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Customize Paper Maps with Gaia GPS

by Julien Friedland
written by Julien Friedland

Customize paper maps using the new print preview screen on gaiagps.com. Now you can quickly create and adjust selections before printing and be sure that your entire route is captured and easy to read. Additionally, maps can be exported as PDFs and will print in a higher resolution with a more reliable magnetic declination indicator.

Easily Adjust Map Orientation and Size

The new printing interface allows you to see an exact mock-up of the printed map, making it easy to fine-tune your preferred orientation, and size. New border parameters enable you to click and drag the map and zoom in and out to fit the selection of your customized paper map.

Orientation: Toggle between landscape and portrait to view which orientation best fits the map selection. Swapping between different views requires fewer adjustments and makes it easy to see which orientation will be easiest to read when you’re holding the map on route.

Sizing: Choose from six printing size options ranging from letter size (8.5×11) to A2 (16.5×24). Measurements for each map size appear when making a selection, for quick reference.

New Magnetic Declination Indicator

The magnetic declination indicator has been updated to consistently appear on printed maps, no matter how close to zero your magnetic declination is. This means you can always adjust your compass to increase your accuracy while navigating.

Better Resolution and Attribution

Printed maps will now print at a higher DPI and slightly better resolution. Attribution also appears in the bottom left corner of every map, clearly defining the source of the maps data.

Learn More

To access the new print preview screen, head over to the main map at gaiagps.com. To learn more about how to print your maps –including tips on layering and adding gridlines— visit the print maps online blog post or the help center.

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AndroidApp UpdatesCompany NewsGaia GPSHow-ToiOSNew FeaturesNew Maps

New Map Overlay: Explore Canada Trails with Gaia GPS

by Corey Buhay
written by Corey Buhay

Canada is home to 47 national parks and hundreds of provincial and territorial parks, all crossed and interconnected by world-class trails. Now, you can explore all of them with Gaia GPS.

Thanks to a new trails overlay from award-winning Canadian mapmaker Backroad Mapbooks (BRMB), the Gaia GPS map catalogue includes more detailed coverage of Canada than ever before. Whether you’re planning an expedition to the Arctic Circle, exploring the sky-splitting Canadian Rockies, or taking a day hike outside Montreal, the BRMB Canada Trails Overlay has you covered.

Color Coded for Route Planning at a Glance

The BRMB Canada Trails overlay includes over 70,000 miles of trail, including the country’s well-known behemoth, the 11,635-mile Trans-Canada Trail. All routes are color coded to indicate both their intended use and seasonal availability, making it easy to zero in on the destinations that are right for you.

Part of a Complete Package of Canada Maps

The addition of the BRMB Canada Trails overlay rounds out Gaia GPS’s existing rolodex of Canada maps. That collection includes ESRI World satellite imagery, precise contour line overlays (in both meters and feet), and the Canada Topo base map, in addition to the highly detailed Backroad Mapbooks Canada base map.

Adventurers in British Columbia can also access interactive overlays showing recent wildfires and timber cuts across the province for even more accurate route planning.

Available to Premium Members

The Backroad Mapbooks Trails overlay is available to Gaia GPS users with a Premium Membership both in the app and online at gaiagps.com. We recommend layering it atop the Backroad Mapbooks Canada base map for a complete and encyclopedic picture of the Canadian backcountry.

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AndroidApp UpdatesFeaturedGaia GPSHow-ToiOSNew Maps

New NatGeo Maps for Desolation Wilderness and Big Bend National Park

by Corey Buhay
written by Corey Buhay

The National Geographic Trails Illustrated layer now covers both California’s Desolation Wilderness and Texas’s Big Bend National Park.

About Desolation Wilderness

Glaciers shaped the land of Desolation Wilderness thousands of years ago, leaving the granite peaks scarred and polished and dotted with alpine lakes. Located just west of Lake Tahoe in Northern California, Desolation Wilderness is about a 3.5 hours’ drive from San Francisco and 1.5 hours from Sacramento. The area is known for its waterfalls, open landscapes, and expansive Sierra views. For that reason, Desolation is one of the most popular wilderness areas in the United States.

