Tag:

gaia topo

Discover Adventure Easier Than Ever with New Map Spotlight

by Abby Levene July 27, 2023

written by Abby Levene

Gaia GPS provides the best backcountry maps in the world. (We’re not biased or anything.) Our proprietary Gaia Topo, Gaia Overland, and Gaia Winter maps equip backcountry travelers on foot, wheels, and skis with the information they need to adventure safely and confidently From trails color-coded by activity type to lands shaded by ownership, to amenities to points of interest, these maps have a lot of information packed in them. Honestly, it’s a lot to take in. (In the best way.) That’s where the map legend comes in.

The map legend cracks the code. And now the map legend is even easier to find, decipher, and use.

Meet our brand new interactive map spotlight on gaiagps.com. Simply click on a symbol and the map lights up, showing you the trails, amenities, or points of interest you’re looking for. Whether you’re searching for a waterfall, an ice cream shop, or a horseback riding trail, the spotlight puts the world at your fingertips.

Find Trails, Campsites, Amenities, and Much More

Gaia Topo, Gaia Overland, and Gaia Winter each contain over 100 icons, symbols, and trail types so you can find new trails, campgrounds, ski resorts, and beyond. Don’t worry, there’s no need to memorize them all! Whether you’re looking for hiking trails, peaks, or hot springs, backcountry skiing, viewpoints, or gas stations, the map legend spotlight will light them up on the map.

How to Use the Map Legend Spotlight

Just head over to gaiagps.com on your computer. (Trust us, the big screen is the optimal place for route planning.) Open up Gaia Topo, Gaia Overland, or Gaia Winter. And then click the map legend icon in the bottom right corner. The pop-out will automatically show you the symbols most prominently displayed in the region of the map on your screen. Hover over a symbol, and watch the map come to life.

Zoom in and out and pan around on the map to find other points of interest.

If you just want to look at the good old fashioned map legend, never fear. We have that too. View the entire map legend at once by clicking “View Layer Details” on the bottom of the map legend popout.

Map Spotlight is Available for Everyone on the Web

Anyone with a Gaia GPS account can take advantage of this shiny new feature on their computers at gaiagps.com. To access our premium maps such as Gaia Overland and Gaia Winter, upgrade to a Gaia GPS Premium or an Outside+ membership.

Gaia GPS Premium or Outside+ 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.

July 27, 2023

Overland rig drives on dirt road with mountains in the background.

Discover the Best Maps for Overlanding

by Chris Kracht September 13, 2022

written by Chris Kracht

Overlanding lets you get off the beaten path — if you know where to look. That’s where Gaia GPS comes in. Taking the best maps along for the ride ensures that you enjoy optimal freedom as you explore the backroads and beyond. Plan ahead on gaiagps.com/map and use the Gaia GPS app for navigating while in the field.

Gaia GPS has over 18 maps useful for offroading and overlanding. You can even connect Gaia GPS with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to bring the best outdoor maps directly to your vehicle’s dashboard navigation screen. Below, learn about the best maps for overlanding, including how and why you should use them.

Gaia Overland

Meet your new go-to map! Gaia Overland puts all the roads, trails, public land boundaries, and all the other info you need in one place. Designed in-house, Gaia Overland sources information from Open Street Map, US Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM), US Forest Service road and trail data, and BLM road and trail data to show you road surface type, vehicle constraints, closure info, road numbers, permitted vehicles, mileage markers, public land boundaries, and campsite info. Like our default base map Gaia Topo, Gaia Overland boasts an efficient download size. This means entire states can be downloaded for offline use, which is incredibly useful for overlanders who regularly travel long distances over the course of a trip.

USFS Roads and Trails

USFS Topo map of Lizard head Wilderness Area

pop up description of trail usage regulations for Black Mesa - 661

One of the best maps for offroading, the United States Forest Service (USFS) Roads and Trails layer indicates maintained routes, 4×4 trails, backroads, and little-known paths across U.S. national forests and grasslands.

USFS Roads and Trails often displays more roads and trails than any other map. Use this layer to find information on the road surface, maintenance level, and trail width. Click or tap on a road or trail for information on if it’s passenger vehicle-friendly and to find out the surface material. Additionally, color-coded trails indicate which activities, like hiking, biking, or motorized sports, are allowed on each trail. Just tap a trail to learn more.

MVUM – Motor Vehicle Use Maps

Motor Vehicle Use Map of Lizard Head Wilderness Area

pop up indicating vehicle use for Black Mesa - 611 road

The Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM) layer uses data from the Forest Service to bring vehicle-accessible roads to maximum visibility on the map. As a supplement to the USFS Roads and Trails layer, MVUM maps indicate which type of vehicles are allowed on a road or trail. It also provides information on seasonality, usage, and the condition of various roads. Just tap or click on the route to learn more.

The MVUM layer typically contains the most up-to-date information on which Forest Service roads are open to motor vehicles, which helps ensure you don’t break any rules or drive where you aren’t supposed to. Not all USFS lands have an MVUM, but this map data serves as the legal standard for trail access. Modeled off of paper maps MVUM makes it easy to compare and switch seamlessly between paper and digital.

Public Land

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The Public Land layer helps you find places to camp on BLM land, and identify land ownership like national parks and forests across the US. Pair the public lands layer with USFS to find free campsites as you travel off the grid.

