New Maps

Discover Prime Stargazing Locations with Our New Light Pollution Map

by Tricia Speziale Edwards August 15, 2024

written by Tricia Speziale Edwards 3 min. read

Calling all stargazers and photographers! We’re excited to introduce our new and improved Light Pollution map layer. Using an easy-to-read color scale, this upgraded map is designed to help you find the best locations for observing the night sky. Whether you’re an avid astro-nerd looking to push your telescope to its limits or simply someone who enjoys the tranquility of a star-filled night, this map is your gateway to darker skies and more brilliant celestial views.

How to Access the Light Pollution Map

Visit gaiagps.com on your desktop or open the iOS/Android app on your mobile device.
Locate the layers icon (left sidebar on desktop, bottom left corner on mobile).
Select “+ Add Map Layers” and search for “Light Pollution.”
Tap the ‘+’ icon to add the layer to your map.

Pro Tip: For optimal viewing, overlay the Light Pollution layer on our Gaia GPS Black and White map. This combination allows you to see the color scale of light pollution and essential map details.

Optimizing Your Stargazing Experience

The upcoming Perseid Meteor Shower presents a perfect opportunity to test our new map. While light pollution significantly affects the visibility of diffuse objects like comets and galaxies, you can still enjoy meteor showers even in moderately light-polluted areas (shown in red on our map).

For the best meteor-watching experience:

Aim for areas colored Green through Black on our Light Pollution scale.
Allow your eyes to adapt to the darkness for at least 20-30 minutes.
Consider additional factors such as moon phase, weather conditions, and cloud cover.

Remember, darker skies will reveal more meteors and enhance the overall spectacle of the shower.

Unlock the Full Potential with Gaia GPS Premium

The Light Pollution map layer is a premium feature available to Gaia GPS Premium and Outside+ members. Your subscription grants you access to our 300-plus map catalog, offline navigation, plus planning, recording, and sharing tools. Adventure safely with Gaia GPS Premium’s suite of weather features and safety tools including air quality, wildfire maps, and slope angle shading.

Elevate your stargazing adventures and outdoor experiences with Gaia GPS Premium. Start exploring darker skies and brighter stars today!

August 15, 2024

Gaia GPS New Maps

Find Prime Viewing for Total Solar Eclipse with New Map

by Abby Levene March 27, 2024

written by Abby Levene

On April 8, 2024, North America will witness a historic, awe-inspiring event: a total solar eclipse. The moon will cross in front of the sun, sending earth into temporary yet total, eerie darkness below.

Mexico will go dark first before the eclipse travels northeast through Texas and up and across the country to Maine and off the coast of Canada.

To help you find the perfect high point in the path of totality, we created the all-new 2024 North America Eclipse Map. Here’s everything you need to know about the map and how to use it to witness this rare and remarkable celestial event.

What is a total solar eclipse?

A total solar eclipse occurs when the earth, moon, and sun directly line up in a moon sandwich, sending the day into deep twilight for about 4 and a half minutes. While the sun is about 400 times bigger than the moon, the moon is about 400 times closer to Earth. As a result, when the moon crosses directly in front of the sun above us, the two appear to be about the same size and the sun disappears from view.

At first, the moon will glide in front of just a corner of the sun before slowly obscuring more and more until the entire sun is hidden entirely. This roughly four and a half minutes of total eclipse is called the totality, and it’s the only time during the eclipse when it’s safe to look up at the sun without eye protection. It’s also when the outermost part of the sun’s atmosphere, called the corona, will be visible in a glowing array to the naked eye. The entire event will take 70 to 80 minutes in any given location.

As demonstrated on our brand new North America eclipse map, only a thin band of land will experience totality. However, nearly the rest of the U.S. will experience at least some percent of the eclipse.

Non-North American friends, don’t despair! More total solar eclipses are on the horizon for other regions of the world, starting with one on August 12, 2026, that will pass over the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, and Spain, followed by one on August 2, 2027, that will cover north Africa and Saudi Arabia. But the next total solar eclipse to grace the contiguous U.S. won’t be for 20 years, on August 23, 2044.

The 2024 North America Total Solar Eclipse Map

To help you best view this magnificent event, our cartography team created a special map called 2024 North America Eclipse. We sourced this data directly from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), with supplementary time zone information for Mexico and Newfoundland, Canada.

This beautiful map shows the path of totality in purple, followed on either side by violet, blue, and gray bands corresponding to the percent of sun coverage.

As you zoom out on the map, a dotted line represents the “centerline” of the eclipse path, where the moon will directly obscure the sun overhead. As you zoom in, the path of totality is represented by purple ovals that indicate exactly when the eclipse will peak on April 8. The percentage of sun coverage is noted on each other band as well.

How to Use the 2024 North America Eclipse Map

The North America Eclipse map is free to everyone with a Gaia GPS account. Here’s how to use it:

Add the 2024 North America Eclipse Map. Add it on your big screen at gaiagps.com, or on the iOS or Android app on your phone.
Toggle the opacity of the map to reveal the trails, roads, and mountains below.
Pair the 2024 North America Eclipse Map with your favorite base map (optional). The default basemap layered underneath is Gaia Topo, our proprietary map designed for backcountry travel. If you’re planning on viewing the eclipse from the top of a peak or somewhere else you reach on foot, this map is probably for you. But if you’re driving to the path of totality, or offroading in the desert for crystal clear views, you can also pair the eclipse map with any other base map such as Gaia Overland or USGS Topo.
Plan your route. Using the eclipse map and your basemap of choice underneath it, draw out your route on foot, in the car, or via bike to find a prime viewing spot. Look for high points, clearings, and places with less chance of storms. Also, keep in mind which roads may clog up with skywatcher traffic.
Add weather maps to cross-reference your eclipse viewing spot with clear skies so you get a full showing.
Mark your destination by dropping a waypoint on the map.
Navigate to your destination. Download your map for offline use just in case, and find your way to your prime viewing spot using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, turn-by-turn directions in the app, or simply by referencing the route you drew.

Where are the best places to watch the eclipse?