About Big Bend National Park

The gem of West Texas, Big Bend National Park sits along the Mexican border, centered between El Paso and San Antonio. The park contains mountain hikes, greenery-floored canyons, dirt roads winding through rocky badlands, and cactus-ringed desert springs. It also contains a number of historical and cultural sites, including those of early settlers, miners, and Native Americans. Fossils and dinosaur bones have been found in the area, as well.

How to Use the NatGeo Illustrated Layer

Available with a Premium Membership, the NatGeo Illustrated layer lies within the United States section of the map manager. Simply click the plus sign to add the layer to your map, then download the area of your choice for offline use.

To further build out your itinerary, find hikes in either Desolation Wilderness or Big Bend National Park by using the Hike Search feature. Just tap the “Discover” tab in the app or “Hikes” in the menu on gaiagps.com to get started.

Want NatGeo maps but not a Premium member? Subscribe to Gaia GPS Premium or Premium with Outside+ here.

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AndroidApp UpdatesCompany NewsFeaturedGaia GPSiOSNew Features

Introducing Hike Search: Easily Discover and Save Hikes Anywhere in the World

by Angela Crampton
written by Angela Crampton

We’re thrilled to announce the release of a new, searchable, worldwide database of hiking routes across the Gaia GPS apps and website. The feature, called Hike Search, allows you to search through a continuously growing list of parks, forests, and trails to find the detailed information and maps of the best routes near you.

 

You may have already seen Hike Search in action if you’ve visited gaiagps.com recently, but now you can use it on the go by updating to the latest version of the Gaia GPS app.

Gaia GPS has always been a comprehensive tool for helping users find their way in the backcountry. With the release of Hike search, it’s now a tool for hike discovery, as well.

Download a Trail and Maps with One Tap

Tap the new Discover tab at the bottom of your screen to get started.

In the search bar, start typing the name of a place you want to explore. That can be a trail, national or state park, or nearby city. Filter your search by a hike’s ranking, time commitment, stars, difficulty, and length.

A Living, Breathing Catalog of Trails

The most exciting thing about Hike Search is that it’s a constantly evolving, living, breathing thing. All the hikes populating the database are sourced from Gaia GPS community data, and the more hikes Gaia GPS users record, the more known routes Hike Search will generate.

Gaia GPS Hike Search aggregates public tracks and information from the community and analyzes redundancies to determine which sections of trail are known to the outdoor community as hikes. As more people publish tracks and photos, Hike Search generates more known hikes, improving its own data and internal rankings for everything on the map.

Get Involved, Give Back to the Hiking Community

Anyone can edit pages for Parks, Cities, or Hikes—this means that crucial information is sourced directly from locals, or people who’ve experienced a hike or area firsthand. As more people add their edits and trips reports, we figure Hike Search will become the most accurate and up-to-date trail database in the world—a Wikipedia for hikes.

Read here for more information on how you can get involved.

You can also contribute to the project by marking your tracks to public to see your adventures influence the course of this new resource, or leave a Trip Report for hikes you’ve done.

We welcome your feedback. Send a note to support@gaiagps.com with any questions, or just to let us know what you think.

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AndroidApp UpdatesFeaturedGaia GPSHuntingiOSNew FeaturesNew Maps

Streamline Your Navigation with the Satellite Topo Base Map

by Corey Buhay
written by Corey Buhay

Combine the best features of the Gaia Topo base map with ESRI world satellite imagery on a single, easy-to-use layer. Ideal for everything from planning backcountry ski tours to scouting off-trail routes up desert washes, the new Satellite Topo map promises to become Gaia GPS’s most versatile base map yet.