Private Land

Avoid trespassing and double-check that your camp spot is on legal ground with the Private Land map. Place this transparent overlay on top of any base map, like Gaia Overland or Satellite Imagery, to see land boundaries and ownership. View ownership information and parcel sizes by clicking on the map.

Satellite Imagery

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Seeing a photographic overview of an area provides key details that topo maps leave out. Our suite of satellite imagery maps help you discover potential camping spots and small secondary trails that lead to open areas. These map give a clear view of the landscape, making it easy to scout out clearings for dispersed, unmarked, and/or hard-to-find campsites. Choose from maps with or without labels.

Cell Phone Use Coverage

Screen Shot 2020-08-26 at 10.10.28 AM.png

The Cell Phone Use Coverage map provides insight into whether you can access internet or send texts while exploring the back roads. Track where you can find cell service anywhere in the United States including Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. Find out where your network provides 3G and LTE coverage for AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and Southern Linc carriers.

USFS 2016

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The USFS 2016 map contains full, detailed topographic coverage of all 172 national forests and grasslands in the US. Easy-to-read Forest Service road numbers make route planning simple. This up-to-date, rasterized map available from the US Forest Service includes labeled trails, roads, and vegetation shading. Also plan hiking, backpacking, camping, off-roading, hunting, or fishing trips.

USFS Recreation Sites

Screen Shot 2020-08-25 at 9.23.10 AM.png

If you’re not looking for dispersed camping, the USFS Recreation Sites layer provides easily identifiable established campsites, visitor centers, trailheads, and other points of interest on national forests and grasslands throughout the U.S. Tap or click on a site to learn about fees, access restrictions, and more. This layer is particularly useful if you are arriving in a new area late at night and need to quickly find a campsite, or just want to find some things to do during the day near your base camp.

Explore More Maps for Overlanding

Wildfires (current)
View current fire conditions before heading out on the trail by using the current Wildfires layer over any base map. 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.

National Geographic Trails Illustrated
The National Geographic Trails Illustrated layer displays offroad trails, hiking trails and trailheads, camping locations, picnic areas, and more. It’s especially useful for visiting national parks with off-road trail access like Death Valley National Park.

USGS Topo
The USGS Topo layer includes the official topo maps from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Another detailed topographical map layer, it can be used in conjunction with the Gaia Topo layer to compare trails and points of interest.

Precipitation Forecast – Available in 24, 48, and 72-hour views
Precipitation forecasts help determine general weather patterns. This layer is great for overlanding because the nature of a dirt road can change drastically when it becomes wet; what may have been an easy drive on the way to camp may quickly turn impassable after a storm.

September 13, 2022

A screenshot of the Gaia GPS topo map showing the west Coast of the US has the region of Washington state highlighted.

Gaia GPS How-To New Features

How to Download an Entire State Map with Gaia Topo

by Mary Cochenour August 19, 2021

written by Mary Cochenour

Have you ever grabbed your backpack and rushed out the door only to find out at the trailhead that you forgot to download your digital maps to your phone? When this unfortunate event happens, digital maps in the app appear fuzzy and out-of-focus as soon as you leave cell service. We have a solution for you: Gaia Topo.

Recently redesigned, Gaia Topo lets you download huge swaths of land in a matter of minutes and without hogging up your phone’s precious storage space. Download an enormous wilderness area, a sprawling national park, or even your entire state — yes, the whole state — and never be caught without a downloaded topographic map again. Here’s how.

How to Download Gaia Topo for Offline Use

Downloading maps to your phone in Gaia GPS is easy and intuitive. Follow these steps to download your entire state, a park, or a wilderness area with Gaia Topo.

Membership. Make sure you have a Premium Membership to Gaia GPS to download maps. Gaia Topo is free to use. However, downloading maps for offline use requires a Premium Membership.
Select Gaia Topo as your map source. Open the Gaia GPS app. While viewing the map in the iOS or Android Gaia GPS app, click the Layers button at the upper right. Make sure to select Gaia Topo. Deselect all other maps sources for optimum download speed and size.
Navigate to the area you want to download. You can simply pan the map by swiping or you can search points of interest or trails using the magnifying glass search icon. Simply type in a point of interest in the area you want to download, such as a peak, a lake, or a city, and select one of the suggested locations to direct the map to the area.
Tap the “+” button. Tap the “+” button at the top of the screen and select “Download Maps”.
Select the area to download. After selecting “Download Maps,” you will be directed to the map, where you will see a red rectangle with blue dots at the corners. The area shaded by the red rectangle signifies what will be downloaded. Drag the blue dots at the corners of the red rectangle to make the area larger or smaller.
Download a state, national park, or wilderness area. You can create one large box that covers the entire state or piece together multiple downloads to be more precise if the area you are downloading is not a perfect rectangle. The latter approach helps keep file sizes smaller and download times quicker, but it does mean you’ll have to repeat steps 2 through 6 until you’ve downloaded the entire area to your satisfaction. Don’t worry about overlapping the red rectangles—Gaia GPS will not download both areas after you’ve already downloaded one.
Adjust the Max Zoom slide bar. To adjust the detail level for the map download. The higher the zoom (1:12,000), the more detail the map will have but also the larger the file will be. If you’re running out of room on your phone, reduce the zoom (1:1536000) to make a smaller file size. Learn more about zoom levels here.
Tap Save. Tap “Save” at the lower right side of your screen. A screen will pop up giving you the option to name your map and save it in a particular folder. Press “Save” again, this time in the upper righthand corner of the screen. The download begins, at which point the app goes back to the main map. To watch the progress of your download, tap on the Download Status spinning wheel icon towards the upper left of the main map in the iOS app. In the Android app, tap the Saved icon, then select Downloads from the menu.

