For many of us, getting out into nature offers a welcome break from our devices — an opportunity to put down our phones and enjoy the sounds, smells, and sights of the great outdoors.
But, although we are full supporters of screen-free nature time, the smartphones we carry around in our pockets day-in and day-out can also become useful tools for outdoor exploration. Whether it’s a digital map that helps you find the best route for your very first backpacking trip or a fitness tracker that connects you with like-minded folks in your area, there are countless apps available to help you enrich your time outside.
While no app out there can replace the rugged feel of a classic topo map or the enriching experience of an outdoor-preparedness course, many apps today are incredibly valuable tools for the modern adventurer. Here are eight of our favorite outdoor apps with explanations about why we find ourselves opening them again and again.
Free base version for Android and iOS; Pro level with fee
What it does: With access to more than 300,000 trail guides, AllTrails makes it easy to find and choose a route for hiking, biking, snowshoeing, and more. You can filter routes by 11 categories, including activity type, difficulty, and location to ensure you’ve found the right trail for your needs. If you come across a route that you want to keep in mind for next time, you can save it to a list to try later on.
Why we love it: Heading out for a hike but not sure if you should bring gaiters? Want to find a horse trail blooming with wildflowers? AllTrails encourages users to leave route reviews and share pictures, so it’s easy to scroll through recent trip reports to find out about trail conditions. We also love that with an AllTrails Pro subscription you can download or print maps for offline access.
Free base version for Android and iOS; Pro level with fee
What it does: Originally designed for cyclists to better prepare for changing weather conditions along their rides, Epic Ride Weather provides hyper-localized weather forecasts for hikers, bikers, and runners. By connecting to your route in popular apps such as Strava, Komoot, Runkeeper, and others, Epic Ride Weather provides details about the weather on every section of your route based on the start time, duration of your ride, and your pace.
Why we love it: How many times have you left your extra layer behind because the weather report looked pretty good? How many times have you overdressed for a hike and then ended up carrying around your jacket, your kids’ jacket, and your dog's jacket? We love that Epic Ride Weather helps us dress for success when it comes to outdoor adventures by providing accurate weather predictions and helping us choose the best time of day to tackle our route.
Free base version for Android and iOS; Pro level with fee
What it does: Born from a desire to make camping more accessible for everyone, the Dyrt helps campers in the United States find the right camp spot to fit their needs. Whether you’re looking for a campground with ADA showers or a beautiful spot for dispersed camping, the Dyrt’s rich camping database and useful filters make it a cinch to locate good options in your area. (If you’re interested in using the app for dispersed camping, we’d recommend springing for the Pro version.)
Why we love it: When you find a campsite in the app worth considering, you can explore basic information about the campground and the location, as well as user-shared reviews and images. These first-hand accounts help bring the locations to life, making it easy to choose a camp location with confidence — and find that awesome nearby swimming hole everyone mentions.
Free base version for Android and iOS; Pro level with fee
What it does: Created with runners and cyclists in mind, Strava is a fitness-tracking app that records your speed, distance, route, and more. But that’s not all it can do. Strava also has a robust social aspect, encouraging users to connect, create and share challenges, and give each other kudos for well-done sections. The app also has leaderboards and achievements that inspire friendly competition among users.
Why we love it: In addition to runs and rides, Strava lets you track a bunch of other activities, including kayaking, skiing, and swimming. If you don’t always feel like sharing every activity with the whole Strava community, it’s easy to adjust privacy settings so only you or your followers can follow along on your outdoor escapades.
Free base version for Android and iOS; Pro level with fee
What it does: Most hikers are familiar with cairns, those stacked-rock formations used to mark the right way to go when a trail isn’t clear. Consider the Cairn app a digital version of those stone piles — a guide when you need it most. It’s a hiking safety app that lets you download maps for offline use and share location updates or alerts with your safety circle back home. It also utilizes crowdsourced data to help you find cell coverage along your route.
Why we love it: Cairn brings peace of mind to outdoor adventures. We especially love it for backpacking and solo trips where sharing your itinerary with someone back home is a must. Cairn lets you share your trip plan with your preselected safety contacts prior to heading out and even automatically alerts them if you’re overdue.
Free base version for Android and iOS; Pro level with fee
What it does: Whether you’re simply trying to get out more often for neighborhood walks or you want to take your walking to new fitness levels, MapMyWalk makes it easy to get started. Not only does it record distance, pace, elapsed time, and calories burned, it also lets you save favorite routes or select routes that other users have done and enjoyed.
Why we love it: When you start using the MapMyWalk app, you become part of a large community of walkers and other athletes. We love that users can connect with each other, share routes and results, and support fellow walkers through challenges, feedback, and words of encouragement.
Free for Android and iOS
What it does: Accidents can happen, and if they do, the American Red Cross First Aid app provides basic first aid information on how to treat injuries, burns, and other medical emergencies. From bee stings to broken bones, you can access information and treatment plans in two different modes: the "Learn" mode, which provides in depth info, and the “Emergency” mode, which offers concise first aid instructions.
Why we love it: You never know when you might need to administer first aid, which is why we love that the app allows you to access preloaded content even without cell reception or Internet access.
Free for Android and iOS
What it does: Using your phone’s camera, this stargazing app guides you to your location and helps you identify stars and constellations in the sky above. It even lets you see what the stars looked like in the past and how they might change in the future!
Why we love it: This is a must-have when camping and your kids want to know which constellation or planet is shining brightly above. Since you might be camping, hiking, or boating out of WiFi range, we love that it doesn’t need a data signal or GPS to work.
Exploring the outdoors has changed a lot since the days of external-framed backpacks and waxed-canvas pup tents. The technology we now carry around in our pockets would have been unimaginable to most folks back then. Although apps should never be the only thing you rely on for navigation or survival, many of them offer helpful advice, allow us to connect with others, and enrich our outdoors experiences.