The most dramatic show will come in the path of totality. The major cities in that path include:

Dallas, Texas: 1:40-1:44 p.m. CDT
Idabel, Oklahoma: 1:45-1:49 p.m. CDT
Little Rock, Arkansas: 1:51-1:54 p.m. CDT
Poplar Bluff, Missouri: 1:56-2:00 p.m. CDT
Paducah, Kentucky: 2-2:02 p.m. CDT
Carbondale, Illinois: 1:59-2:03 p.m. CDT
Evansville, Indiana: 2:02-2:05 p.m. CDT
Cleveland, Ohio: 3:13-3:17 p.m. EDT
Erie, Pennsylvania: 3:16-3:20 p.m. EDT
Buffalo, New York: 3:18-3:22 p.m. EDT
Burlington, Vermont: 3:26-3:29 p.m. EDT
Lancaster, New Hampshire: 3:27-3:30 p.m. EDT
Caribou, Maine: 3:32-3:34 p.m. EDT

Based on historical weather patterns, Texas is your best bet for seeing the total solar eclipse under clear skies. If you’re looking for a peaceful viewing experience, head to the trails, side roads, hills, and mountains outside of town.

How can I watch the solar eclipse safely?

It’s only safe to look directly at the sun during totality. Staring at the sun for too long on any day can cause permanent eye damage and even blindness. So pick up a pair of paper eclipse viewers, paper glasses, a special filter for your binoculars or camera, or even special eclipse binoculars so you can soak in every moment of this magical event. You can find all of these devices easily with a quick Google search, including here.

Solar Eclipse Maqp — The total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 will be the last of its kind over North American soil for twenty years.

The 2024 North America Eclipse Map is Available for Free

The 2024 North America Eclipse Map is available for free. Upgrade to Gaia GPS Premium or Outside+ to access our entire 300-plus map catalog, including our proprietary Gaia Winter and Gaia Overland maps, as well as our suite of National Geographic Trails Illustrated maps, high res satellite imagery, USGS and USFS maps, and MVUM.

You can also download maps for offline use—including the North America Eclipse map—so you can find your way, even without cell service. Plus stay safer with our suite of weather features and safety tools including air quality, wildfire maps, and slope angle shading.

March 27, 2024

Gaia GPS New Maps

See the World More Clearly with New Gaia Black and White Map

by Abby Levene May 18, 2023

written by Abby Levene

Move over technicolor, black and white is back in style. Meet Gaia Black and White, our brand new, very first all-black-and-white topo map. Whether you’re color vision deficient or want a crystal-clear paper map printout on hand, Gaia Black and White is for you.

Styled in the same manner as our other proprietary topo maps designed in-house, Gaia Black and White brings you industry-leading clarity, accuracy, and file-efficiency. Like our other Gaia Series maps, Gaia Black and White provides world-wide coverage. Download the map to use offline for your entire state so you can always find your way—even without cell service. Read on to learn how this map came to be and how it’s styled specifically to help you explore with confidence and peace of mind.

Accessibility-Forward

Born out of Gaia GPS’s Accessibility Assembly, Gaia Black and White prioritizes the needs of our community with color vision deficiencies. Our cartographers run each of our maps through a color vision deficiency filter. But sometimes their cartographic goals directly conflict with optimizing the map for color vision needs. Since it’s sometimes impossible to best serve all communities at once, we chose to optimize Gaia Topo for those who see the full color spectrum, and we created Gaia Black and White for those who do not. Distinguish topo lines, public land use boundaries, tree coverage, trail types, and labels quickly and easily thanks to crisp shading, clear lines, and bold fonts.

Printer Perfect

a paper map print-out preview of Gaia Black and White — A paper map print-out preview of Gaia Black and White

Gaia Black and White is also optimized for printing in black and white. (In case you didn’t know, it’s super easy to print any of our maps!) Whether you’re heading out on a family trip to a national park, backpacking over the weekend, or overlanding across the country, it’s never a bad idea to idea to print a paper map backup just in case. On Gaia Topo, trails are color-coded by activity—a useful feature for finding horse-friendly zones, mountain bike regions, and trails devoid of all activities except foot travel. Gaia Black and White translates those color-coded trails into line-marking-coded trails, which means now you can bring a black-and-white map printout and still distinguish trail types from each other.

Full-Featured Topo Map for Your Adventures

The colors may be gone, but the full spectrum of features, detail, precision, and accuracy you know and love in our maps remains. Our cartographers have painstakingly translated our colorized maps into black and white to bring you a world-class topo map rich with the clarity and information you need to adventure safely and confidently:

High-contrast shading

Landcover shading on Gaia Black and White hits the sweet spot: it’s dark enough that you can distinguish tree cover and find the alpine; find bodies of water for drinking and recreation; and spy screefields from home. And the shading remains light enough that labels, topo lines, roads, and trails pop from the map, making them easy to find and read.

To keep the map uncluttered and clear, we’ve simplified the land ownership shading schema from our other maps. But easily spy public land for free, dispersed camping thanks to dotted borders with black and white shading, along with labels.

Distinctive Trail Markings

Gaia Black and White expertly uses line markings of various weights and patterns to distinguish various types of roads and trails from each other. Use the map legend to find trails for horses, mountain bikes, motorized activity, and backpacking in solitude.

Bold fonts

We’ve added some new fonts to our catalog to make deciphering labels even easier. Determine which labels refer to rock climbing walls based on the font alone. (Although the associated climbing icon doesn’t hurt either.) Same goes for rivers, roads, mountains, trailheads, towns, and trails.

How to Get Gaia Black and White

Gaia Black and White is available on gaiagps.com and in the app with a Premium membership. To add this map to your account, go to “Add map layers.” From here, you can search for the map or find it under Topo maps.

Gaia GPS Premium gives you access to the entire 300+ map catalog, including high-resolution, world-wide satellite imagery; our suite of National Geographic maps; and specialty maps ranging from historic topos to slope angle shading.

With Premium, you can also download maps for offline use so you can find your way—even without cell service. You can layer maps together to reveal even more terrain, weather, and safety features. And you can print custom maps.