Gaia Topo: Quick and Tiny to Download

Downloading maps is crucial to your adventure game because it lets you view maps and navigate in areas without cell service. Traditionally, downloading large areas of the map soaked up a lot of time and phone storage. But the completely retooled Gaia Topo takes the sting out of this process.

Hand curated and optimized for efficient downloads, Gaia Topo delivers minuscule download times and file sizes all while improving its style and detail. The chart below gives examples of download times and file sizes for large areas of the map. Of course, downloads speeds may vary depending on the size of the area downloaded, the zoom level selected, and internet speed.

A screenshot shoes download size and speeds for various states.

Create Snap-to-Trail Routes from Anywhere

An added bonus of downloading the map for your entire state: you can now create snap-to-trail routes in areas without cell service. When you create a route in the field, snap-to-trail automatically follows the contours of the trail for you. This gives you the most accurate distance and elevation metrics available and builds your route quickly and precisely. Enjoy this seamless route planning tool with your Android and iOS devices, from anywhere at any time. No wifi or cell service needed.

If you’ve already downloaded the map for your entire state but would like to access snap-to-trail route planning offline, you will need to redownload the map. Here’s how to do so:

Delete the map from your Gaia GPS account.
Select the area you would like to download.
Make sure “Include data to create and navigate routes offline” is toggled ON.
Download your map, and you are good to go!

Ready for an Adventure Offline

Once Gaia Topo is downloaded, you will able to access the map even when your phone is completely offline and in airplane mode so you can locate yourself on the map, create routes, create and edit waypoints to mark important spots like campsites and water sources, and record tracks and follow them back.

Gaia Topo is free to use on gaiagps.com and on your mobile device through the Gaia GPS app. The free version allows you to view the map, plan a route, and search for trails all while connected to the internet. However, you will need a Gaia GPS membership to be able to download maps for offline use.

Try a Gaia GPS Premium Membership to tap into a limited number of maps within the Gaia GPS catalog. The Premium Membership unlocks the entire Gaia GPS map catalog, allowing you to layer and download multiple maps sources at one time. View the maps together to get a complete picture of the terrain you will encounter on your next adventure.

August 19, 2021

Gaia GPS New Features

Find the Best Trails for Your Activity with Gaia Topo Color Coded Trails

by Abby Levene July 29, 2021

written by Abby Levene

Discover the preeminent trails around the world to hike, bike, off-road, and horseback ride with new color-coded trails in Gaia Topo. Trails on our worldwide map are now clearly marked to show you which activities are allowed at your next destination.

Hikers can find peaceful trails unencumbered by mountain bikes and four-wheelers. And conversely, mountain bikers and offroaders can easily see where they’re permitted. Read on to learn how to use this fresh update to find the perfect trail for you.

Get Worldwide Trail Information from Gaia Topo

Whether you’re hiking, biking, or overlanding, Gaia Topo gives you detailed information for trails around the world. Now color-coding make it easy to quickly identify if your activity is permitted on a specific trail. Pull up the Gaia Topo legend to see what each color represents, or just tap on the trail to learn more.

Gray = foot travel is the only known permitted activity
Green = Horses allowed
Red = Bicycles allowed
Purple = Motorized vehicles allowed

When you select a trail, a pop-up displays more information, including the trail name, all of the allowed uses, and the trail specifications and characteristics.

Gaia Topo: Tiny and Fast to Download

Richer detail and styling improvements keep making Gaia Topo better and better. Best of all, these updates don’t compromise Gaia Topo’s bedrock feature — downloading efficiency. You can expect the same industry-leading download speeds and tiny sizes that you’re used to seeing from Gaia Topo’s revolutionary design.

Downloading maps prevails as a key feature for all recreationists, regardless of activity. Download the map for your entire state and navigate offline, even when you’re far away from service. Whether you’re overloading across multiple states, sightseeing in a vast national park, or backpacking across hundreds of miles of wilderness, you can still download one huge section of the Gaia Topo map to cover your entire journey.

How to Get Color Coded Trails on Gaia Topo

Gaia Topo is available to everyone for free online and in the app. Go to gaiagps.com on the web or open up the Gaia GPS map to see the updated color-coded trails. If you’ve already downloaded the maps for this area or you don’t see the color-coded trails, remove and re-add the Gaia Topo map source (iOS/Android). And be sure to get a Premium membership to download Gaia Topo and take it anywhere in the world — with or without cell service.

July 29, 2021

Phone screenshot of new NPS POIs in Gaia Topo.

Gaia GPS New Features

15,000 New National Park Points of Interest Added to Gaia Topo

by Abby Levene June 16, 2021

written by Abby Levene

From canoeing the Rio Grande in Big Bend to finding the perfect lunch spot in Yellowstone, you can find all the amenities for your next national park trip right in the newly updated Gaia Topo. We’ve added 14,633 National Park Service points of interest to the map so you can easily take advantage of all of the opportunities these natural playgrounds have to offer.

