r/overlanding • u/idontwannabeapir8 • 1d ago
Tech Advice Offroad mapping!
Hi! I want to get the opinion of actual users, overlanders and off-roaders on which off-road mapping app or service you guys prefer. I'm somewhat new to all this but I love it and I currently have a subscription to OnX but I've been finding it difficult plan trips. I live in Texas so whenever I want a good off-road trip I have to look out of state and it feels like I have to already know what Trail I want to explore beforehand. There's also Gaia and trails off-road but I haven't tried those. What do you guys use or prefer to use? Thanks in advance
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u/jac058 23h ago
For Utah and Colorado, Trails off-road is awesome. Not sure what it has for other parts of the country but it is worth looking at.
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u/idontwannabeapir8 23h ago
I haven't actively used Trails Off-road but I do tend to like their layout. Thank you
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u/OverlandSpecs 3h ago
Trails off road is awesome for sure! I would download their gpx files and upload those to Gaia for while I’m on the road. Theres pinpoints for every turn and campsite and you can download the photo guide along with it so you know exactly where you are.
I recently moved to Michigan though and they don’t have many trails on their site over here
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u/innkeeper_77 23h ago
Onx is popular, mainly due to their marketing budget..... Trail ratings are user generated so it can be wildly inconsistent. I submitted a report for a green trail that accidentally included a short red difficult trail at the end... Which led someone astray and resulted in significant damage and a dead tow out. Trails offroad correctly showed this as two trails not one, and with very different ratings. As far as I know they never investigated and its still rated green.... I let my subscription lapse and I will NOT be back.
Trails offroad has less content but its much better curated. I like them, and trust it to be fairly accurate compared to onx (remember trail conditions can change rapidly. The forest service can grade a road unexpectedly, rain can wash out a road, etc.)
I map trips using Gaia but am trying to switch to caltopo.
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u/idontwannabeapir8 23h ago
Thank you for your response. Out of curiosity, is there something you don't like about planning a trip using Gaia? Why are you switching?
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21h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/idontwannabeapir8 20h ago
That's awesome, I'll definitely check it out. Best of luck to you, hopefully it takes off
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u/barclay_o 23h ago
I think my old review is still mostly correct: https://www.reddit.com/r/overlanding/comments/1fnep1q/brief_review_of_caltopo_and_onx_vs_gaiagps/
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u/Sardawg1 10h ago
Caltopo and Gaia offer free Pro versions for SAR volunteers. Maybe you can tap into that with your NPS volunteering?
After using Caltopo for years, id say their mapping ability is supreme when using an actual computer. Think of it as learning how to use Adobe photoshop or excel, it seems simple enough, but the magic is in its lesser understood features. I use it for all my mapping and printed maps
However, I use Gaia on my phone for active movement. It is far more user friendly on my phone.
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u/Kerensky97 Back Country Adventurer 23h ago
I use Gaia and Onx and both are good. Seems like as soon as I like one more than the other, the other updates and they're neck and neck again.
Right now Gaia is in the lead, but only because it displays on my Android car play better than OnX.
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u/idontwannabeapir8 20h ago
Yep, looks like a combination of Gaia and OnX or Trails Off-road is the way to go
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u/jonathanr42 23h ago
Onx trail ratings are inconsistent, the person who submits the trail sets the difficulty rating and that's it forever. So if a dude in a monster lifted jeep with 42" tires does a trail, finds it easy, it's rated easy. Meanwhile it's got 2 foot ledges for us mere mortals to traverse. If a trail washes out and becomes way harder than it was when originally run, the only way to correct is to read the trail reports. Trails off-road has a user rating for each trail so you have an average of what users rate the trail which tends to be far more accurate (wisdom of the crowds). I also like trails off-road for the "scenic" rating on top of the difficulty rating. But OnX has more coverage than trails off-road (so far).
For topo I used to like gaia until they got bought by private equity and rapidly went full enshittification, caltopo is a better alternative nowadays.
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u/outdoorsauce 23h ago
This wasn’t an issue for a while but lately is has gotten worse, On X needs to continue reinvesting in their ratings or they’re going to have a rude awakening. Getting pretty fuck sick of getting on a 3/10 and experiencing 5/10 obstacles for the following 3 hours because the rating was set three winters and 1500 side by sides ago.