May 18, 2023

Gaia GPS New Maps

Gaia Classic: The Only Map You’ll Ever Need?

by Abby Levene May 4, 2023

written by Abby Levene

Calling all diehard map fans!

Do you yearn for the classic topo maps of old? You know, the ones not busied up with excessive colors and silliness when all you really need to know is how to plot your path from that alpine lake to that mountain pass and down the other side?

Or maybe you’ve found yourself yelling at our cartographers, “why oh why can’t I see the contour lines in this blazing sun!?”

Enter Gaia Classic, the map that just may answer that call of the wild. It’s inspired by a classic aesthetic, from the colors to the fonts to the very textures of the map itself. Maybe it’s totally pointless, or maybe, just maybe it’s the only map you’ll ever need.

Get to know Gaia Classic, our freshly updated map born out of the pages of history.

An Ode to the Maps of Old

Gaia Classic pays homage to the topo maps from the United States Geological Survey, otherwise known as the USGS. Often referred to as quadrangle maps, or quads, USGS maps have been the definitive resource for US topo maps since the 1880s.

Enjoy a classic aesthetic married with the crystal-clear resolution and file efficiency you know and love from our other proprietary maps. Download the map for your whole state in a manner of minutes and never get caught in the wild without a map again.

Our cartography team poured over the USGS map in Gaia GPS to gather design inspiration for Gaia Classic. They paid particular attention to the quads in Glacier National Park, whose landscape teaming with relief, steep terrain, glaciers, and recreation infrastructure makes it ideal for map modeling. These details are reflected throughout every aspect of the map.

Pared Down Color Palette

If you just want to see bodies of water, clearings, and treeline without the distractions of modern maps, Gaia Classic is for you. Enjoy a pared down color palette that’s easy on the eyes—and easy to reference in the backcountry. While our default Gaia Topo map contains a plethora of shadings for various forms of landcover, water, and land ownership, Gaia Classic sticks to the basics. Which, let’s be real, is often all you need.

Clear Topo Lines

Topo map lovers rejoice! Dark brown topo lines pop on the subtle map shading underneath, making reading ridges, valleys, peaks, and plains a snap.

Simple Tree Cover

Find the alpine thanks to two-toned tree and shrub shading that’s not muddled by other forms of land shading like crops and grass.

Distinct Trails

Find trails in a glance with clear, black dashed trail markings, along with distinct markings for alpine hiking routes, double track trials, and unmaintained trails, among others.

Classic Font

If the font looks familiar, that’s for good reason. Gaia Classic uses Bell Topo Sans, a font designed by cartographer Sarah Bell to resemble the classic typefaces from antique USGS quads.

Navigate Easier than Ever with Fresh Updates

We’ve freshly updated the map to make it even easier to use in the field. Enjoy updated landcover data and richer tree texture in forested and shrub areas. Scout out ridge lines, ravines, and peaks with darker contours. And spy landmarks easier thanks to blacker labels and trails.

How to Get Gaia Classic

Gaia Classic is available on gaiagps.com and in the app with a Premium membership. To add this map to your account, go to “Add map layers.” From here, you can search for the map or find it under Topo maps.

With Premium, you can also download maps for offline use so you can find your way—even without cell service. And you can layer maps together to reveal even more terrain, weather, and safety features.

May 4, 2023

Gaia GPS How-To New Maps

Why NatGeo Trails Illustrated are America’s Favorite Maps

by Abby Levene February 9, 2023

written by Abby Levene

Whether you’re backpacking past the white granite pinnacles along JMT, offroading along the turquoise coasts of Baja, or planning a family trip to a national park, adventure with the most trusted and popular recreation maps on the planet.

Meet our collection of National Geographic Trails Illustrated maps, from the eponymous map makers of world-renown. From Yosemite to Zion, the Appalachian Trail to the Pacific Crest Trail, access this coveted collection of NatGeo maps right in Gaia GPS. Priced at $15 plus a pop, get almost all of them with a Gaia GPS Premium membership.

Read on to learn about all the different NatGeo maps in Gaia GPS, why they are so special, and how their detailed notes can take your adventures to the next level.

Adventure Confidently with Maps You Can Trust

Adventure confidently with navigational aids along the trail.

Expertly researched and crafted in conjunction with local land managers, NatGeo maps undergo rigorous review and continually set the standard for accuracy. The result: the most trusted and popular recreation maps available.

National Geographic offers over 250 titles for America’s favorite outdoor destinations, most of which you can find right in Gaia GPS. From the long trails to your favorite national parks, NatGeo maps cover the most breathtaking and iconic scenery of the country. They’re packed with useful information, yet remain crystal clear to help you navigate down, off, and back to the trail.

Get Detailed Topographic Information

See peak and pass elevations right on the map.

While NatGeo Trails Illustrated maps cover a vast array of terrain, from the weathered Appalachians to the cavernous Grand Canyon, they all uphold a rigorous level of topographic detail. Easily spy steep slopes and gentle plains with clearly marked topo lines—enhanced with hill shading and precise contour detailing.

Get the elevation for mountain passes, summits, and major lakes right on the map. Tree shading makes finding the alpine a breeze, and rivers pop out from the map in baby blue. Wilderness boundaries are clearly defined by color, labels, and lines, making it easier to follow wilderness policies.

See Info At Every Zoom Level

Unlike our propriety Gaia Topo map, Nat Geo maps are raster files. This means that you see the same information as you zoom in and out from the map. Rasterized maps are less efficient than vectorized ones such as Gaia Topo, but they prove useful when you’re trying to pick out key landmarks from a big-picture view. Use NatGeo maps in conjunction with our trademark base maps such as Gaia Topo, Gaia Winter, and Gaia Overland to get the best of both worlds.

Stay on Track with Clearly Marked Trails

On the NatGeo Colorado Trail map, the Colorado Trail is highlighted in yellow for easy viewing.

NatGeo maps emphasize major trails, making it easier than ever to find places to explore and to navigate in the field. For trail-specific maps like the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, John Muir Trail, and Colorado Trail, the trail in question is highlighted in yellow and marked with the trail’s symbol.