Whether you’re looking for the visitor’s center, a designated campsite to pitch your tent, or a historical site to explore, you can find these points of interest and many more right in our flagship map you know and love.

Find Food Lockers, Remote Trailheads, Campsites, and more

From finding the fee station at the start of your trip all the way to snapping a family photo by a scenic overlook, Gaia Topo is here to guide you through your journey. We’ve added 1,745 trailheads to the map so you can get off the beaten path.

Get a conditions report at the ranger’s station or visitor’s center. We’ve added 345 rangers stations and 590 visitor’s centers so you can always find the closest one. You’ll also see an additional 214 canoe launch spots and 363 food lockers around the country. You can even find the best place to camp. Discover an additional 2,155 campsites, clearly labeled with the tent “camping” symbol.

If you’re backpacking through bear country, see where to store your food in the 363 food lockers added to the map. Exploring the park by bus? Find the nearest bus stop thanks to the addition of 246 stops. Add an educational dimension to your family trip; explore 703 more historic sites now on the map. Or enjoy park ranger interpretive talks and presentations at the amphitheaters now in Gaia Topo.

Skip the Paper Maps

Two iPhone screenshots show NPS Visitor Maps layer in Gaia GPS.

No need to stop at the kiosk for the paper park map. Get the NPS Visitor Map right on your phone instead. Sourced from the National Park Service, the NPS Visitor maps highlight all of the features you’ll want to have on hand when sightseeing and exploring national parks. Pick out where to stop along your route with labels for amenities, trails, roads, and natural features. Use the black square icons to identify campgrounds, picnic areas, restrooms, boat launches, ranger stations, and more. Pair the NPS Visitor Map with Gaia Topo to navigate the park with ease.

For even more detailed national parks maps, check out our extensive list of National Geographic Trails Illustrated titles. NatGeo Trails Illustrated maps are crafted in conjunction with local land managers and undergo rigorous review and enhancement. They include detailed topographic information, clearly marked trails, recreational points of interest, and navigational aids.

Both the NPS Visitor and NatGeo Trails Illustrated maps are available with a Gaia GPS Premium membership.

And finally, learn more about the place you’re visiting with the Native Land Territories map. Created by the Canadian non-profit Native Land Digital , this map marks traditional Indigenous territories across the Americas and beyond. Many outdoor recreation areas, including national parks and wilderness areas, exist on lands where Indigenous tribes were forcefully removed. The Native Land Territories map provides a starting point for deepening understanding of those Indigenous nations’ people, history, and culture.

Screenshot of Native Land Territories map on gaiagps.com.

Gaia Topo is Available to Everyone

Access Gaia Topo on the web at www.gaiagps.com/map/ and in the Gaia GPS app on both Android and iOS. With Gaia Topo you can search for hikes in your area, record tracks in the field, and create a custom route on the map for free. Create a free account to save your routes and tracks so you can revisit them later.

Get a premium membership to download Gaia Topo and take the map offline with you in areas without cell service. A Premium Membership also gives you access to Gaia GPS’s entire map catalog. Download hundreds of maps, including National Geographic Trails Illustrated, high-resolution satellite maps, weather overlays, and government-issued topo maps like USFS topo, all the USGS quad maps, and MVUMs.

June 16, 2021

iPhone screenshot showing BLM land in Gaia Topo.

App Updates Gaia GPS How-To

Find Free Camping with Updated Gaia Topo

by Abby Levene June 9, 2021

written by Abby Levene

Nothing says summer like eating s’mores in the woods and sleeping under the stars. With 10 million new campers in the US last year, the catch is finding where to go. Newly updated Gaia Topo now includes all BLM land — where you can find places to camp for free and without a reservation.

If you don’t mind foregoing amenities, BLM and other public land provide a trove of private and peaceful campsites for you to enjoy. Our flagship map now clearly shows all 248 million acres of BLM-managed public land, as well as expanded state public lands. Highlighting these public lands in the map that you know and love means you can navigate the forest roads, avoid trespassing, and find the best dispersed camping all in one map.

Read on to learn how to spot BLM and state-owned lands in Gaia Topo. You’ll also master how to use the map to find the best free campsites.

Camp for Free and Without a Reservation on Dispersed Sites

A tent with a sleeping bag and mat next to it in the desert.

Dispersed camping simply means camping outside of a designated campground. This includes everything from pulling your car up to a fire pit on the side of a forest service road, to cowboy camping next to the trail during your backpacking trip. Dispersed campsites don’t include the typical amenities of a campground, such as running water, bathrooms, and a camp host. But they do generally afford more privacy and seclusion. Plus, you can find a dispersed campsite at the last minute, and it won’t cost you a penny.

Once you’re prepared from safety and comfort perspectives, dispersed camping can provide a peaceful getaway for even the biggest procrastinator. The catch is that you can’t just camp anywhere you wish. Much of BLM land around the country allows for dispersed camping, as does National Forest Land. You can find these areas using the freshly updated Gaia Topo.

