Gaia GPS

All New Trails Search Powered by OpenStreetMap — the Largest Open Trail Catalog in the World

by Ashli Baldwin June 21, 2017

written by Ashli Baldwin

Search for trails and plan your next trip faster than ever with a new search engine on gaiagps.com. Send trails, waypoints and download maps directly to your mobile device.

OpenStreetMap powers the new search, allowing you to find your next adventure using the largest and most up to date open trail and POI database in the world.

You can add to the search, too. Edit OpenStreetMap to add trails, or publish trips and photos on gaiagps.com that other users will see when they view trails and parks.

Powerful Search Tools

Easily find trails, mountains, parks, cities, forests and more.

Head to gaiagps.com/map
Type in your search term
Click the item that best matches what you’re looking for

After finding a trail, the left side-bar populates with stats, a description, and nearby trips from other users.

On the map, parks and cities are outlined, while trails are highlighted and include an interactive elevation profile.

Seamless Trip Planning Between the Web and Your Device

In the sidebar, a new ‘Send to app’ button creates a folder with maps for the area. When viewing a trail, it will also create a route and attach related waypoints. Choose what maps to download and the resolution.

Open the Gaia GPS app to automatically download the folder and all of its data.

If you’re viewing a trail, click ‘Download’ to get a GPX, KML, or GeoJSON file to use with other GPS programs.

Continuous Improvements and Updates

Other recent updates to gaiagps.com/map include:

Collapsable sidebar
Full-screen map mode
Manage and add map sources from the layers menu

We also added OSM search to the new Gaia GPS app for iOS. You can read about the new app here.

Tell Us What You Think

Do you like the new search? Find something wrong? Contact us at support@gaiagps.com — we’d love to hear from you!

June 21, 2017

App Updates Gaia GPS How-To iOS New Features New Maps

Gaia GPS with USFS Motor Vehicle Use Maps

by Ashli Baldwin June 14, 2017

written by Ashli Baldwin

Interactive United States Forest Service’s popular Motor Vehicle Use Maps — now available in Gaia GPS version 1.1 for iOS.

Also in this update, two finger map rotation and course-up mode lock.

Read about the next generation Gaia GPS here and download it today.

Interactive Road Access Information

Available as an interactive Premium Member overlay within the iOS app, the MVUM overlay makes planning adventures and navigating in US National Forests simple.’

Tap roads on the map for USFS road usage restrictions and access dates.

Layer with Gaia Topo, one of the USFS map sources, or any other base map to get a comprehensive view.

Two Finger Map Rotation

Rotate the main map in any direction with a simple two finger motion. You can turn two finger rotate on or off from the settings menu.

Continuous Improvement

Other notable updates in Gaia GPS v1.1 for all iOS users include:

Course-up mode lock — Zooming in or out will not break the map lock on your current location
Improved Performance — Improvements to the Saved menu for accessing multiple years of data
Guidance — Offline guidance along trails found in Gaia Topo

Listening to You

Your feedback helps guide the development of Gaia GPS. This update includes highly requested features from users across the Gaia GPS Reddit page, Community forums, and from your emails.

Join the forums to get in on the conversation, or send an email to support@gaiagps.com.

June 14, 2017

App Updates Gaia GPS iOS New Features New Maps

NextGen Gaia GPS, with National Geographic

by Aileen May 22, 2017

written by Aileen

Today, we released the next generation Gaia GPS app for iOS. We’re also delighted to announce the inclusion of National Geographic Trails Illustrated maps, on iOS, Android, and gaiagps.com.

The new app is a huge leap for Gaia GPS, with tremendous technology, new maps and features, and a polished user interface. Since last September, eleven people have worked on the design, engineering, and cartography for the new Gaia GPS. The beta tester group of about 80 participants includes professional guides, long distance hikers, backcountry skiers, hunters, off-roaders, mountain-bikers, and others – a broad cross-section of the Gaia GPS community.

