If you’re an avid outdoorsman or just someone who enjoys spending time in nature, you’ll definitely want to check out these top-rated free outdoor apps for Android. These apps offer a range of features to help you plan and navigate your next adventure, from trail maps and weather forecasts to trip planning tools and more. Whether you’re hiking, biking, camping, or just taking a leisurely stroll, these apps will help you make the most of your time outside. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the best free outdoor apps for Android!
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10 Best Free Outdoor Apps For Android
Below is a compiled list of 10 Best Free Outdoor Apps For Android for your consideration, which have undergone rigorous testing and evaluation by our team of experts.
1. AllTrails: Hike, Bike & Run
AllTrails can be your companion and guide to the outdoors, no matter whether you hike, bike, run, or walk. Detailed reviews and inspiration from a community of trail-goers can be found on the app. Outdoor adventures can be planned, lived, and shared with AllTrails. More than a running app or fitness activity tracker, AllTrails is built on the idea that the outside is a part of us all. Custom route planning can help search for dog-friendly, kid-friendly, stroller-friendly, or wheelchair-friendly trails, and more. Trails for workout planners, hikers, walkers, mountain bikers, trail runners, and casual cyclists can be found on AllTrails. An annual subscription to AllTrails+ can provide more tools for more adventures, including offline maps, wrong-turn alerts, and extra safety and planning features.
2. Avenza Maps: Offline Mapping
Avenza Maps is an app that is perfect for hiking, biking, and all trails. Maps from professional publishers, including National Geographic, can be found in the largest mobile Map Store. Custom maps can also be imported and used offline with GPS during adventures. This app is free and offers subscriptions for more features. Users can enhance their maps with various tools such as locating their GPS position, recording GPS tracks, and adding photos and notes to specific locations. Avenza Maps Plus and Avenza Maps Pro are also available for recreational and professional users who require an offline mapping solution. The app offers support and can be connected through various social media platforms.
3. Cairn: Hiking & Outdoor Safety
Cairn is a tool that can help outdoor adventurers get home safely. Plans can be easily shared with loved ones, and important stats like distance, elevation gain, and ETA can be recorded and saved. The app also includes features like live tracking, notifications for safety contacts, and rescue advice. Cairn has been named one of the best map apps for navigating the wilderness by Outside Magazine. Cell coverage spots can be found and topo maps can be downloaded for offline use. Cairn is easy to set up, open to anyone, and flexible for various outdoor pursuits. Feedback can be given through email at adventure@cairnme.com.
4. FarOut
The most reliable navigational guide app for long-distance exploration is FarOut. With over 200 hiking, biking, whitewater rafting, and paddling navigational guides around the world, FarOut provides trusted, official trail data even when offline. It also has a Check-in feature to keep loved ones informed of your whereabouts. FarOut Unlimited offers access to all navigational guides, covering over 50,000 miles, with monthly, annual, and 6-month Season Pass plans available. FarOut has extensive coverage in popular long-distance routes worldwide and partners with trail organizations, book authors, and publishers to provide official, up-to-date trail data. Download FarOut today and join the hundreds of thousands of adventure enthusiasts who have already experienced its benefits.
5. FATMAP: Ski, Hike, Bike
The outdoors can be explored with FATMAP, which offers the world’s most powerful 3D map for activities like skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and trail running. The interactive summer and winter maps showcase official trails and the latest activities from the FATMAP community. With an easy-to-use route creator, planning a perfect day is simple. The terrain can be checked out with gradient, aspect, and avalanche layers, ensuring safety on the trail. FATMAP’s innovative 3D flythrough allows sharing of adventures with friends and family. The app is free to use, and additional layers, topographic maps, and exclusive offers can be unlocked for a one-off annual fee. Technical support is available at support@fatmap.com.
6. Gaia GPS: Offroad Hiking Maps
Scenic hike trails, camping sites, and offroad routes can be discovered with Gaia GPS. Nature lovers can backpack, hike, or camp with easy-to-read maps and breathtaking routes. The best backcountry navigator app, Gaia GPS, offers features such as offline maps, route planner, and distance tracker to navigate picturesque routes. The app is featured in publications like the New York Times, Washington Post, and GearJunkie. Gaia Topo is the ultimate wilderness navigator that includes altitude, elevation, and distance tracker for each activity. The app is perfect for outdoor professionals to mark hiking trails, routes, campgrounds, and water sources. The subscription-based app is part of the Outside Inc, family.
7. Geocaching®
The official Geocaching® app allows users to join the world’s largest community of creative hiders and outdoor seekers. With over 3 million hidden geocache containers worldwide, users can join an active community of outdoor explorers creating, sharing, and playing the game of geocaching. Geocaches are created and shared by passionate people who enjoy hiding treasures, seeking adventure, and sharing creative hiding spots all over the world. The app allows users to browse maps to discover hidden cache locations nearby and navigate using GPS-enabled directions to within 30 feet of the cache. Geocaches come in various shapes, sizes, and types, and the cache owners include logbooks for successful finds. Geocaching Premium enables access to all geocaches and extra features for a personalized experience. The subscription can be bought through the user’s Google Play account.
8. Google Earth
The whole world can be explored from above with satellite imagery and 3D terrain of the entire globe and 3D buildings in hundreds of cities around the world. Your house or any other location can be zoomed in on, and a 360° perspective with Street View can be obtained. Voyager, a collection of guided tours from BBC Earth, NASA, National Geographic, and others, offers a new perspective on the world. The immersive maps and stories created with Google Earth on the web can now be visualized on mobile devices.
9. Google Maps
Google Maps can help you navigate the world easily and quickly. With over 220 countries and territories mapped and millions of businesses and places on the map, you can get real-time GPS navigation, traffic, and transit information. You can explore local neighborhoods by knowing where to eat, drink, and go, no matter where you are in the world. Real-time updates help you beat traffic with real-time ETAs and traffic conditions, catch your bus, train, or ride-share with real-time transit info, and save time with automatic rerouting based on live traffic, incidents, and road closures. Discover local restaurants, events, and activities that matter to you, and know what’s trending and new in your area. You can also create lists of your favorite places and share them with friends, and follow must-try places recommended by local experts, Google, and publishers. Additional features include offline maps, street view and indoor imagery, and indoor maps to quickly find your way inside big places like airports, malls, and stadiums. Some features may not be available in all countries, and the navigation feature is not intended for use by oversized or emergency vehicles.
10. Hiking Project
Comprehensive guide to the best hikes near you, wherever you are, is provided by Hiking Project. Full GPS route info, elevation profiles, interactive features, photos, and more are offered like a printed map. The best featured hikes to explore are suggested by local experts either near your current location or in an area you search for. The highlights, challenging features, and insights you need to plan a great day on the trails are shown. Over 74,000 miles of trail can be found to hike with your crew and new trails are constantly added to the incredibly detailed hiking database. Your exact location is shown on the trail and downloaded trails work offline for when you’re off the grid. High-resolution photos and detailed topographical trail maps can be enjoyed. The to-do list and check-ins on HikingProject.com can be synced with. The location on trails and vertical profiles can be shown by using GPS. Battery life can be dramatically decreased by continued use of GPS running in the background.