Full BLM Land Coverage Now in Gaia Topo

You can now easily see BLM, state, and locally-managed land right in Gaia Topo. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land accounts for 248 million acres of public land. That’s over 10% of American soil. State and local entities own an additional 199 million acres, accounting for another 8.7% of the US. We’ve expanded both BLM and state land coverage, as well as made these areas easier to spot in the map.

Recognize BLM land by its yellow shading in Gaia Topo. Be on the lookout for BLM land especially when you’re traveling out west, where most BLM land is located. National Forest Land, Wilderness Areas, and other locally managed lands are now shaded in hues of green. Check out the Gaia Topo Legend for a full list of color-coded public lands in the map.

Zoom in on BLM land to see the field office that manages that parcel of land. When you zoom into state and locally managed land, you’ll see if it’s state trust land, state forest, or another publicly accessible state-managed land area.

Find Dispersed Camping on Public Land

iPhone screenshot of Gaia Topo shows BLM land shaded in yellow.

Use Gaia Topo to find dispersed camping on BLM, National Forest, and other public lands. Dispersed campsites tend to be in undeveloped areas, yet right along county and forest service roads. These sites are usually quite accessible for car camping yet feel remote.

To find dispersed campsites, look for BLM and National Forest Land with access roads in less developed areas. Chances are you will find a place to camp. Dispersed campsites are usually marked by a fire ring. Check the BLM website, call the field office, or inquire at the ranger’s station to make sure dispersed camping is allowed in the area.

Choose a pre-existing campsite if possible, and camp at least 200 feet away from water sources. Of course, leave no trace rules apply to dispersed camping. Make sure you practice the seven LNT principles. And only build a fire if permitted in the area during that time. Check the local county or state website to see if a fire ban is in place.

To ensure you can navigate and find a campsite even if you drive out of cell service, download your map for offline use. Gaia Topo’s tiny file size makes this easy to do without taking up too much storage space on your phone. In fact, you can download the map for the entire state just to be safe.

Gaia Topo is Available to Everyone

Access Gaia Topo on the web at www.gaiagps.com/map/ and in the Gaia GPS app on both Android and iOS. With Gaia Topo you can search for hikes in your area, record tracks in the field, and create a custom route on the map for free. Create a free account to save your routes and tracks so you can revisit them later.

Get a premium membership to download Gaia Topo and take the map offline with you in areas without cell service. A Premium Membership also gives you access to Gaia GPS’s entire map catalog. Download hundreds of maps, including National Geographic Trails Illustrated, high-resolution satellite maps, weather overlays, and government issued topo maps like USFS topo, all the USGS quad maps, and MVUMs.

June 9, 2021

Gaia GPS

Gaia GPS Year in Review: CarPlay plus New Maps and Features for the Best Backcountry Navigation

by Mary Cochenour December 28, 2020

written by Mary Cochenour

Let’s face it, 2020 has been like a never-ending slog up a peak riddled with false summits. But as we round the ridge and see what’s on the other side of the pass, we’re reminded of how far we’ve come. Whether running on town trails or escaping for the weekend to the wilderness, Gaia GPS members recorded more tracks, downloaded more maps, and used the app to find their way in the backcountry more than ever before. Not even disrupted routines and cancelled plans stood in the way of exploring outside.

Our community’s collective energy, drive, and passion for the natural world motivated us to put our heads down and work harder to bring you new features and maps. From the little things, like making it easier to organize your saved routes, to bringing you more maps to stay safe during wildfire season, to the more technical feats of putting Gaia GPS on your dashboard screen with Apple CarPlay, we hope these advances brought you a little closer to the fresh air this year. Read on for a look at all the development highlights that you inspired us to create in 2020.

All-New Gaia Topo: Download Your Entire State Map

An iPhone screenshot of the Gaia Topo shows a swath of land ready to be downloaded. — *Gaia Topo is so compact and optimized so you can easily download huge swaths of land in a single map.*

Have you ever arrived at a trailhead only to realize that you forgot to download your digital maps to your phone? We now have a solution for you: Gaia Topo. We kicked off the year with a complete redesign of our worldwide flagship Gaia Topo, to bring you a map that is both easy to read and quick to download. In fact, it’s so fast that you can download your entire state— yes, the whole state — and never get caught without a topographic map again.

The new Gaia Topo is curated and constantly updated by our world class cartographer Lee France, who matched the map’s retooling and optimization with improvements in styling and design. The end result is an easy-to-read map that lets you download huge swaths of land in a snap — and without hogging up your phone’s precious storage space.

But that’s not all. Gaia Topo saw numerous additional improvements throughout the year. From introducing color-coded amenities symbols to making public lands easier to recognize, Gaia Topo is a living map that is consistently updated. In fact, you can expect an even newer version of this masterpiece in the months ahead.

Apple CarPlay: Navigate with Your Favorite Backcountry Maps on the Dashboard Screen

A car dashboard with Gaia GPS on Apple CarPlay shows turn-by-turn directions. — *Pair Gaia GPS with Apple CarPlay to get-turn-by-turn directions as you navigate the backcountry.*

No more squinting at your phone’s tiny screen when you navigate those bumpy backroads. We integrated Gaia GPS with Apple CarPlay this year to put trail maps right on your vehicle’s navigation screen. View all of your favorite Gaia GPS maps, from USFS Topo to MVUMs to National Geographic Trails Illustrated, with or without cell phone service. Plus, get turn-by-turn directions on off-grid adventures for any drivable, saved route.

