What is the best Online and offline offroad GPS mapping App for USA and Canada

[Senior FJ]

I want to keep things as simple as possible just give me the pavement to start and the trails off of the pavement so that i can map out a off-road trip
I am new to the world of off-road overlanding and looking forward to adventures and not to have the starting point of mapping it out all too complicated therefore fustration right at the get go
I am software savy to a point
I live in Montreal Canada therefore eastern Canada
I am well aware that the eastern North America off road wise is not as well developed off as the western part of the continent by what i see in the app world of things

 

[MadMedic]

I want to keep things as simple as possible just give me the pavement to start and the trails off of the pavement so that i can map out a off-road trip

Good morning, I dont' have a lot of experience with the apps and GPS, but these are two I have played around with for hiking. Browse between the sites and see if they fit your wants. There are subscription services along with some free features.

Avenza Maps App
Avenza Maps - Mobile Maps

Gaia GPS App
Gaia GPS: Navigate, Track, and Explore

John

 

[pcstockton]

GAIA

 

[KAIONE]

All of them together. GAIA, OnX, the OB maps, google maps, google earth, a GPS, any Nat. Park, Forrest or Park app, paper maps, road maps; any and all of it. It’s all information and the more you have the better you can make an informed decision for where you want/need to go or what you’re trying to accomplish.

OnX and Gaia are $140 a year combined cost, I believe. $11.67/month is not a lot for that much information. Especially if you’re going somewhere that you’re risking your vehicle and maybe your life, which some of us know could be a few miles from home.

My $.02; I use them all before heading out.

 

[mwilson920]

I like Gaia and Trails Offroad. I can find trails on Trails offroad and download them to Gaia I also use Avenza

 

[Mad Garden Gnome]

Best? Ask 100 people, get 100 different answers. Look for experiences on this site that match your needs and try that software.

 

[Red_Leaf_Overland]

For Ontario I usually use a combination of Google Earth, Crown Land Atlas, and GPS. ill find a spot on Google earth that looks good, check on the Crown Land Atlas to make sure its not private property, and then punch the coordinates into my phone or GPS and head out. crossing borders I generally have a set destination planned so there isn't any research involved and same goes for when have traveled into Quebec.

 

[Jim SoG]

I use and love the OB1 app, it has so many features and is being improved/added to all the time, Many many features all in 1 app.
It is avail for Apple and Android.
Check it our or ask about it and it's abilities, you will be surprised.

Jim

 

[DaPyrate]

I have been using Gaia a long time and it works for planing, recording, and sharing. I just purchased the expedition level of OB1 because I think it will be a better app but for now I will be using both.

 

[Michael Golden]

I want to keep things as simple as possible just give me the pavement to start and the trails off of the pavement so that i can map out a off-road trip
I am new to the world of off-road overlanding and looking forward to adventures and not to have the starting point of mapping it out all too complicated therefore fustration right at the get go
I am software savy to a point
I live in Montreal Canada therefore eastern Canada
I am well aware that the eastern North America off road wise is not as well developed off as the western part of the continent by what i see in the app world of things

Without a doubt Gaia (Premium) and Lifestyle Overland has a excellent video explaining how to use it.

 

[Coreymol]

Ive been debating getting Gaia because it seems to be the "standard" but Im also interested with how well the OB1 app works but I havent seen much on it.

 

[Mid State Overland]

I want to keep things as simple as possible just give me the pavement to start and the trails off of the pavement so that i can map out a off-road trip
I am new to the world of off-road overlanding and looking forward to adventures and not to have the starting point of mapping it out all too complicated therefore fustration right at the get go
I am software savy to a point
I live in Montreal Canada therefore eastern Canada
I am well aware that the eastern North America off road wise is not as well developed off as the western part of the continent by what i see in the app world of things

There is no one map the will do it all, my maps choice is google for on road nav, Gaia on a stand alone I pad because most of our group members also use it and it works and is easy to share maps and waypoints with when off road, Overland Bound app on my phone, Onyx hunt to verify that I'm on public land when setting up camp.

 

[Michael Golden]

Ive been debating getting Gaia because it seems to be the "standard" but Im also interested with how well the OB1 app works but I havent seen much on it.

I have the Gaia Premium and love it. I also have the "free" iOverlander and use both together. In iOverlander If you find an item or location that you are interested in you can click on the small i with a circle around it and have Gaia open on that location.
I don't think you will ever find an app that does everything. Try and find apps that work well together.

 

[Coreymol]

Great tip. Thank you! I’m all about efficiency. And using the best tools for the job. And I always forget about iOverlander thanks again!

 

[Sparksalot]

 

[RJ Howell]

I go between Gaia and iOverlander as of now. Gaia'a cost has gone way up since they were bought out, so I'm researching alternatives. OB1 has a long way to go to catch up to the big boys out there, once there.. then I'll debate the cost..

Leadnav is a real GPS tool and the basic version is a one time affordable cost. Issue I'm seeing there is the basic doesn't do offline maps.. Please correct me if wrong about this!
Leadnav

 

[Ubiety]

Having web and app interfaces that sync data are important to me; web for planning trips on the computer at home and app for executing trips. Absence of offline maps is a non-starter. I use Gaia (premium); it is definitely not perfect but it supports both web and app interfaces / data sync, is stable and (mostly) does one thing and is good at it. The premium subscription provides a plethora of map types as well which I find to be very valuable.

 

[SJ.Overland]

I use them all, as they all do certain aspects better in my experiance. Gaia is probably my most heavily used. But I'm starting to use the OB1 app more and more. It's not quite caught up with Gaia yet, but it's getting there.

 

[SteeevO]

Lowrance GPS units are extremely popular in the UTV and Offroad racing world, has anyone in here played with them much?

 

[BanthaOverland]

The experience of having 12 different apps is familiar. Over the years, I've used a bunch of apps for different purposes - Google Maps (satellite maps), Gaia (topo maps, pins, forest fires), Trails Off Road (trails), Overland Trail Guides (trails) etc.

That said, I've recently been almost exclusively using onX Offroad for the past few years. To me, it strikes a balance between all these other apps with just enough to plan a trip and navigate while on the trail. It has reliable iOS / Android / web apps. It has topo and satellite maps with recent 3D tilt, imagery, layers (smoke, fire, weather, etc), and offline maps. And perhaps most importantly, it has 10,000+ guided trails with difficulty ratings, descriptions, photos, and user reports. Over time, I've appreciated having that all-in-one app vs having to switch between a bunch of apps.