Try the new Gaia GPS for free:

Beautiful Map Display

The new Gaia GPS includes a faster/smoother mapping engine. Gaia Topo and some other sources now display as ‘vector’ maps. This improvement means labels stay crisp as you zoom in/out and maps download in smaller sizes.

National Geographic Trails Illustrated

The new Gaia GPS includes an expanded map catalog, featuring National Geographic Trails Illustrated. These are the most trusted and highly-rated topographic maps available for the United States’ top outdoor destinations. They are produced and regularly updated in partnership with local land managers and experts. They include detailed topographic information, clearly marked trails, recreational points of interest, and navigational aids. We’re thrilled to include this layer with a Gaia GPS Premium Membership.

Additionally:

Premium Members also get access to another new source – Neotreks topo maps for the US
all users of the new Gaia GPS can now access MapBox Satellite, Outdoor, and Streets maps – previously restricted to premium subscribers.

Trail and Park Search

Search the map like never before in Gaia GPS.

Gaia GPS will now suggest results as you type, and the new search feature lets you find parks, trails, forests, POIs, coordinates, and addresses. You can use the same search when you discover and plan trips on gaiagps.com/map.

You can also now tap directly on map features to get more information. Get stats about trails, pictures of places, official websites for parks and trails, and more.

Slick Redesign

The new Gaia GPS app makes navigating the backcountry easier, with a streamlined interface and unified design. Every screen got some love – from login/signup, to the map, to saved data – and we polished all the little details.

The new app has tabs along the bottom for major functions, unified button icons, and refined colors/fonts/layout. You can find the controls to customize the main map view (pictured in the right screenshot) by long-pressing the fullscreen button on the map.

Free Usage Periods for Existing Users

Already have the old Gaia GPS? You get a 2-year free usage period with the new app. You can also continue to use the old app.

Additionally, existing users with “GaiaPro” subscriptions from the old app get access to the new app at no additional cost, including National Geographic and all other Premium maps.

Existing Gaia GPS users can read an FAQ about the new app here.

Try it For Free Today

Anyone can download the new iOS version of Gaia GPS today, and start a free 7 day trial. Experience the next generation of outdoor mapping.

May 22, 2017

Company News Gaia GPS

Meet Nick Botner- Gaia GPS UX Engineer

by Aileen February 1, 2017

written by Aileen

We’re excited to welcome long-time Gaia GPS user Nick Botner to the team. As the first ever user-interface focused employee at Gaia GPS, Nick ushers in a great transformation for Gaia GPS UX and visual design.

Previously, Nick worked at Google, where he led a team of Visual Designers working on the Google Cloud Console. Prior to that, Nick worked for two years at Geocaching, where he formed and led their first UX team. Nick started his career in graphic design at software company ASG, where he first worked for 3 years in Florida, and then got lost in translation working for nearly 2 years in Tokyo, Japan.

A Florida native, Nick grew up surfing, fishing, and tromping through the Everglades. In school, he focused on traditional forms of art until he discovered graphic design in high school, which he focused on in college, graduating with a degree in Multimedia Design from Full Sail University.

When Nick isn’t working, you can find him scrambling up one of the many mountains that surround Seattle, or planning another trip to the southern hemisphere to get away from the depressing cold rain that slowly crushes his sunshine fueled soul.

February 1, 2017

App Updates Gaia GPS

Use Gridlines on Gaiagps.com

by Ashli Baldwin December 23, 2016

written by Ashli Baldwin

Anyone can now view gridlines at gaiagps.com/map. Gaia GPS Members can include them in map prints, too.

To turn on gridlines, click the overlays button and choose from 5 different formats:

Lat/Lon – Decimal Degrees
Lat/Lon – Degrees, Minutes, Seconds
Distance
UTM
MGRS

UTM and MGRS grids even work in the extreme north, such as Svalbard, which took extra effort from the developer on the project, Alex.

This feature got requested often, especially from Members who want to include gridlines when printing maps. The request also got upvoted on the Gaia GPS Community Forums.