Overlanders love CarPlay connectivity, which allows them to run Gaia GPS navigation on the dashboard screen alongside maps mounted to the dashboard with a tablet. CarPlay is useful to hikers and backpackers, too, for finding those lonely, out-of-the-way trailheads. Hook Gaia GPS up to CarPlay so you keep your eyes focused on the rugged road ahead.

New Maps: Check Out our Ever-Expanding Map Catalog

We love making new maps to help more people find their way outside. Okay, maybe this is a purely selfish endeavor. The Gaia GPS team likes to play in the backcountry, too. We’re a crew of day hikers, backpackers, trail runners, skiers, overlanders, hunters, bikepackers and climbers. Truth is, we like to make new maps so that we can use them ourselves. Some might say we went a little overboard with adding new maps this year during quarantine. Take a look at how we expanded our map catalog in 2020:

An iPhone screenshot shows a wildfire burning in the Wildfire (Satellite Detections) layer. — *The Wildfire (Satellite Detections) layer shows you where wildfires are actively burning.*

Wildfires Maps

Find wildfire hotspots with the new and free Wildfires (Satellite Detections) layer on Gaia GPS. This layer sources satellite data from NASA to show where wildfires are currently burning worldwide. Pair this layer with your favorite base map to plan re-routes around hot spots, predict likely trail closures, and stay safer during fire season. In response to the wildfires that ravaged the western US this summer and fall, we’re offering the Wildfire (Satellite Detections), Wildfire (Current) and Air Quality layers for free on both the app and on the web.

Avalanche Forecast Layer

We partnered with the experts at Avalanche.org to bring you the new Avalanche Forecast layer. Now you can get official, up-to-date avalanche forecasts for mountain zones in the U.S. directly from the map on your phone whenever you are online or connected to cell service. Get the avalanche danger rating and link to complete avalanche reports from professional snow safety scientists in your region. Whether you’re backcountry skiing the couloirs or snowmobiling into the back bowls, always check the complete avalanche forecast report before you head out the door. Available with a Premium membership.

Check out recent trail conditions using the FreshSat layers.

FreshSat

Examine trail conditions from the comfort of your couch using two new satellite imagery maps. FreshSat – Cloud Free shows mostly cloudless terrain. FreshSat – Recent shows as up-to-date imagery as possible. Both maps use satellite data from the Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 government satellites, and are updated at least every 14 days. Available with a Premium membership.

Updated National Parks Maps

Gaia GPS offers an expansive collection of National Park Service maps for 45 national parks and recreation areas throughout the United States. Skip the paper map at the park entrance and view all park amenities, trailheads, and must-see stops right on your phone. Available with a Premium membership.

Gaia Streets

Not all adventures happen off the grid. Get your bearings in cities, towns, and on the road with the new Gaia Streets map. This map features more points of interest and amenity labels with less clutter, making it easy to pinpoint the places you want to go on the road. Use this map as a go-to for navigation and wayfinding through city downtowns, national park centers, and anywhere else the road takes you. Available with a Premium membership.

A desktop screenshot shows the overlapping native territories on the Native Land Territories map. — *Discover which Indigenous nations call a place home using the Native Land Territories map.*

Native Lands and Territories

The Native Land Territories map lets you learn more about the land you live and recreate on, plus make land acknowledgments. Created by the Canadian non-profit Native Land Digital, the Native Land Territories map marks traditional Indigenous territories across the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, and, increasingly, worldwide. Deepen your knowledge of home and the places you visit with the new Native Land Territories map.

Native Lands Digital and the Native Governance Center explain why and how you can make a land acknowledgment. To find out how to use the Native Land Territories map and deepen your knowledge even further, read Native Land Digital’s Teachers Guide. This map is available for free in the Gaia GPS app and web map.

USFS Roads and Trails

Find the best trails for hiking, biking, trail running, horseback riding, and off-roading with the color-coded USFS Roads and Trails layer in Gaia GPS. Whether you are wondering where to ride your mountain bike or looking to avoid areas that allow bikes and motor vehicles, this layer makes it easy to find the right trail for your adventure. Available with a Premium membership.

Cell Phone Coverage

Track where you can find cell service anywhere in the United States including Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico with the Cell Phone Coverage maps. You no longer need to worry about unexpectedly losing signal. These seven new overlays define where major cell phone carriers reach across the country. Available with a Premium membership.

Snow Stations (Daily)

No more trial-and-error in driving up to the trailhead to find the deepest and lightest powder. The new Snow Stations (Daily) map gives you up-to-date, 24-hour reports on snow conditions in remote areas around the western US and British Columbia. Check out the new map for real-time conditions on peaks and passes in your favorite backcountry zones. Available with a Premium membership.

Slope Angle

Identify avalanche terrain quicker and easier this winter with the new Slope Angle map. Designed in-house, this map expands our coverage globally and integrates high-resolution data to help make picking out steep slopes on the map a snap. Add the new slope angle layer to your favorite base map to help plan a safer route through the snow-bound backcountry. Available with a Premium membership.