The seamless marriage of satellite imagery and clear contour lines gives backcountry skiers an accurate picture of avalanche slide paths, and lets backpackers and overlanders view tree cover and slope steepness for easier campsite scouting. The combination also illuminates terrain obstacles for both climbers and hikers, making it easier to find descents and reroutes, devise new linkups, and formulate emergency exit strategies on the fly. No matter what you do, the Satellite Topo map will leave you better informed and better prepared.

What is the Satellite Topo Map?

Satellite Topo is a base map designed to combine the popular way-finding features of Gaia Topo with a high-resolution picture of the landscape. To achieve that, Gaia GPS removed the plain background from Gaia Topo. We then replaced it with high-resolution imagery from ESRI, an international supplier of geographical information and satellite photography.

The result is a network of clearly marked roads and trails, labeled terrain features, and distinct contour lines (all sourced from OpenStreetMap data) on a background that perfectly resembles the world around you. Essentially, the combination streamlines your navigational workflow by bringing the map one step closer to your reality.

How to Use it

The Satellite Topo base map is available in two versions: meters and feet. It’s accessible to Premium Members on iOS and Android platforms as well as on gaiagps.com. To use it, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Layers Menu and navigate to the Satellite Imagery catgory.
  2. Click the plus sign next to the Satellite Topo map in your preferred unit of measurement to turn it on.
  3. Slip the map beneath any of your favorite overlays in place of your existing base map.
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App UpdatesGaia GPSHow-ToHuntingiOSNew FeaturesNew Maps

Plan Your Winter Adventure with the Snowfall Forecast Overlay

by Corey Buhay
written by Corey Buhay

Whether you’re chasing powder or just trying to avoid a day of postholing in two feet of fresh, the new 24-, 48-, and 72-hour Snowfall Forecast overlays make it easy to dial in your winter trip prep.

Available for both iOS users as well as on gaiagps.com, the Snowfall Forecast overlays use color-coded shading to show the expected snow accumulation. That makes it easy to plan ski trips, pick the right traction and flotation for winter hikes, and assess avalanche conditions. Just combine the Snowfall Forecast overlay with your base map of choice (and, if you’re doing avy analysis, the slope-angle shading overlay.)

Snowfall Predictions Updated Every 6 Hours

The Snowfall Forecast overlays draw data directly from the Winter Weather Desk of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Weather Prediction Center. The Winter Weather Desk uses a combination of predictive models to create its forecasts, which the National Weather Service then reviews and refines. The collaborating teams constantly refresh their models, providing updated reports every six hours.

The forecasts can accurately predict snow accumulation as far as three days (72 hours) in advance, and they cover all of the continental U.S. as well as parts of southern Canada.

How to Use the Snowfall Forecast Overlay

These overlays derive their predictions from NOAA’s probabilistic weather forecasts, which calculate the percent likelihood that a certain amount of snow will accumulate over a given time period. Gaia GPS uses NOAA’s 50th percentile forecasts. That means there’s a 50-percent chance that each shaded area will receive the indicated amount of snow accumulation during the forecast period. (This may seem low, but it gives the user the best estimate of land area likely to be affected by snow. For that reason, it’s the percentile most commonly shown on other popular forecasting sites.)

Add the Snowfall Forecast Overlay to Any Map in Gaia GPS

Available for gaiagps.com and iOS users with Premium Memberships, the Snowfall Forecast overlays can be viewed with an internet connection. Since the forecasts are always changing, they can’t be downloaded for offline use. However, when you look at the snowfall forecast in the app, your device will cache snapshots of the areas you viewed. The cached data will remain available on your device for 24 hours.

From the Map Sources menu, navigate to the Feature/Weather Overlays category. Pick the forecast overlay that suits your planning needs, and add it atop any base map. Set the transparency to between 30 and 40 percent for optimal visibility.

Check out this video for more tips on adding new map sources in the app:

A Note on Safety

Weather forecasts make great planning tools, but you should always research the terrain and alternate routes ahead of time, and cross-reference any forecast you use with several others for the most accurate predictions. And no matter what the reports say, plan for inclement weather, just in case.