We’re always listening to feedback. If you have any feature suggestions, you can add to the Community Forums, too.

Questions? Email support@gaiagps.com.

December 23, 2016

Gaia GPS Hunting New Maps

USFS 2016 Map Now Available in Gaia GPS

by Nathan Copeland December 19, 2016

written by Nathan Copeland

You can now access an updated version of the United States Forest Service (USFS) National Forests maps, called USFS 2016.

The USFS 2016 map source includes updated roads, road labels, and vegetation shading. We left the existing USFS Raster source, and renamed it USFS Classic, because the Classic source includes some private property boundaries not available in USFS 2016.

Both USFS sources show up in the United States section of the Gaia GPS map source collection, on iOS, Android, and gaiagps.com.

Updated roads in USFS 2016 vs USFS Classic

Anyone planning a backpacking, off-road vehicle, hunting, or fishing trip to any of the 154 national forests or 20 national grasslands will benefit from including the new USFS 2016 map in their list of map sources.

The USFS 2016 and USFS Classic map sources only cover national forests and grasslands, but Gaia GPS Premium Members have the option of layering either USFS map on top of Gaia Topo or USGS Topo to get a seamless nationwide map.

Layering USFS 2016 over Gaia Topo produces continuous map coverage across the US.

December 19, 2016

Adventures Featured Gaia GPS User Profiles

Adventurer Emma Walker Goes Off-Trail with Gaia GPS

by Maggie Wallace December 1, 2016

written by Maggie Wallace

Gaia GPS user and self-proclaimed professional camper Emma Walker hates crowds. “You couldn’t walk 20 yards without stumbling into somebody’s campsite,” Walker said of her hike in the James Peak Wilderness this summer, “So we opened up the app, found the nearest lake without a trail leading to it, and made our way there.”

Walker scrambled through downed trees, swamps, and dense brush, following her position on the screen of her phone. “I’m a pretty confident navigator, but it would’ve been tough to manage with a paper map and compass,” said Walker. Her persistence paid off; after a mile and a half, she found prime camping at an alpine lake, surrounded by wildflowers instead of tents.

Walker and her husband climbing Byron Glacier in Alaska.

Alaskan Odyssey

Walker grew up in Colorado but spent her graduate school years in the less developed frontier of Alaska, pursuing what she calls a “degree in camping,” a master of science in outdoor and environmental education. While getting that degree, Walker created a travel blog known as My Alaskan Odyssey where she continues to chronicle her backcountry adventures. She received her wilderness first responder and avalanche level 2 certifications, and “spent weeks at a time in remote mountain ranges and on glaciers,” eventually returning home to lead volunteers in the stewardship of public lands for Denver-based nonprofit Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado.

Walker climbing at Smith Rock State Park, Oregon.

From Map to App

After growing up using a map and compass for navigation, Walker said it took her a long time to get used to a device. She first learned about Gaia GPS two years ago from instructors at the Alaska Avalanche School. “Now I’m rarely in the backcountry without it.”

When it comes to the outdoors, Walker always chases the authentic experience. She spent weeks a time in the remote mountain ranges of Alaska, and her bucket list includes paddling the Yukon River and ski mountaineering in the far reaches of Mongolia. Currently she’s training to get more comfortable with class 3 climbs like Washington’s Mt. Rainier and fostering stewardship and conservation.

Walker primarily uses Gaia to track her elevation change and distance on-trail and to plot her own routes in the remote backcountry, where Gaia’s overlays are a big asset. “Connecting tracks and routes to photos and multiple map layers gives such a better sense of what a place actually looks and feels like.” Many of the places that Walker explores are off the beaten path, so existing trip information isn’t plentiful.

Walker pack pack rafting the Colorado River in Moab, Utah.

“I love that Gaia creates a really three-dimensional navigating experience,” she said, referring to Gaia’s multiple features and overlays. Recently, she started using GaiaPro for tide information provided by NEXRAD weather overlays and NOAA nautical charts. She hasn’t used the feature in landlocked Colorado, “but it sure made a difference as we were hiking across Waipi’o Valley and sea kayaking in Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island.”