Know how far until you reach that mountain pass, the next stream, or your campsite thanks to mile markers and distances to the next intersection, bridge, peak, or town.

Find Key Points of Interest

Find bear lockers, campsites, restrooms, water sources, and much more right on the map.

Discover essential resupply stations, water sources, and points of interest you’ll be hard-pressed to find on any other map. Spy trailheads to start your adventure, plus bathrooms and spigots to hit the trail adequately prepared.

Find campsites, resupply stops, and restaurants along the trail for your next backpacking trip. And get off the beaten path by exploring historic sites, memorials, and viewpoints marked on the map.

Go Deeper with Navigational Aids

Get insider tips, such as when to be careful in inclement weather.

Perhaps the best part of NatGeo maps are the guidebook notes sprinkled across the map. Get a heads up on which bridges are slippery when wet. See where you’ll have to pack water before long dry spells.

Make sure you camp on legal ground: see where camping is not allowed, and where wilderness areas begin. Get helpful notes like when to pay keen attention to trail markers, and where free shuttles make stops.

Pick the Perfect Map for Your Adventure

The NatGeo Trails Illustrated map highlights iconic trails, such as the CDT and CDT alt through Glacier National Park.

With over 240 maps, NatGeo covers many national parks, iconic trails, and breathtaking destinations across the US. Many of these maps are housed in our National Geographic Trails Illustrated map. We also have dedicated map layers for certain Nat Geo Trails Illustrated maps. Check them all out in the map catalog.

Whether you’re planning a weekend backpacking trip in California’s Desolation Wilderness or a family excursion to Big Bend National Park, just open the NatGeo Trails Illustrated map to find iconic views, historic landmarks, and campsites to explore. Navigate Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness and Washington’s Wonderland Trail with ease. Discover pristine alpine lakes in Wyoming’s Cloud Peak Wilderness, and find tucked-away nature trails in California’s Joshua Tree. When it comes to the NatGeo Trails Illustrated map, the U.S. is your oyster.

Thru-Hike America’s Long Trails

Get the NatGeo AT and PCT maps in Gaia GPS.

Heading out on the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, John Muir Trail, or Colorado Trail? We’ve got a Nat Geo map for each of them. You can also find other long trails, like the entire Long Trail and parts of the AZT, in the catch-all Nat Geo Trails Illustrated general map.

In 2017, NatGeo teamed up with thru-hiker and mapmaker Lon “Halfmile” Cooper to produce maps that included both NatGeo’s meticulous cartography and Halfmile’s firsthand notes and insider information. The result contains careful annotations about trail mileages, official and unofficial campsites, water sources, and other points of interest.

You can use any NatGeo map on it’s own. Or pair a NatGeo map with Gaia Topo on your next backpacking trip to get the best of both worlds when it comes to discovering POIs, off-shoots, and camping, while also getting Nat Geo’s insider notes and easy-to-follow trails.

Explore National Parks Like a Pro

Get insider tips when visiting parks like Yosemite.

From Acadia to Zion, Nat Geo Trails Illustrated covers your favorite national parks around the country. See where the bus can take you through the park, find campsites, and even see which trails are open to horses.

Get inspired for your next family hike with trails featured on the map, and read the notes to see if it seems suitable for those in your group.

Visitor’s centers, bathrooms, wheel-chair accessible trails, and trash cans are all labeled clearly on the map, making it that much easier to spend more time soaking in the views and less time figuring out logistics.

Climb to New Heights

The NatGeo Colorado 14ers map covers all 58 14,000 peaks in CO.

If you’re traveling to Colorado, you’re in luck. In addition to the NatGeo Colorado Trail map, you can tap into the NatGeo Colorado 14ers map which includes coverage of all 58 Colorado peaks above 14,000 feet.

Whether climbed all 58 peaks or are setting out on your first one, check out this map to eliminate the guesswork. See how long your adventure will be, plus total elevation gain and loss. Get directions to trailhead, and see whether you’ll need four-wheel drive to reach it.

Anticipate more engaging sections of the trail like where you can expect to scramble or encounter snow thanks to the notes right on the map. Hoping to camp half way up the hill? See where that’s allowed as well.

Find New Fishing Holes

See clearly marked river miles, access points, put-ins, and the names and ratings of rapids in the NatGeo Fishing & Rivers map.

After climbing a 14er, pull your fishing rod and the NatGeo Fishing & River Maps layer, which covers sections of the Colorado River, Arkansas River, South Platte River, Blue River, Roaring Fork, and Fryingpan Rivers in Colorado.

Built with National Geographic’s characteristic attention to detail, accuracy, and smart map design, this layer is a complete picture of not only the river courses themselves, but their banks, recreation areas, access points, and adjacent ponds and lakes. The result is a complete picture of each river ecosystem, and the boating routes within it.

The NatGeo Colorado Fishing & Rivers map includes clearly marked river miles, access points, put-ins, and the names and ratings of rapids, making it easy to locate yourself on the river, share route information, and plan trips. You’ll also find labeled stream gage sites to reference when researching flow rates at potential fishing or boating spots. Land ownership boundaries and recreation sites also make it easy to scout out campsites along the way.

How to Get the NatGeo Trails Illustrated Maps

All of the NatGeo Trails Illustrated maps are available on gaiagps.com and in the app with a Premium membership. To add any of them to your account, go to “Add map layers.” From here, you can search for a map, or find them under United States map layers or Topo maps.

Use any NatGeo map by itself, or pair it with one of our propriety base maps like Gaia Topo, Gaia Winter, or Gaia Overland for an even richer view of the landscape.

With Premium, you can also download these maps for offline use so you can find your way without cell service. Plus tap into our suite of weather features, safety tools, and hundreds of maps for every activity.

February 9, 2023

Backcountry Skiing Gaia GPS New Maps

Find Backcountry Skiing in Gaia Winter Map

by Abby Levene January 11, 2023

written by Abby Levene

Discover backcountry ski zones, snowmobile trails, and trails for every winter activity with our new and improved Gaia Winter map. Complete with world-wide ski resort maps plus nordic, fatbike, uphill skiing and snowshoe trails, Gaia Winter serves as the go-to map for winter travel. We’ve updated it to make it even more useful for your adventures.

