15 Best Hiking apps for Android and iPhone 2023

Hiking apps are the best way to start your hiking journey and go out somewhere else and take a break from your normal routine.

Walking and hiking are great ways to exercise, release stress and go somewhere out and explore the outdoor world and disconnect from the digital world in that journey hiking apps will help you.

Hiking apps will make it easy to decide where to go for hiking and they will recommend the best outdoor places to hike.

There are plenty of different hiking apps and I have gathered the 15 best hiking apps for you that are free to use.

1. AllTrails 

AllTrails is the best hiking app worldwide with great different features and is very easy to use by beginners.

Here you need to just install the all trail app and in just a few phone taps it will find you curated hiking, biking, and running trails for various lengths and difficulty levels. 

It lets you create customer trail maps, follow friends’ activities and read trail reviews from its user community.

AllTrails Features:

• Easy to navigate
• Easily find your curated hiking, biking, and running trails
• You can create trail maps
• Follow friends activities
• Offline off-route/3D navigation,

2. Gaia GPS

Gaia GPS is one of the most popular and best hiking apps around the globe because of its great navigation which can be easily used by users.

With this app, you can find and explore new trails, see and save hiking/trekking statistics, and record your routes.

One of the best features of the app is the comprehensive GPS feature, which will combine different types of maps and show you exact routes.

Gaia GPS Features:

• Makes easy for your navigation
• Offers you new trials
• GPS tracker
• Show you exact routes
• You can see and save hiking

3. Spyglass 

It is a kind of underrated hike app but in my opinion, it is also one of the best hiking apps for outdoor navigation.

This best app for hiking is not free to use,  it’s a one-time fee of $5.99 is more than palatable, and definitely worth it.

The app has different features like augmented-reality navigation, it operates on 3D, and shows you real-time objects.

Spyglass Features:

• Augmented-reality navigation
• Shows you 3D real-time objects
• GPS receiver
• Star finder
• Advanced object-location

4. Hiking Project 

If you are looking for a trail app that uses community-sourced content to help you pick and choose the perfect trail then Hiking Project is the best hiking app for you.

Here users need to submit their informations like route descriptions, images, and reviews and the house team will look for a vetted house for them.

The app will keep updated and shows you new information and more reviews it is a kind of guidebook for you.

Hiking Project Features:

• Living guidebook
• Community-sourced content
• Keeps updated
• Works offline too
• Contribution of real hikers

5. PeakFinder 

If you are budding mountaineers and mountain trekkers then thisPeakFinder app for hiking is definitely for you.

It contains information about more than 650,000 peaks all over the world and helps you identify the ones you find during your trips. 

The app is used for both hiking as well as trekking apps. It will show you from Mount Everest to that small hill you can see in the distance.

PeakFinder Features:

• Best for budding mountaineers and mountain trekkers
• Works as both hiking as well as trekking apps
• Show you small to big hills
• Offers to label and name
• 360-degree panoramic display

6. Cairn 

Cairn is the best hiking and walking route app that helps you to stay safe while on your hiking and walking journey.

You can use the app to share your real-time progress and location with family or friends for their peace of mind and yours too.

The app offers you complete plan routes by offering helpful estimates of how long you will take to complete a particular trail.

Cairn Features:

• Focuses on your safety
• You can share your real-time progress and location
• Offers you helpful estimates of how much time it will take to complete particular trail
• Notifies you in emergency
• Easy to navigate

7. FarOut

If you are looking for long-distance hiking and backpacking hiking app then FarOut is the best hiker app for you.

With over 35,000 miles of trails in its database, it’s a go-to for thru-hikes like the Pacific Crest Trail or the Appalachian Trail.

It is a free hiking app with offline maps so you can easily navigate routes through the app without any problem with internet connectivity.

FarOut Features:

• Best long-distance hiking and backpacking
• 35,000 miles of trails in its database
• Offline maps are available
• Easy to navigate
• Detailed trail information

8. Recreation.Gov

Recreation.Gov is the best trial app that offers you a platform to book tours, tickets, and permits, and also you can book campsites.

The US national parks offer ticketed tours and many tickets are bookable through the app, especially for the Fiery Furnace.

Here you can also buy the passes of America the Beautiful National Park Pass, and many more beautiful parks through the app.

Recreation.Gov Features:

• Offers you a platform to book tours, tickets, and permits
• Buy passes of America the Beautiful National Park Pass
• You can book permits or campgrounds
• Offer you ticketed ranger-led tours
• You can enter lotteries for permits

9. National Park Service

If you are a national park lover then National Park Service is the best hiking app for you that shows you different national parks.

The app provides you with all the information related to where you need to stay, tours, and even parts and amenities.

In this app, everything is available related to parks like all 423 national park units, including the 63 US national parks.

 National Park Service Features:

• Ideal for national park lovers
• Offers you information related to where to stay, tours, park amenities, and more
• 423 national parks units
• 63 US national parks
• You can create your own favorite parks list

10. Seek by iNaturalist

While trial you see so many different plants and wants an app to see the name of the plant then Seek by iNaturalist is the best hiking app for you.

It uses your camera and GPS location to identify plants and animals you encounter on the trail and show you details related to that plant.

Here you just need to snap photos using your phone camera and it will see you information related to that plant.

Seek by iNaturalist Features:

• Easy to find different plants species
• Whenever you found new species it will give badges
• Simple to use
• Simply take the photo and get the information
• GPS location

11. Google Maps

Google Maps is the one with the most impressive bandwidth of all the hiking apps available here it is not, particularly a hiking app but lets you know routes while traveling.

We use this app to plot points of interest before visiting any new place this wayThe highlight of Komoot is its turn-by-turn voice navigation you will not miss anything.

Here you can also access offline maps but first, you need to download the map so you need wifi or an internet connection.

Google Maps Features:

• Impressive bandwidth
• Ideal choice when traveling to new places
• Accurate routes
• Offline maps are available
• Free to use

12. Komoot 

If you are looking for the best biking app then lets you easy to navigate on roads then Komoot is the best hike app for you.

The app provides you navigation feature. This will allow you to keep your eye on the road or trail when your hands are busy.

There is a variety of different features like offline maps and online navigation, community favorites, and sync across devices.

Komoot Features:

• Ideal for biking
• Offline maps and online navigation
• A big community of users
• Sync across devices
• The first region is free to use

13. Avenza maps

Avenza maps are the most efficient and old app but in my opinion, it is one of the best GPS hike apps out there.

The app is great to use because its map coverage is so extensive and the maps can download offline without any worry.

But you need to download the maps to use them offline then you can use them and it also tracks your locations.

Avenza maps Features:

• Ideal for GPS tracking
• Map coverage is extensive
• You can download maps offline
• Tracks you locations
• See private land vs public land

14. Outdoor Active

If you want a variety of different features like navigation, challenges, and trial then Outdoor active is the best hike app for you.

The best part about this app is that you can integrate it with the apple watch and apple health and also available with navigation features.

It has also a big trial database so get a variety of different impressive features so it will easily so you challenge, navigations.

Outdoor active Features:

• Navigation is availbale
• Offers you challenges
• Integrate with apple watch and apple health
• Trial database
• Travel guides

15. FATMAP

If you are a ski lover and ski adventurous then FATMAP is the best hiking app for 2022 it provides navigation features for skiing.

It will also track ski lines and bike routes along with the hikes so you will not forget the routes.

In this biking or ski app, the maps are available offline and in 3D so it becomes easy to track your locations and know where are you right now.

FATMAP Features:

• Ideal for ski lovers
• Navigation features are available
• Tracks your ski lines and bike routes
• Maps are available offline
• 3D objects