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Gaia GPSHuntingiOSNew Maps

24- and 72-Hour Weather Forecast Overlays

by Robyn Martin
written by Robyn Martin

In addition to the 48-hour Precip Overlay, Gaia GPS includes 24- and 72-hour Forecast Overlays, too. Beat the rain, or maximize your powder days, with these  options that you can display over your favorite base maps.

Sourced from NOAA Data

Like the 48-hour overlays, the 24-hour and 72-hour Precip Overlays refresh with new information every 12 hours from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Prediction Center (WPC). Predictions show a static image of the amount of liquid precipitation expects to fall in the given time frame for the continental United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Using the Precip Forecast Overlays

Choose the best day to head out on the trail by referencing the right weather overlay. Heading out for the weekend? Check out the 72-hour forecast to get a view of overall precipitation. Just want to know what tomorrow looks like? Use the 24-hour forecast to get a quick and accurate prediction.

Premium Members can view the forecast overlays when connected to WiFi or cell service in the iOS app and on gaiagps.com.

How to View the Precip Overlays

In the app:

  1. Follow these steps to add the Precip Overlay to your layers list.
  2. Find the Precip maps under the Feature/Weather Overlays category.
  3. Turn on layered maps to view the Precip overlays on top of your favorite map source.

On gaiagps.com:

  1. Follow these steps to add the Precip Overlays to your layers list.
  2. Find them in the Weather and Features Overlays category.

How to Read the Precip Forcast Overlays

These overlays use colored shading to show forecasted cumulative precipitation. The legend below shows the color markings for cumulation in inches:

Quantitative Precipitation Forecast

A Note on Safety

You can use the weather overlay as a planning tool to help you pack, plan your route, and be prepared for the weather ahead. Gaia GPS provides map layers to help plan and prepare for inclement weather but make sure to check with local news sources for more frequent and localized updates.

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App UpdatesGaia GPSHuntingiOSNew FeaturesNew Maps

Interactive Hunting Maps for Game Management Units with Stats

by Nathan Copeland
written by Nathan Copeland

Interested in hunting stats for all game management units and wildlife areas? With Gaia GPS, you now have access to interactive hunting maps with helpful statistics to plan a successful hunt. Pairing the interactive hunting maps with the private and public land overlays will show your hunting unit’s boundaries alongside current landowners within the unit so you can stay on legal ground.

Comprehensive Hunting Stats

The scouting information you always wanted, now at your fingertips — Gaia GPS hunting maps now include the critical information you need to select the right units for all your draw tags and plan your hunts.

The hunting stats can be accessed from basecamp or in the field when you download an offline map of your unit.

Stats include:

  • Game Management Unit Name
  • Size
  • Public Land Percentage
  • Covered Game Species
  • Land Cover Types
  • Open Water Percentage
  • Elevation (min, avg, & max)
  • Monthly Temperature (min, avg, & max)
  • Average Monthly Precipitation Rates

Accessing the New Hunting Stats


Hunting stats come built into the US Hunting Maps available with a Premium Membership in the latest iOS version of Gaia GPS. Following these steps will display the hunting stats for your next hunt:

    1. Add your state’s hunting overlay to the Layers menu.
      Step 1: Open the Layers menu and tap Edit
      Step 2: Tap the US Hunting Overlays category
      Step 3: Tap the green “+” icon next to the correct overlay for your hunt
    2. From the main Layers menu, drag your hunting overlay to the top position in the Visible section.
    3. Position the main map over the area you plan to hunt
    4. Tap any of the game management units to reveal their name
    5. Tap the Information “i” icon for the game management unit to view the hunting, precipitation, and temperature stats.
    6. To access the stats for your unit offline, download an offline map for the area you plan to hunt. If you already have offline maps for your hunt, deleting and re-downloading the areas will update your offline maps to include the stats for your hunting unit.

 

Share your favorite game management unit or hunting area with the Gaia GPS family by tagging @gaiagpshunting on Instagram or Twitter.