Mines and Mineral Resources

Find over 300,000 mines, mills, and known mineral deposits with the new Mines and Mineral Resources map. Discover the history of old mining sites plus handy details about mine and mineral sites across the US and select regions around the world. Available with a Premium membership.

US Hydrography

Find water sources, identify river crossings, and get a better picture of any landscape with the new US Hydrography map. This layer shows more rivers, streams, lakes, and wetlands than any other map on Gaia GPS. Level up your favorite maps by pairing them with US hydrography for more precise and expanded coverage of bodies of water across the US. Available with a Premium membership.

USGS Streamflow and Gaia Fishing

Find a new favorite fishing spot or plan the perfect trip with two all-new interactive map layers. Get up-to-date streamflow and water temperature information from the new USGS Streamflow map. Plus, the brand new Gaia Fishing Map dials you in with boat access information and known fish species for select waterways in Montana and Oklahoma. Available with a Premium membership.

Nat Geo Baja California

The new National Geographic Baja California Maps on Gaia GPS now provide coverage of the Mexican states of Baja California and Baja California Sur. Find the best spots for surfing and sightseeing along the coast, or reach rugged peaks by following remote backroads. Available with a Premium membership.

New Zealand Topo

For those keen on a multi-sport adventure in New Zealand, Gaia GPS now offers detailed New Zealand topo maps of the North and South Islands. Beyond shores, Australia/NZ Nautical Chart maps provide coverage of surrounding islands and oceans. Available with a Premium membership.

Web Updates: The Most Powerful Planning Tools To Date

A desktop screenshot shows a route mapped out in Gaia GPS with campgrounds and waypoints along the way. — *The new sidebar on gaiagps.com makes planning from your desktop a snap.*

Planning and organizing your data on gaiagps.com is easier than ever thanks to several rounds of improvements throughout the year. Now, when you find a route or file from another website or source, you can import them directly to your Gaia GPS account with a single click. A new side bar houses all your saved map data, including tracks, waypoints, and areas. Plus you can create and measure areas and polygons on the big map with a new tool on the desktop. These improvements follow a complete revamp of gaiagps.com in 2019, and you can expect to see more improvements in the year to come.

Android and iOS App Updates: Easy and Efficient to Use

A tablet screenshot of Gaia Topo shows the peaks, campsites, and trails in Mount Rainer National Park. — *Android users can now enjoy interactive map icons.*

In 2020, our Android team tackled many highly requested updates and delivered the next generation of Android for Gaia GPS. Android users experienced faster downloading, interactive map icons, the all new Gaia Topo, and automatic updates. The updates didn’t stop there. More improvements brought a refreshed stats bar, better deletion, improved tablet navigation, and an overall smoother experience when using an Android device.

*Save phone battery and see your maps at night using Dark Mode in the Gaia GPS app.*

Dark Mode on iOS

Navigate at night with Dark Mode in the Gaia GPS app on iOS. This new development, which rolled out in the first quarter of 2020, lets you plan routes, research hikes, and navigate after sundown without straining your eyes or wasting device battery. Dark Mode inverts the traditional iOS color scheme, showing you light-colored text and icons on a dark background. The result is a beautiful new aesthetic that produces less ambient light and is easier on the eyes in low light situations. Give it a try.

2020 Stat Rewind

If you’re wondering just how far you’ve come this year, check out your yearly totals with Gaia GPS stat rewind. If you’ve recorded tracks this year, this page will tally your total trips, elevation climbed, and total mileage. It may be lights out for 2020, but it’s not too late to start planning to beat your numbers from this year. All you have to do is press the record button on all your upcoming adventures in 2021.

We’re excited to see how far the Gaia GPS community will go in the next year.

December 28, 2020

A Gaia GPS map shows points of interest, restaurants, and amenities near Tibbetts Valley Park in Issaquah, WA.

App Updates Gaia GPS New Features

Find 4×4 Roads and Points of Interest Quicker with Latest Updates to Gaia Topo

by Mary Cochenour July 14, 2020

written by Mary Cochenour

Gaia Topo now displays color-coded points of interest, more 4×4 roads when the map is zoomed out, and larger labels, badges, and contour markers when the map is zoomed in. Whether traveling through a city or on the hunt for a campsite on a rugged dirt road, these new improvements make the map easier to read, helping you find features and services quicker than ever. Plus, seeing more 4×4 roads on a larger viewing field of the map makes planning out the details of your trip a snap.

Color-Coded Points of Interest

Quickly find urban features and attractions with new color-coded amenity labels on Gaia Topo. Hotels and lodging labels now appear in bright blue, museums in purple, hospitals and medical clinics in red, and stores, gas stations, and other town amenities in orange. The colors allow you to scan the map and easily find the services you need.

When rolling into town after a long adventure, you can now pull up Gaia Topo and look for the exact type of business or service offered around you. Simply scan the map for color-coded gas stations to fill up your tank, search for stores for a quick resupply of food, or hit up the museum for a bit of culture before your next outing to nature.

View More 4×4 Roads and Larger Map Labels, Badges, and Contour Markers

The new updates to Gaia Topo make dirt roads visible when you zoom out on the map. That means when you are viewing a large area of the landscape, you’ll see more 4×4 roads without having to zoom into the map to see if those roads exist.

Also, when you zoom further in, the map’s labels, badges, and contour markers get larger. These makers become easier to read as you zero in on a specific spot on the map.