Just like our original Gaia Topo, Gaia Winter comes with industry-leading clarity and download efficiency. Download the map for your entire state so you can always have a map on hand, even when you lose cell service. From backcountry ski zones to snowmobile trails to enhanced tree cover, read on to learn about the improvements and how to get the most of Gaia Winter this season.

Discover Backcountry Skiing

Backcountry skiers planning their next tour have come to the right place. We’ve added popular backcountry ski zones to the map. Areas shaded in blue show where you may find places to tour. Regions shaded in orange illustrate starting points.

Our cartographers created these backcountry start and ski zones based on where users started recording ski tracks and where their tracks took them, respectively. Backcountry ski zones are mostly contained within North America now. And you’ll also find a few zones in Iceland, Norway, and France.

Spy Snowmobile Trails

Sledders can now discover snowmobile trails right on the map. We’ve added all the snowmobile trails from our Snowmobile Trails map to Gaia Winter for your convenience. Before you go on your next tour, download Gaia Winter for offline use so you have a trail map on hand. That way you can reroute on the fly, find somewhere to refuel, or navigate in a white-out.

Get even more trail details including grooming status, access dates/restrictions, trail width, difficulty level, trail length, and direction of travel with our interactive Snowmobile Trails map. Pair this trail overlay with Gaia Winter for optimal planning and navigation.

Understand Landcover and Topography

Say goodbye to the blues. We’ve revamped the color palette to make Gaia Winter brighter, with more detailed landcover. As you’re planning your next ski tour, use Gaia Winter to see if you’ll be skinning over shrubs, through trees, or across tundra. Sledders can see if they’re traveling past prairies or farmlands.

The winter-themed color palette of the map sets a seasonal tone and enhances its utility. Tour the backcountry with confidence thanks to a stronger emphasis on terrain, tree cover, and contour lines. Mountains pop out of the map, helping you scout the best uphill and ski lines. See exactly where treeline ends so you can find powdery bowls and untracked glades. Hiking, mountain bike, and other three-season trails are deemphasized to make it even easier to see ski, snowshoe, and fat bike trails.

Activate Snow Mode

Gaia Winter’s less diverse color scheme also pairs perfectly with our safety and weather maps. Pair Gaia Winter with our suite of winter safety maps, including Slope Angle shading, Avalanche Forecast, Snow Stations Daily, Snow Depth, and Satellite Imagery to help you plan safer tours. Check out our primer on how to use maps to help avoid avalanches for a refresher.

Trails for alpine skiing, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, fatbiking, uphill skiing, and snowmobiling are indicated by line type. And now you can also distinguish trail activity type thanks to icons right on the trails themselves.

Gaia Winter is Available with a Premium Membership

Gaia Winter is available on the web and in the Gaia GPS app with a Gaia GPS Premium membership. To access this map, visit the layers menu and search for “Gaia Winter.” Or from the layers menu, select “Topo Maps.” Scroll down and tap “Gaia Winter.” Tap the “Add Layer” button. Learn how to add and manage overlays here.

A Premium Membership also gives you access to Gaia GPS’s entire map catalog, including a suite of avalanche safety maps. These include Slope Angle, Avalanche Forecast, recent satellite imagery, Snow Stations (Daily), Snow Depth, and snow forecast maps. Read up on how to use maps to help avoid avalanche danger.

Plus, with Premium, you can layer maps together. For example, you can place the Slope Angle map on top of Gaia Winter to find the best low-angle terrain. And you can download your maps (including Gaia Winter) for use without cell service, as well as print maps so you always have a backup.

Take winter to the next level. Join Gaia GPS Premium with Outside+ to get one subscription to fuel all your adventures, thanks to access to Trailforks Pro, Outside, SKI, Trail Runner, Outside Watch, and more.

January 11, 2023

Gaia GPS New Features New Maps

Our Favorite New Maps and Features

by Abby Levene December 23, 2022

written by Abby Levene

As our community dreamed up more routes, downloaded more maps, and covered more miles than ever before, our team remained hard at work making Gaia GPS even better for your adventures. Here’s a look at our favorite maps, features, and updates we launched this year. We’re counting down, 12 days of Christmas style.

12. Map Packs (Beta): A Totally New Way to Map

To put the best of our 300+ maps in your hands, right now, we’ve totally redesigned our mapping interface. Meet map packs.

Enable this new beta feature available on iOS and get the best map presets curated by the Gaia GPS team. Whether you’re visiting a national park with your family, backpacking a long trail, or skiing in the backcountry, just tap the map pack crafted specifically for your adventure to put the right maps on your screen

Or create your own map pack so you can always have your favorite map combinations at your fingertips. Explore map packs.

11. Gaia Classic: The Map That Never Goes Out of Style

Or maybe you’ve found yourself yelling at our cartographers, “why or why can’t I see the contour lines in this blazing sun!?”

Check out our new map, Gaia Classic.

10. Gaia GPS Master Classes: Map Like a Pro

We’re the first to admit there’s a bit of a learning curve to mastering the breadth and depth of gaiagps.com and our app. That’s why we teamed up with Outside Learn to bring you two master classes. Find the best of our 300+ maps for your adventures. Learn how to take your maps offline. Layer maps together to unlock more terrain detail. Reroute on the fly. Share your routes with friends and family. Discover our top hacks. It’s all here. Take these two courses to brush up on your mapping skills and to get the most of the app.

Take Gaia GPS 101 and Gaia GPS Advanced.

9. Wildfire Maps: Spot Fires Faster

This update is lit. You can now spot wildfires on the Wildfire map as soon as they appear on InciWeb, the government website that tracks wildfire information for the public. Our cartographers also added wildfire labels right onto wildfires themselves for easy viewing. Plus, we expanded our smoke forecast maps coverage to include Alaska and Canada.

Check out the enhanced Wildfire and Smoke Forecast maps.

