custom maps Archives

Customize Paper Maps with Gaia GPS

by Julien Friedland October 15, 2019

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.

October 15, 2019

Gaia GPS Hunting New Maps

Stay Prepared during Wildfire Season with New Current Wildfires Overlay

by Robyn Martin September 4, 2018

written by Robyn Martin

With the new ‘US Wildfire – Current’ overlay, Premium Members can view current fire conditions before heading out on the trail. In addition, use the existing ‘US Wildfire – Historic’ overlay to view areas that were previously affected by wildfires.

Already have Premium? Follow these steps to add new maps, like the US Wildfire Overlays.

Disclaimer: The US Wildfire – Current’ overlay is updated daily as new data is made available by the USGS, but many fire boundaries will be out of date or incorrect, and recent fires may not have been added yet. Use of this map layer for any purpose is at your own risk, and Trailbehind Inc (maker of Gaia GPS) is not responsible for any actions you take based on the information contained in any map.

Use the “US Wildfire – Current” Overlay to Stay Informed

You’ll find the “US Wildfires – Current” overlay in the Feature/Weather Overlays category of the map manger. It can be used whenever you have an internet connection and gets updated daily by the USGS. Reference the map before leaving home to check for actively burning wildfires.

Layer the ‘US Wildfire – Current’ overlay atop any of your favorite map sources, like Gaia Topo, USGS Topo, or USFS 2016. You can use this information to follow up with the local rangers station for closures and trail conditions in the area.

Layer the US Wildfire-Current overlay with USFS 2016 to view active wildfire for an area.

US Wildfire-Current over USFS 2016

Shaded red displays current burn areas. Tap the area and click the Info icon to view more details about the fires size, name, and Inciweb id which you can use to look up more information about the burn.

Use Gaia GPS to Check for Historical Wildfires

In addition to the current Wildfires map, you can also find historical wildfire information with the ‘US Wildfires – Historical’ overlay. This map layer updates bi-annually and shows you a record of past wildfires, the year they burned, and acreage of the fire. Overlaying this data with map sources like Gaia Topo will queue you to important trail conditions you may need to prepare for.

Even after fires blow through an area, land managers can keep trails closed for weeks or even years. Much of the Columbia River Gorge area in Mount Hood National Forest remains closed in the aftermath of the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire due to fallen trees and other hazards. Cleared areas may still have widow makers (dangle branches) or dead trees with rotted roots along a trail which are especially dangerous in high winds.

Contact the ranger district for the area you are exploring for up-to-date conditions for the area.

Layer the US Wildfire -Historic overlay with Gaia Topo to view past fires in an area.

US Wildfire – Historic over Gaia Topo

Third Party Resources

Use the following resources to get more information about current wildfires:

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) provides detailed information on its USFS Public Fire Information page with specific wildfire data and additional web resources to stay aware.
InciWeb shows incident information from multiple management agencies. Use the InciWeb ID listed in the fire details page to find details on fires near you.
Research the air quality before heading outside will make the hike more enjoyable, your lungs will thank you. Wind can carry smoke across states causing haze. Firesmoke.ca provides a 51-hour forecast of North America’s conditions.
Check the local news source in the area you are headed for regional-specific closures and updates.

Feature photo by: Brian Miracle

September 4, 2018

Gaia GPS New Features New Maps

Import Custom Map Sources on gaiagps.com

by Ruthie Irvin June 28, 2016

written by Ruthie Irvin

Now available on gaiagps.com—import custom map sources directly to your online account with a TMS URL. Read here to learn more about finding a TMS URL.

Until now, only iOS users had the ability to add TMS sources to Gaia GPS, and doing so required testing the TMS URL, converting the data into a TileJSON file, then importing that file into the app via iTunes.

Using the gaiagps.com custom map source import feature, skip those steps—test the TMS source right from the website and save it to your account with the click of a button.

Add , View, and Manage Custom Map Sources

Find the Map Sources data summary page listed in the username drop-down menu on gaiagps.com. From there, you can navigate to the “add map source” form and manage your imported maps.

Click the “+ Import an External Map source” button to reach the form.

—found on https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/mapsources

Follow the instructions provided to format the TMS URL properly for import.

—Replace numbers in the TMS URL with the {x}/{y}/{z} variables in whichever order gives a correct preview directly below

You can preview the custom map source near Berkeley, CA by default, or input a different set of Lat/Long coordinates to view it for your preferred area.

If everything looks right, save the source to your account with a single click. You can always email support@gaiagps.com for help, too.

—If the preview looks good, click “Add this map source” to save the custom map to your account

Sync, File, and Share Custom Map Sources

Once you import a source, you can view, file, or share the import right from the Map Sources data summary page.

To view and download selections of the custom map source in Gaia GPS, run a sync from your device and then add it from the Imported category. To learn how to add map sources to view in the app, follow the instructions in these Help Center articles:

June 28, 2016