Hiking is a healthy and fun activity; many people love to take long walks surrounded by nature. Cycling is similar, it consists of taking long rides on our bicycle along routes immersed in nature.
For these activities, many practical applications are available that make the smartphone the best travel companion and an excellent guide. These convenient solutions can help both to share your own path (perhaps to facilitate the less experienced) and to plan the stages of the trip in detail in advance.
In this article we have selected them for you. The best applications for trekking and cycling. to use comfortably with your smartphone.
The best apps for trekking and cycling
First of all, apps need to use GPS to be really useful for hiking and biking, but now all smartphones are equipped with it. We will see them below The best applications for trekking but also useful for cycling.. All trekking apps are free in their basic functionality, some of them offer additional features that can only be accessed in the paid versions of the apps.
GP de OruxMaps (Android)
It is a free navigator designed for those who practice hiking and cycling, in fact it is the best application for plotting itineraries along rural roads. The app also allows you consult vector maps even offline (no connection required) and trace routes even in the absence of a network. Unfortunately, the app is only available in English and Spanish and, given the large number of options, requires a bit of practice to use correctly (there are many convenient video tutorials online, however).
OruxMaps is available both in a free version by downloading the apk directly from the official website, and in a donated version by downloading it directly from the Android Play Store.
geometric place map (Android)
It is the best alternative to OruxMap, compared to the previous software it is a solution with fewer functions but much more immediate use. Locus is also only available for Android. The application takes advantage of the Open Street Maps maps and allows both plan your own routes both of them to record e participación their own trips. It also allows free downloading of maps and offline consultation.
The program is available in two versions: a free version, without too many sacrifices but with advertising (non-invasive), and a Pro version.
If you want to download Locus Map, you can find it on the Play Store.
ottoman (Android)
This outdoor hiking app takes its name from OpenStreetMap, the famous free mapping project. Osmand crosses the information from the maps with the data from Wikipedia, also offering interesting Information about points of interest. The application in the free version allows download and offline use of 10 maps, are more than enough for an excursion. Like the other solutions, we talk about this application. supports routes in GPX format, recording our route and has many additional plugins that increase its functionality.
If you want to download it for free you can go directly to the Android Play Store.
wikiloc (Android and iOS)
This is the official app of one of the most popular sites and one of the most popular communities for outdoor routes (and outdoor sports activities in general, from horse riding to mountaineering) that we have already recommended above.
This application is special because it allows you to choose from a large number of community created tracks and they can create and share your own. The application, in online mode, is based on Google Maps, in offline mode it allows downloading the map only for premium users; Basically all the really useful options are reserved for premium users. There are several "packs" that allow access to all functions for a certain period of time, the costs are not prohibitive (one year of access costs about 5 euros).
You can download the app for Android from the Play Store and for iPhone and iPad from the App Store.
See rangers (Android and iOS)
Like the previous one, this is also the app of a community that shares guided routes immersed in nature. The app is great thanks to well detailed topographic maps and effective, with more than 150 thousand routes. View Ranger is compatible with Android, iOS and also Apple Watch. Also interesting is the presence of augmented reality in the application (the so-called "Skyline" mode, which identifies peaks and lakes), and the ability to use detailed maps even offline. The app can also be used to record your routes and share them with the community. Unfortunately, even in this case, the most interesting features can only be used with a subscription.
You can download for free See rangers from Play Store and App Store.
AllTrails: Hiking, Running, and Mountain Bike Trails (Android and iOS)
This application is similar to the previous one, it offers many detailed routes, but compared to the last two it also allowsimporting your own routes. This application also has a great community behind it that is always adding new paths to explore. The application is highly appreciated by trekking lovers, especially thanks to the great clarity of the directions and maps.
AllTrails is available for free directly from the Play Store and App Store.
Our study on the best apps for trekking and cycling has reached its conclusion, we hope you have a lot of fun on regenerating walks in contact with nature.
By the way, if you are passionate about cycle tourism, we cannot help but recommend the Wikiloc site that allows you to download many interesting itineraries.