8. Snowmobile Trails Map: Discover Global Sledding Trails

Planning snowmobile routes and navigating across the snow has never been easier. Find sledding trails across the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia with our new Snowmobile Trails map. We’ve pulled together trail data from local, state, and federal sources to bring you some of the most comprehensive sledding coverage in the world.

Easily spy trail networks to build routes and find your way in the field. When available, see key details like trail width, grooming status, restricted access areas, and difficulty ratings. Plus, find warming huts, gas stations, and snowmobile shops.

Try out the Snowmobile Trails map.

7. Android Auto: Navigate from the Dash

We’ve revamped Gaia GPS on Android Auto so you can manipulate the map, record tracks, and drop waypoints all from your dashboard. Just connect your phone to your car display and navigate with your favorite Gaia GPS maps like Gaia Overland, MVUMs, hi-res global satellite imagery, and National Geographic Trails Illustrated—all from the luxury of the wide screen.

From expanded map controls to clearer visibility, here are the major updates. And if you’re on iOS, check out Apple CarPlay.

6. Slope Angle: Stay Safer with Highest-Res Map

Scout avalanche terrain easier than ever before. We’ve updated our Slope Angle map with the latest highest resolution 1-meter LIDAR DEM data from the USGS. This data is the gold standard for slope angle shading, rendering our Slope Angle map crisper and clearer for your winter adventures.

Whatever your objective and mode of travel, you can now enjoy the highest resolution slope angle data, wherever it’s available. Check out the updated Slope Angle map.

5. Rec.Gov: Make Campsite Reservations from the Map

Find the perfect campsite in Gaia Topo, and then reserve it right from the map. The ultimate tool for reserving public campsites in the US is now accessible right from our app and gaiagps.com. In addition to reservations, recreation.gov gives you every detail you could possibly want about a campsite. View photos to see if the campsite has the spectacular mountain view. Find out how many cars are allowed, and if pets and campfires are permitted. Even see if there’s a fire ring or a grill.

Learn more about our rec.gov integration.

4. Trailforks MTB Map: Discover the Best Bike Trails

Trailforks’ coveted mountain bike trail database is now in Gaia GPS! Discover brand new routes, get the beta on trail conditions, and easily spy trails based on type and difficulty level with this new map.

Trailforks, a trail management system, catalogs trail networks around the world. The crowd-sourced database and moderated site provides the most accurate and comprehensive trail data available. And now you can get all 361,392 Trailforks mountain bike trails around the globe right in the Gaia GPS app and on gaiagps.com.

Check out the Trailforks MTB map.

3. Planning Tools: Easily Dream Up Your Own Routes

Creating your own adventures in Gaia GPS got even easier—and more fun. Meet our new route editing tools, here to let you quickly fix any mistakes or changes of heart, automatically out-and-back any one-way route, send your route back to the start, and reverse your route direction.

You asked, and we listened. We added these route editing tools so that you can explore our maps with even more abandon, knowing you can painlessly erase any route-building mistakes and let our planning tools handle the tedious tasks. Enjoy these tools on Android and on the big screen at gaiagps.com. To put the cherry on top of this route creation cake, we’ve added keyboard shortcuts to the web so you can perform any of these tasks without even touching your mouse, making it even easier to carry on route building with our smart snap-to-trail planning tools.

Explore the new planning tools.

2. OpenSnow Weather: Localized Forecasts at a Tap

While we can’t supply a crystal ball, we can supply the weather for exactly where you’re going, exactly where you need it—right on the map. We partnered with OpenSnow, the leading resource for backcountry weather, to bring you hyper-localized weather forecasts that you can access at a tap.

Just tap anywhere on the map, anywhere in the world, and get the current weather plus the forecast right in Gaia GPS. Learn more about weather at-a-tap.

1. Gaia Overland Map: World’s Best Offroading Map

Ditch the crowds with Gaia Overland, the best overlanding map you can put right on your vehicle’s dashboard. MVUM, USFS, public land boundaries—it’s all in here. Designed in-house for planning big routes, navigating tricky terrain, and rerouting on the fly, Gaia Overland is the definitive map for all of your overlanding, offroading, and motorized adventures.

Modeled after our proprietary Gaia Topo map, Gaia Overland comes with the same crystal-clear resolution and download efficiency you know and love from Gaia GPS. But it puts everything for motorized travel first. Whether you’re embarking on a multi-day expedition or just heading to a remote trailhead, use Gaia Overland to get you there efficiently and (relatively) effortlessly.

Check out Gaia Overland.

It Wouldn’t Be the Holidays Without a Few Bonuses

Permitted Rivers Map

This map overlay shows you all the rivers that require a permit to raft or kayak. Tap to learn the river’s name, see permit information, and get the link to a permit application. Check out the Permitted Rivers map here.

Customized Waypoints

You can now change the color of waypoint borders. Use these colors of the rainbow to classify and categorize your waypoints to your heart’s desire. Learn more about all of the ways to use waypoints here.

Ski Resort Reports Map

From Aspen to Zermatt, get conditions for ski resorts around the globe in Gaia GPS. Ski areas with fresh snow light up on our new Ski Resort Reports map. See snow totals and weather readings. Find out how many trails are open. Even read the resort’s daily report, all right within the app and on gaiagps.com. Explore the Ski Resort Reports map here.

December 23, 2022

Gaia GPS New Maps

Spy Avalanche Terrain with Higher Res Slope Angle Map

by Abby Levene December 14, 2022

written by Abby Levene

Gaia GPS users primarily use our Slope Angle map in winter to avoid avalanche-prone terrain. But hikers, mountaineers, and bikepackers use it year-round to find the easiest path over mountain passes. Photographers and adventurers turn to this map to find unique rock features and waterfalls. Whatever your objective and mode of travel, you can now enjoy the highest resolution slope angle data, wherever it’s available.

Meet the Slope Angle Gold Standard: Lidar

Last year, we developed our Slope Angle map in-house and tapped into the US Geological Survey’s 3D Elevation Program and NASA’s Digital Elevation Model. These sources allowed us to expand our coverage globally, integrate high-resolution data, and fine-tune color details.