Gaia Topo Improvements Automatically Updated

Completely redesigned in early 2020, the new Gaia Topo combines world-class cartography with industry-leading download speeds and size. Hand-curated and rich with details, Gaia Topo is constantly updated as technology and information from map sources evolve. These latest updates will appear automatically when you open up the map in the Gaia GPS app or on a desktop computer. Any portion of the Gaia Topo map that had been downloaded earlier will need to be downloaded again for the updated changes to appear.

Access to Gaia Topo is available for free on gaiagps.com or in the app on Android or iOS. Purchase a membership to download and take the map offline. A Premium Membership includes all the maps from the Gaia GPS catalog, from USGS Topo to USFS Recreation Maps and hundreds of National Geographic Trails Illustrated titles, as well as satellite imagery and weather layers. With a premium membership, you can download these maps to your device and use them in the field, far away from cell service.

July 14, 2020

Adventures Android Gaia GPS iOS

Discover the Best Trails and Find Public Lands with Gaia Topo Updates

by Julien Friedland May 15, 2020

written by Julien Friedland

Discover new trails and routes and find campsites off the beaten path with two new updates on Gaia Topo. The first update lets you plan ahead at home and save known hikes and other routes for the field on gaiagps.com. Additionally, now you can find national forests, state parks, national parks, and any other public lands quickly with new color-coded public land shading.

Each new improvement on Gaia Topo makes this map a better one-stop shop for all of your planning and traveling needs.

Find Routes Near Your Campsite or Any Point of Interest on gaiagps.com

New nearby route suggestions make it easy to find hikes, offroading routes, bike trails, or other public tracks close to the places you want to visit. While you plan on gaiagps.com, select a trail, campsite, or any natural feature to see a quick list of nearby routes.

How to Use Nearby Route Suggestions

Start by selecting a trailhead, campsite, viewpoint or natural feature, to see nearby routes. A list of routes will appear, including the distance and difficulty rating of each route so you can quickly assess which ones fit your needs. The list includes routes within 500 meters of the selected point of interest and 1000 meters of selected trails. While you browse the list of routes, hover over them to see the tracks appear on the map.

Once you find a route you’d like to explore, you can either select the route name to view even more details or quickly save it by clicking the green “plus” button. If you want to save multiple routes, click the “plus” buttons for all your favorites. Unsave any route by clicking the red “-” button. Find all of your saved routes in the saved folder on your iOS or Android device.

Nearby route suggestions are now available on gaiagps.com. To access your saved routes open the Gaia GPS app on your iOS or Android device, and visit the saved folder. Download any saved route to your device for the field with a Premium membership.

Identify Public Lands With New Map Shading

New color-coded public land ownership on Gaia Topo helps you discover areas to hike, camp, and explore. Now you can identify all of America’s public lands by designated colors on the map. Use this new feature to seek out campsites on BLM land (yellow) or National Forest land (light green), view nearby state parks (red), or safely travel through any public land across the United States.

Color designations appear for National Forests, National Parks/Recreation Areas, State Parks, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Wildlife Areas, Marine Protection Areas, Wilderness/Wilderness Study Areas and Other Parks/Protected areas. You can find each designation under the Gaia Topo map legend by clicking the layer on gaiagps.com or tapping the “i” icon on the lower righthand corner of your map on iOS and Android.

Map legend for Gaia Topo showing color-coded public lands

With fast map downloads that take up a small amount of space, Gaia Topo is easy to save and take with you on the road. Download National Parks and State Parks in seconds or entire states in minutes, and always have the information you need about the wild spaces you plan to visit.

May 15, 2020

image of groups of amenity icons on Gaia Topo

Gaia GPS Hikes New Features

Discover Recreation Amenities with New Symbol Groups on Gaia Topo

by Julien Friedland April 15, 2020

written by Julien Friedland

Get a snapshot of the amenities in any recreation area with new symbol groups on Gaia Topo. Now you can view hotspots, including campsites, viewpoints, trailheads, and more in symbol groups, without zooming deeper on the map. Styled after popular outdoor recreation maps, Gaia Topo is the first global topo map to display point of interest symbol groups.

Before and after view of new symbol groups on Gaia Topo

As you scour the map on a broader scale, notice groups of icons displaying essential amenities. For example, campsites, lodging, restrooms, food, and gas symbols appear in clusters, indicating developed recreation areas. This makes it easy to identify the best places to set up camp or stop for a resupply. Alternatively, if you’d rather avoid crowds, plan to steer clear of the developed areas, as indicated by the map.

The point of interest groups provide a clear picture of what amenities exist while zoomed out on the map. Once you identify an area of interest, zoom in closer to see smaller groupings of amenities, or individual amenities by zooming more.

On gaiagps.com, you can click on any symbol group to automatically zoom closer and reveal other subgroups of amenities. Continue to click subgroups to fully expand all points of interest. The same function, ‘tap’ to zoom, is coming soon for iOS and Android.

Zoom in closer to explore different amenities in recreation areas.

To view symbol groups while you plan, set Gaia Topo as your base map on your Gaia GPS iOS or Android app or on gaiagps.com. Available to all users, Gaia Topo continues to provide the best tools for planning trips of every nature.

April 15, 2020

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