The Great Unknown

Walker will go to any lengths for privacy. On her latest adventure, an overnight hike into Waimanu Valley on Hawaii’s Big Island, she said “a local guidebook promised we’d be more likely to run into feral pigs than other backpackers.” A downpour and subsequent flooding ensured her her husband’s privacy and also put Gaia’s tide charts to good use.

For Walker, Gaia GPS is a way to catalogue and define the unknown. It offers more than navigation; it provides a map without borders, an adventure without a trail, and a campsite with the night sky for her only companion.

Walker on Big Island, Hawaii.

Read more about Emma Walker’s adventures in Alaska and beyond on her blog, My Alaskan Odyssey.

December 1, 2016

Featured Gaia GPS User Profiles

Gaia GPS User Profile – Jonathan Preuss

by Maggie Wallace November 16, 2016

written by Maggie Wallace

As he drove home from a rock climbing adventure earlier this year, backcountry guide and SAR volunteer Jonathan Preuss received an emergency call for a hiker lost on Devil’s Bedstead East. “I … saw the search come in, pulled up my Gaia app, made sure I had that map saved, and turned around and went back to the trailhead.”

A helicopter flew by shortly after the call and spotted the missing hiker, but by that point, Preuss had already started up the trail. The ability to quickly access digital maps from a mobile device allows Search and Rescue volunteers like Preuss to respond quickly and more accurately than ever before.

All in a Day

Preuss works as a ski, alpine, and rock-climbing guide for Sun Valley Trekking and Sawtooth Mountain Guides in Idaho’s Sawtooth National Forest. “It’s not the typical Monday through Friday job,” said Preuss, in which a day of work can mean 4 hours of setting up ropes on a rock wall, or guiding a 10 to 15 hour trip over 12,662-foot Mount Borah, the “Everest of Idaho.” Facing everything from altitude sickness to shifting weather patterns, an Idaho mountain guide’s ability to change plans quickly can make all the difference.

“With ski guiding, you could go out there and have a plan to go to a certain run or two,” Preuss said, but when conditions change, “You gotta make a change on the go.” For this reason, Preuss keeps multiple overlays and maps loaded on Gaia for the area he’s touring that day.
Preuss approaching the CMC face of Mt. Moran in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.

Technology’s New Role in Risk Management

For those working in the backcountry without access to phone service, solid preparation allows for flexible decision making. “Being a guide also means a lot of research… we have to have a tour plan for everything,” said Preuss, who downloads and studies maps on Gaia GPS to prepare for his day. Ski guiding, he uses the satellite imagery to get an overhead view of the terrain above tree line. Hiking and trail running, he maps his routes ahead of time. “I’m constantly selling Gaia to clients because they just don’t realize it exists. They think you have to go out and buy a GPS,” Preuss said, referring to a recent shift in navigation preferences in the outdoor industry.
Preuss short-roping a client during an American Mountain Guide Association Ski Guide Course going up Mount Sneffels (14,157′) in the San Juan mountain range of Colorado.

“It’s always good to have a hard copy of a map anyways in case your phone doesn’t work or runs out of battery, but it kind of takes a short cut to be able to load it in your phone and just go with it,” Preuss said, adding that new technology can help with risk assessment and avalanche prediction, “There’s some people out there, they’re just using very old knowledge and it is very important for the ski industry because the avalanche studies every year change.”

Avalanches can occur on ski slopes from 30 to 55 degrees. Preuss explains, “38 degrees is the most triggered slope – which is black diamond terrain, so it’s the terrain everyone wants to go ski.” For this, Gaia offers the Caltopo slope angle overlay – a color-coded guide for the angle of a slope – so skiers know where they need to be more cautious.

After three years of working with the Idaho SAR team, Preuss has personally witnessed the life-and-death repercussions of backcountry mistakes. Last year, Preuss participated in a month-long SAR for another hiker who went missing on Devil’s Bedstead East. “He went up this ridge line that’s not the usual way to get up. It has some fifth class climbing and he was by himself,” said Preuss. With his SAR team, Preuss later located the body and sent GPS coordinates to the sheriff’s office.