Now we’ve updated the map even further with the best data available on the planet: LIDAR DEM. Harnessing a laser scanner, Global Positioning System (GPS), and Inertial Navigation System (INS), Light Detection and Ranging (lidar) technology produces high-resolution models of ground elevation within an accuracy of 10 centimeters, or four inches. This means our Slope Angle map contains more accurate data than ever before while also pulling out more of those smaller terrain details that can be easy to miss.

Lidar Coverage Continues to Spread Across the US

The updated Slope Angle map uses the latest lidar data wherever it’s available. Check out the map above for a full view of lidar coverage. As you can see on the map, avalanche-prone regions in the northeast, California, and the Pacific Northwest enjoy excellent lidar coverage.

We’re still waiting for the USGS to supply full lidar coverage of the mountain west. The USGS hopes to complete its collection of lidar data for all of the U.S. and its territories soon; see the status map. Thanks to its high cloud cover and remoteness, Alaska uses Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (IfSAR) instead.

Graded Color Style Picks up the Details

A continuous color ramp shows terrain changes in a graded fashion, making terrain features a snap to read on the map.

The map emphasizes 30 to 45-degree zones in orange and red colors, recognizing and calling your attention to the fact that these slopes comprise the starting zone for most avalanches. Less steep terrain—in the 20 to 25-degree range—is highlighted in green. Slopes steeper than 45 degrees are shaded in greyscale colors to point out the steepest terrain on the map. The grey shading also helps people with red/green confusion color blindness see the map details.

Identify Avalanche Terrain Worldwide

While LIDAR DEM does not cover the entire US, our Slope Angle map continues to provide not just country-wide, but also worldwide coverage using the highest quality data available from the US Geological Survey’s 3D Elevation Program and NASA’s Digital Elevation Model.

Whether you’re backcountry skiing the bowls or snowmobiling deep into the forest, add the Slope Angle layer to your favorite global base map like Gaia Winter or Satellite Imagery to help plan safer winter routes through the backcountry.

Keep in mind that you can tweak the opacity of the Slope Angle overlay to your needs. Turn the opacity down to reveal underlying terrain details, or dial it up to more clearly view slope steepness.

Warnings and Limitations

Avalanche forecasting uses many tools to analyze avalanche risk in the field. Slope shading is best used for a big-picture overview of terrain. All slope angle maps, including the updated Slope Angle layer, fail to show micro terrain such as small starting zones. Snow features like wind pillows and cornices will not be on the map.

Be prepared to use an inclinometer and other on-the-ground assessments in the field in addition to the slope angle map. Change your plans accordingly if the terrain does not match up to the data depicted on the slope angle layer.

Educate yourself about avalanche and snow safety before traveling in any areas prone to avalanches. For more information on how slope angle maps are made, see Jeff Deems’ presentation about how these map overlays are made from the 2019 Colorado Snow and Avalanche Workshop or the article “Digital Mapping: Do You Know What Your Map Knows?” in September 2020 issue of The Avalanche Review.

How to Get the Slope Angle Map

The Slope Angle layer is available with a Gaia GPS premium membership. To access the layer, visit the layers menu, and select the “Features/Weather Overlays” tab. Scroll down and tap “Slope Angle.” Tap the “Add Layer“ button. Learn how to add and manage overlays here.

Pair this map with other useful backcountry skiing maps available with a Premium membership on Gaia GPS. Read up on how to use maps, including the slope angle layer, to help avoid avalanche danger.

December 14, 2022

Backcountry Skiing Gaia GPS New Features New Maps

Find the Deepest, Lightest Powder with the Snow Stations (Daily) Map

by Mary Cochenour November 8, 2022

written by Mary Cochenour

Find the freshest, lightest, and deepest snow for your next winter adventure with the Snow Stations (Daily) map. This map taps into hundreds of remote SNOTEL and Canadian weather sensors to show just how much snow fell over the last 24 hours in mountain zones around the west. The map also provides water density readings to give you a sense of whether the new snow stacks up light and dry like Montana’s famous cold smoke or wet and heavy like Sierra cement.

No more trial-and-error in driving up to the pass or trailhead to hunt down the best snow conditions. Backcountry skiers, snowboarders, and snowmobilers can simply check the Snow Stations (Daily) map before heading out the door to get a real-time look at conditions on peaks and passes in the Western US and British Columbia. View this map with a Premium Membership on the web and in the Gaia GPS app when connected to the internet or cell service. This map relies on constant updates and is not available for downloading.

Real-Time Snow Data

two cell phones showing the snow stations daily map with information on snow totals

The Snow Stations (Daily) map helps you find the freshest snow conditions by pulling data from almost a thousand United States Department of Agriculture SNOTEL sites and British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development weather stations. Updated once every hour, these weather stations send out real-time information on total snow depth, snow water content, 24-hour change in snow totals, and more.

the legend showing what each color-coded snowflake represents on the Snow Stations Daily map. Orange and red snowflakes represent loss of snow. Black is no change in snow. Green and Blue show snow gain.

Find the location of all the SNOTEL and Canadian weather stations near you by looking for color-coded snowflake icons on the map. Each snowflake represents a remote weather station and the color of the snowflake indicates how much snow has fallen or melted in the last 24-hour reporting period.

Click on the icons to get more information about the location of the site and the weather conditions in that area. A pop-up will show the name, elevation, and the date and time the weather station last sent an update. View snow depth totals, 24-hour change in snow, and snow water equivalent changes within the last 24 hours. The link within the information pop-up on the map takes you to the weather station’s page, where you can learn more specifics about the sensor’s exact location and the maximum, minimum, and average temperature readings at the site for the last seven days, month, or a customized time frame of your choosing.

Location of Snow Stations (Daily)

You’ll find stations located in the most remote areas of Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, and British Columbia, Canada. The weather stations were originally placed in these watersheds in the 1960s as a way to measure and forecast water availability for agricultural use. The SNOTEL sites quickly developed into a climate resource for backcountry enthusiasts. Skiers, snowboarders, mountaineers, and snowmobilers keep a close eye on conditions by referencing SNOTEL data. Hikers, bikepackers, and backpackers are equally interested in learning about spring, summer, and fall temperature readings and precipitation activity for backcountry areas they plan to visit.

