6 of the Finest Mountain climbing Apps for iPhone

As an out of doors fanatic, you may by no means get sufficient of hitting new trails and exploring the nice outside. Nevertheless, mountain climbing with out the right tools or steerage isn’t a good suggestion. Mountain climbing apps may also help you uncover new trails, navigate rugged terrain, monitor your progress, and prevent throughout emergencies. We examined dozens of the highest mountain climbing apps for iPhone and narrowed it down to those six choices.
1. Alltrails
Value: Free (paid model beginning at $35.99/12 months)
If you wish to discover the right hike to your talent stage and pursuits, Alltrails is the app for you. With over 100,000 trails and 4 million photographs crowdsourced from actual hikers, it is a hiker’s paradise. Simply enter your location and the forms of trails you’re searching for, and Alltrails will discover the perfect matches.
The app consists of simple nature walks, difficult summit hikes, scenic mountain bike rides, and extra. Every path has evaluations and scores from the group that will help you gauge the issue and highlights. Some trails even have step-by-step photographs and instructions, so there is not any probability of getting misplaced.
One of the best half is that Alltrails works even when you do not have service, utilizing your telephone’s built-in GPS to trace your hike and supply turn-by-turn navigation. The emergency SOS characteristic can alert responders to your location if there’s an emergency.
Execs
- Customized route planning
- Subscription charges assist environmental causes
- Shares real-time places with family and friends
- Can import trails from different apps
Cons
- Offline maps require a subscription
2. Gaia GPS
Value: Free (paid model beginning at $19.99/12 months)
For navigation and GPS functions, Gaia is the perfect app for mountain climbing lovers. It supplies extremely detailed topographic maps that present terrain particulars, like elevation contours, summits, and watersheds. The maps cowl most main trails within the U.S. and Canada.

Gaia GPS makes use of your iPhone’s built-in GPS to trace your location on the map in actual time. It may well report your route, pace, distance, and elevation acquire. If you start your journey, you may set waypoints to mark factors of curiosity, measure distances between factors on the map, report and share mountain climbing stats, and extra.
The app works offline, so you may obtain maps forward of time and navigate even with out cell service.
Execs
- Path-tracing characteristic helps you when misplaced
- Waypoints are shareable through direct hyperlinks
- Curated trails from organizations like The Nationwide Park Service
- Correct climate forecasts and alerts
Cons
- Sophisticated interface difficult for brand spanking new customers
3. Google Maps
Value: Free
You seemingly have already got Google Maps put in in your telephone, but it surely’s price mentioning right here, because it has many options for navigating trails that most individuals are unaware of. It supplies detailed topographic maps, satellite tv for pc imagery, and 3D views of many mountain climbing trails. You may see the elevation profiles and problem ranges of trails earlier than heading out.

The turn-by-turn navigation in Google Maps is extremely correct and simpler to know than different apps. It additionally permits you to measure the gap between two factors to plan your hike accordingly.
By far, probably the most spectacular a part of this app is the group. Because it’s the preferred navigation app, you may simply discover detailed evaluations for almost any mountain climbing path inside the app itself.
Execs
- The road view provides you correct photographs of mountain climbing trails
- Fully free to make use of
- Downloadable maps allow you to hike with out mobile service
- Voice navigation permits you to hike hands-free
Cons
- Lack of topographic maps
- Can direct ill-prepared hikers to tougher trails
Additionally useful: is Google Maps not doing it for you? Try the perfect alternate options.
4. Commander Compass Go
Value: Free (paid model beginning at $1.99/month)
Commander Compass Go is the app you need in your telephone to flee a sticky state of affairs. When you begin a hike, Commander Compass Go begins monitoring your location and motion. If an emergency strikes, faucet the SOS button. This instantly sends an alert along with your GPS coordinates to native emergency responders. They are going to dispatch assist proper to your location.

Like a few of the different finest mountain climbing apps we have coated, Commander Compass Go permits you to notify family and friends in case of emergency. You may enter emergency contacts beforehand, and Commander Compass Go will ship them a message with particulars in your state of affairs and site if you happen to set off the SOS.
There’s much more to this app, as it’s full of a hi-tech compass with maps, a waypoint tracker, and an altimeter that permits you to measure altitude utilizing your iPhone. It is a incredible mountain climbing app for outdoorsy individuals who like information.
Execs
- A number of customization choices for the compass
- Encompasses a speedometer that gives exact pace information
- Works utterly superb whereas offline
- Contains wonderful SOS options
Cons
- Person interface is a bit complicated
- Calibrating the compass takes a little bit of time
5. Mountain climbing Venture
Value: Free
The Mountain climbing Venture is likely one of the finest free mountain climbing apps. It is full of detailed info on over 38,000 trails throughout the US. Filter routes by location, size, ranking, and different attributes.

This mountain climbing app lets you save trails to your profile so to preserve monitor of those you’ve achieved. You may even create a bucket checklist and set mountain climbing objectives. The app has a really energetic group, so trails are ceaselessly up to date with the most recent circumstances and photographs.
The guides for nearly each path are superbly designed and have detailed evaluations that will help you discover the right mountain climbing spot. You even get high-res photographs and detailed topographic path maps for every hike.
Execs
- Customized factors of curiosity
- Save trails to your profile or bucket checklist
- Each characteristic is free
Cons
- No means to trace distance
- Drains battery shortly
6. PeakVisor
Value: Free (paid model beginning at $3.49/month)
PeakVisor provides you a look into how augmented actuality might be helpful for navigating trails and exploring new mountain climbing routes.

The app makes use of your telephone’s digicam and AR to establish surrounding peaks, elevations, and mountain climbing routes immediately. Maintain up your telephone, and the height names, heights, and problem ranges will seem on the display screen, overlaid on the precise mountainscape.
The impact works like magic and is extremely helpful whenever you really feel overwhelmed by the panorama. For those who need assistance deciding which summit to ascend, PeakVisor options info on over 650,000 routes worldwide. Browse by location or problem stage to search out trails suited to your abilities and pursuits.
Execs
- Information and saves graphics
- Correct graphic overlay HUD
- Downloadable 3D maps
- View site visitors ranges on ski lifts
Cons
- Extra catered to mountaineering than mountain climbing
- Requires a professional model if you wish to find further peaks per day
Often Requested Questions
Can I discover lesser-known and secluded trails utilizing mountain climbing apps?
Whereas most apps solely cowl common and well-known routes, some apps, just like the Mountain climbing Venture and Alltrails, will allow you to discover secluded and lesser-known trails. Nevertheless, most apps can’t let you know whether or not a sure location is at present busy or quiet.
Can mountain climbing apps sync information with Apple Well being?
Quite a lot of mountain climbing apps provide seamless integration with Apple Well being. This lets you sync information, like the gap walked, elevation gained, and energetic energy burned through the hike.
Picture credit score: Unsplash. All screenshots by Hashir Ibrahim.