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Gaia GPS 48 Hour Precip overlay
App UpdatesGaia GPSiOSNew Maps

Get 48-Hour Precipitation Forecasts on Any Map in Gaia GPS

by Angela Crampton
written by Angela Crampton

Prepare for the unexpected with the new 48-hour weather forecast overlay.

Combine this new map overlay with your favorite base map to see rainfall predictions for your next weekend adventure.

Gaia GPS NOAA 48 hour precip forecast overlay

Built on Official NOAA Data

The 48-hour precip overlay taps directly into the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasting data. The NOAA Weather Prediction Center (WPC) researches and releases short-term forecasts twice daily, based on predictive models and satellite imagery. Their reports can forecast heavy rain, snow, and flash flooding up to seven days in advance.

We’ve limited the forecasting for this map to 48 hours in order to give you the most accurate prediction for weekend trips. The overlay refreshes with new information every 12 hours and currently includes the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

How To Read the Forecast

Known as a Quantitative Precipitation Forecast, the weather overlay shades areas of the map to help you visualize the amount of rainfall during a specified amount of time (48 hours, in this case).

The chart below shows the different shades available depending on the forecast, ranging from 0 to 20 inches of rainfall. Green and blue shades represent light showers, while darker areas of red or purple indicate larger accumulations.

Quantitative Precipitation Forecast

Using the 48 Hour Precip Forecast Overlay

Available for iOS users with a Premium Membership, the 48-hour Precip Forecast map can be viewed while connected to the internet.

Gaia GPS 48 hour precip map overlay

From the Map Sources menu, navigate to the Feature/Weather Overlays category.

Add the 48-hour Precip Forecast overlay atop any of your favorite base maps and set the transparency from 25 to 30 percent for the best visibility. Learn how to add map sources for iOS below:

A Note on Safety

You can use the weather overlay as a planning tool to help you pack, plan your route, and be prepared for the weather ahead. Know the terrain and alternate routes ahead of time, and plan for inclement weather, even if none appears in the forecast. Gaia GPS provides map layers to help plan and prepare but the ‘go’ or ‘no-go’ decision remains with you.

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Hiker navigating with Gaia GPS
AndroidApp UpdatesGaia GPSiOS

Plan Your Next Adventure with Enhanced Search Results

by Lucas Wojciechowski
written by Lucas Wojciechowski

Gaia GPS search helps you find parks, forests, trails, cities, and more.

As a new software engineer on the Gaia GPS team, my first big project was to revamp the search experience. I’m excited to share some of the improvements we’ve made that you can use today on the web, iOS, and Android.

Tactical Search Results

Find what you’re looking for quickly, whether it’s down the street or across the continent.

Search results are now sorted by how “notable” each place is. Gaia GPS determines notability using data such as:

  • whether the place has a wikipedia page or website
  • what type of place it is (national parks are more notable than regional parks)
  • the population cities
  • the height of mountains

When I search for Yosemite from my home town, I now see “Yosemite National Park” rather than “Yosemite Marsh.”

Gaia GPS Improves Search Functionality

Select the Optimal Search Result

Each result now displays the name of the park, forest, or wilderness area it is within. When I search for “waterfall,” I have a better sense of where each one is and what else is nearby.

Gaia GPS Improves Search Functionality

Tap on a result to be taken to the location on the map with additional information like ‘Popular Hikes’ and options to ‘Send to app’ or ‘Download’.

Gaia GPS Improves Search Functionality - example of Yosemite National Park result

Additional Search Improvements

  • You will no longer see duplicate search results for parks with multiple administrative zones.
  • Navigate search results using the keyboard. Type your query, press the down key to select a place, then press the enter key to learn more about the result.
  • Paste coordinates into the search field to jump to a specific spot on the map. Gaia GPS currently supports decimal latitude longitude, DMS latitude longitude, and UTM.

Gaia GPS welcomes feedback. Please contact support@gaiagps.com if you have ideas on how we can further improve search or other features.

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