How to Get the Snow Stations (Daily) Map

The Snow Stations (Daily) map is available in the app and online with a Premium Membership. Tap the layers icon from the Gaia GPS app on your phone or in your account on the web and select the “Add map layers” button. Scroll down and tap the “Feature /Weather Overlays” and select “Snow Stations Daily.” Tap the “+” icon to add it to your active map layers.

Layer this map on top of your favorite basemap, like Gaia Topo, USGS Topo, or even satellite imagery maps. Use the 24-, 48-, and 72- hour Precipitation layers to see what weather is predicted to come your way. Take a look at the Snow Depth layer to get a picture of how much snow is already on the ground. Always check in with the Avalanche Forecast map before heading out of cell service range.

November 8, 2022

Gaia GPS New Maps

Activate Snow Mode with Gaia Winter

by Abby Levene October 26, 2022

written by Abby Levene

The world’s best backcountry navigation app is now available in winter mode! Ride the lifts, tour the backcountry, and explore nordic, fat bike, and snowshoe trails with confidence thanks to the all-new Gaia Winter topographic map.

Our in-house cartographers designed this new base map specifically for your favorite winter activities. A stronger emphasis on terrain, tree cover, and contours make it easy to navigate in an endless world of white. A special “winter” color palette pairs perfectly with our suite of winter maps, including Avalanche Forecast, Slope Angle, Snow Depth, Snow Stations (Daily), and 24, 48, and 72-hour Snow Forecast maps. Plus, see every run at the ski resort, along with nordic, snowshoe, fat bike, and uphill trails.

Just like our original Gaia Topo, Gaia Winter comes with industry-leading download efficiency. A tiny file size and lightning-quick download speeds let you save your entire state so you can always have a map on hand, even when you lose cell service. Whether you’re riding the lifts, sliding into the side country, or touring untouched terrain, bring Gaia Winter along with you so that you can always find your location — and your way back.

Get All the Ski Resort Maps in One Place

You always have the ski resort map in your pocket with Gaia Winter. If you get lost on the trails, just pull up the map to see exactly where you are. Zoom in to any ski resort to see all the ski trails, represented by thick, partially transparent lines.

Runs are color-coded by the corresponding difficulty level: green for easiest, blue for intermediate, and black for difficult. The most difficult and “extreme” terrain (double black diamonds) is shaded in orange. You’ll also see the names of the trails.

Whether you’re trying to avoid getting stuck on the cat tracks or want to stay off the bumps, use Gaia Winter to pick your best line down the hill. Chairlifts are easy to spot in red. We’ve added the chairlift names to make it even easier to place yourself on the map.

When you’re ready for lunch, consult Gaia Winter to find a lodge nearby. Easily spot major hotels, highlighted on the map in blue. Check out the best après ski options in town, as well as gas stations and grocery stores, all highlighted in orange. Record your tracks in the app so you can relive the day’s adventures. Pro tip: check out your tracks in 3D mode on gaiagps.com!

Explore Nordic, Snowshoe, and Fat Bike Trails

In addition to downhill ski resorts, Gaia Winter shows other trails designed for snow travel. Nordic trails are represented as thinner solid lines. They’re also color-coded by the corresponding difficulty level. Zoom in or click on a trail to see its name.

Dotted trails with highlighting denote snowshoe, fat bike, and uphill trails. Click on a trail to get more details, including distance and elevation gain.

Designed for the Demands of Winter

Gaia Winter immediately sets a seasonal tone with a winter-themed color scheme. The blue-grey palette also makes Gaia Winter easy to distinguish from the greens and browns of our classic base map, Gaia Topo.

At a zoomed-out level, the landscape appears pale blue, with mountainous and forested areas in shades of pale mint green. Once you zoom in, tree shading appears in a pale mint green, while exposed surfaces look white. Rivers and bodies of water appear ice blue.

Tour the backcountry with confidence thanks to a stronger emphasis on terrain, tree cover, and contour lines. The mountains pop out of the map, helping you scout the best uphill and ski lines. See exactly where treeline ends so you can find powdery bowls and untracked glades. Hiking, mountain bike, and other three-season trails are deemphasized to make it even easier to see ski, snowshoe, and fat bike trails.

Streamlined Integration with Winter Maps

Gaia Winter showing Jackson Hole overlayed with the Slope Angle map.

This less-diverse color palette also serves a functional purpose. Gaia Winter is expertly styled to pair perfectly with our suite of winter maps. Whether you’re accessing the side country from the resort or going out for an all-day backcountry tour, layer the Slope Angle map over Gaia Winter to find low-angle terrain. Pair the Avalanche Forecast maps over Gaia Winter to clearly see which zones are green, signifying the lowest rating for avalanche risk.

And of course, don’t forget to check out our snowfall map layers, including Snow Stations (Daily), to get 24-hour snowfall reports for remote mountain areas in the western US and British Columbia. View water density readings to see if the snow is light like Wasatch powder or heavy like Sierra cement. Get more information on snow conditions in the Lower 48 and find areas holding the deepest snow with the Snow Depth layer. Plus, check the snow forecast straight from NOAA with 24-, 48-, and 72-hour Snowfall Forecast overlays.

Navigate at Night with Dark Mode

Just like Gaia Topo, Gaia Winter also comes in Dark Mode. Save your eyes and your battery life by switching to Dark mode at night. Dark Mode inverts the traditional color scheme, giving you a gorgeous aesthetic that produces less ambient light. The map appears dark grey, while trails and icons pop in fluorescent colors.

For an even better viewing experience, enable the Dark Mode responsive Gaia Topo map and your eyes will thank you. To turn on this feature, go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Appearance. Then, tap “Dark” to set the display to Dark Mode. Gaia GPS will automatically adjust its own display settings to match. To ensure that your screen settings are always suited to your environment, tap “Automatic” under “Display & Brightness” to sync up Dark Mode with sunset and sunrise. You can also set it to adjust according to a schedule of your own choosing.

Gaia Winter is Available with a Premium Membership

October 26, 2022

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