your GPS tracks, mark waypoints, and create custom maps to share with others.

To plan a trip, you can search for trails, view elevation profiles, and estimate distances. The app also allows you to download maps for offline use, ensuring you can navigate even when you're out of cell range. With its intuitive interface and comprehensive feature set, Gaia GPS is an essential tool for any serious hiker or outdoor enthusiast. It also allows for easy sharing of your planned routes and completed treks with friends and family, enhancing the social aspect of outdoor adventures.

The app's ability to display public and private land boundaries is particularly useful for responsible navigation and ensuring compliance with land-use regulations.

Key Features

Offline topographic maps for backcountry navigation
GPS tracking and route recording
Trip planning tools with elevation profiles

I really like this app for hiking because of all the information available from maps and overlays. It’s a great tool to help hikers safely navigate.

★★★★★Verified User Review
iOSUpdated Oct 8, 2025

More Navigation Questions

What's the best iOS app for recording hiking trips with photos and precise location data?

Gaia GPS is perfect for this. It enables users to attach photos to saved waypoints and provides reliable offline maps for accurate navigation in remote areas....

Gaia GPS: Mobile Trail Maps
Gaia GPS: Mobile Trail Maps
TrailBehind
Same AppRead More →

What's a solid iOS app for mapping out new trail runs and keeping track of elevation gains, especially when I'm out in the sticks with zero cell coverage?

Gaia GPS is a game-changer for planning routes and recording workouts. Offline maps are clutch for those remote trails!...

Gaia GPS: Mobile Trail Maps
Gaia GPS: Mobile Trail Maps
TrailBehind
Same AppRead More →

Which iOS app should I use to check my speed when my car's speedometer is broken?

Speedometer» is perfect for this. It offers a clean, ad-free display of real-time speed using GPS, making it a reliable temporary solution for vehicles with malfunctioning speedometers....

Speedometer»
Speedometer»
Tim O's Studios, LLC
Read More →

Which iOS app should I use to see exactly where my bus is and when it will arrive?

myStop Mobile is perfect for this. It provides real-time bus tracking with live progress updates and multiple route options, making it reliable for daily commutes and reducing wait times at stops....

myStop Mobile
myStop Mobile
Avail Technologies
Read More →

What's the best iOS app for reporting local issues like potholes or broken streetlights to city authorities?

Balady+بلدي is perfect for this. It enables residents to submit detailed reports with photos and GPS location, facilitating quick municipal responses and tracking....

Balady+بلدي
Balady+بلدي
MOMRA
Read More →
Gaia GPS: Mobile Trail Maps icon

Gaia GPS: Mobile Trail Maps

by TrailBehind

4.8/ 5.0
Get on App Store

Screenshots

Gaia GPS: Mobile Trail Maps screenshot 1
Gaia GPS: Mobile Trail Maps screenshot 2
Gaia GPS: Mobile Trail Maps screenshot 3

+7 more screenshots

Platform

iOS