Preuss digging a snow cave and reading the snowpack for avalanche hazard in the Smoky Mountains of the Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho.

The Takeaway: Preparation

Whether he’s searching for a lost hiker, guiding clients, or backcountry skiing with friends, Preuss stays prepared with the right equipment, maps, and planning. “You never leave without an avalanche beacon, your shovel to dig someone out, and a probe to find them,” Preuss explains, adding “And if I didn’t have my Gaia app … I would feel naked. It’s that important to me.”

Learn more about Jonathan Preuss and support his American Mountain Guide Association Certification through his website, http://www.jpadventures.com/

November 16, 2016

Android App Updates Gaia GPS

Snap-to-Trail Routing and Updated Statistics in Gaia GPS v6.6 for Android

by Ashli Baldwin November 15, 2016

written by Ashli Baldwin

Gaia GPS v6.6 for Android introduces Snap-to-Trail routing mode and includes a big improvement to how statistics get calculated for recorded tracks.

Automatically Route Along A Trail

Snap-to-Trail routing lets you plot a route along any trail using OpenStreetMap based maps like Gaia Topo and OpenHikingMap HD.

You can also plan your route using the Snap-to-Trail feature on gaiagps.com and seamlessly sync routes between all of your devices.

Choose between 4 different routing modes: hiking, cycling, driving, and manual. View a live elevation profile as you create your route and change your map layers during routing to help with planning. Easily toggle between Topo and Satellite Imagery, or other map sources.

Advanced Track Recording Statistics

Improved statistics for track recording gives you more accurate measurements and improves accuracy of statistics on the website, too. To read more about the statistics improvement, read this blog. Please note that statistics in the app may still vary slightly between the Android app and website, but they should be pretty close – the website and app use the same underlying data, but slightly different algorithms right now.

You can read the full release notes here: http://updates.gaiagps.com/android/android_6.6.0.html

Email us at support@gaiagps.com with any questions. If you have a feature request, consider posting your thoughts to the Gaia GPS Community Forums.

November 15, 2016

Android App Updates Gaia GPS iOS

Improved Statistics in Gaia GPS for iOS, Android and gaiagps.com

by Ashli Baldwin November 9, 2016

written by Ashli Baldwin

Gaia GPS now estimates track stats more accurately, and the stats match across the platform, on iOS, Android, and gaiagps.com.

We say “estimate” because raw GPS data includes precision errors that no amount of science and algorithms can totally correct, but co-founder Anna Johnson has done a lot of research, empirical analysis of data, and experimentation to make Gaia GPS stats estimates reflect reality as much as possible.

Improved and Expanded

In the past, Gaia GPS on iOS had the best statistics calculations, using the most sophisticated methods to throw out erroneous readings and filter streams of data. Users noticed discrepancies between stats reported on iOS and gaiagps.com, and even more so between stats on Android and gaiagps.com.

For this round of work, Anna both improved the stats on iOS, and then made the other parts of the platform calculate stats in the same way. This results in better and more consistent stats everywhere.

Update to Gaia GPS 10.9.2 for iOS, or version 6.6 for Android to get the improved algorithms. You can read the full release notes here: http://updates.gaiagps.com/

Gaia GPS Track Statistics Page on iOS, Android and gaiagps.com

Feedback Welcome

As noted above, and in our article on the why GPS recordings differ from reality, no algorithm will work perfectly for all data, and also some GPS chips work better than others. Some people will still find that they don’t agree with the stats as reported, when comparing them to values they find on maps, signs, or other GPS programs.

But regardless, we welcome feedback on Gaia GPS stats, and we can continue to analyze more data and find better methods to improve the stats. Email support@gaiagps.com with any questions or comments. If you’d like to report a stats discrepancy, include a link to your track on gaiagps.com.

November 9, 2016

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