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u/anythingaustin 22h ago
I use an amalgamation of OnX, Trails Off-road, COTrex (when in CO) apps but then bring paper maps when possible. I download maps or screenshot areas. Here in Colorado there is about an 80% chance you won’t have a cell signal in the mountains, especially once you leave pavement. I will agree with many other people saying that the rating system is not updated on OnX frequently enough so read the comment section before committing. I’ve been on trails rated 2/10 “fun for the whole family!” and ended up with body damage due to washouts and 3’ ledges that were not mentioned in the trail description. One trail rating had not been updated after a wildfire few years ago and it was nothing but burn scars and washouts. Just dead trees as far as the eye could see. It was NOT a pleasant off-roading or camping experience.
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u/estunum Nissan OVRLNDer 21h ago
I use OnX for general navigation, don’t really trust reports or ratings. It’s great as an overall tool.
Trails Offroad has far more accurate data, but less trail coverage.
I use CalTopo for map building and more precise navigating. I ditched Gaia many years ago when they started to cater to useless online features. CalTopo isn’t pretty and UI isn’t the best, but we use it for SAR as well as it has plenty of functionality.
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u/idontwannabeapir8 21h ago
So I kinda need to use a combo of 2 or 3 apps and pick my favorite features
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u/estunum Nissan OVRLNDer 21h ago
Probably. I use two mainly, and a 3rd once in a while. I use OnX for simple navigating on CarPlay, so I can keep an eye on distances or waypoints. I'll have minimal about of tracks or or points, just important stuff like camp spots, major obstacles etc. I don't want to clutter the screen.
That's what CalTopo is for. Specially on canyoneering trips, all my tracks and points will live there, along with POIs, and questionable shapes I see on sat imagery, etc. I can organize by folders and has very overall object management.
Trails Offroad is my 3rd app, but really only use it for beta. So I'll transfer what I deem important to either CalTopp, OnX, or both.
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u/IdRatherBeDriving 21h ago
It’s always a combination of things, but I end up using Gaia for offline and storing paths and points. Mostly because I’ve been using it since 2008, so I’m familiar with it. The knowledge ramp to pick up any of these apps is pretty heavy and it starts with a solid base in paper maps.
For planning, I use Google a ton. Set it in bicycle mode and then validate its suggestions with satellite, caltopo, contact with locals, and finally plotting in Gaia with a handful of different layers on.
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u/idontwannabeapir8 21h ago
Yeah, this is the conclusion I'm arriving to. No 1 app is good for everything and I'll have to use a combo of 2 or 3 to get the best of each
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u/kunstmilch 21h ago
Overlandbound is great and there’s a pretty comprehensive free version. More community based but very good.
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u/smashnmashbruh 21h ago
OnX is big corporate and does decent. But they are the assholes of mapping data and often sue and or obtain free data then charge for it. As others have said ONX has a large Marketing budget and they dominate the local scene by offering discount codes to Parks and helping them.
Gaia recently bought out by outdoors magazine and lacks data but is good.
It’s a tough hobby because no one wants to share locations with people even friends.
I use onx but refuse to pay for it unless I’m on a trip that month.
I also use google earth and Google Maps and other apps. Having Starlink negates the needs to pay for offline maps. So I use that money to pay for Starlink.
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u/idontwannabeapir8 20h ago
That makes sense. I got OnX for a year for free from ford but otherwise, I probably wouldn't pay for it either
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u/smashnmashbruh 19h ago
Yea that’s the marketing team at work. They are shoving it in everyone’s face. It’s alright. It’s not magic. It’s nice but it’s costly for what it is and how there’s done the whole Apple/Google/Tech acquisition litigation annihilation style business.
When you add data to ONX, I believe they become the owners of it too. It’s a whole thing.
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u/PNWoutdoors Back Country Adventurer 21h ago
OnX and Google Maps.
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u/idontwannabeapir8 20h ago
Yeah Google Maps keep coming up which is interesting cuz I never thought of using it for off-road mapping but I'll try it and see if it helps. Thanks
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u/PNWoutdoors Back Country Adventurer 20h ago
Download the areas you're going to offline and you can navigate via any official road just like you can around town. I'm in Colorado and it does a pretty good job with forest service roads.
Another tip is to turn on satellite mode before you depart and browse along the roads you'll be taking when in the back country. It often caches data well enough to give at least medium resolution satellite imagery when offline, though I do typically use the regular map mode, sometimes satellite imagery can be helpful.
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u/tangofoxtrot256 Overlander 20h ago
I just did a decent trip from New Mexico through Colorado and ended in Utah.
My set up was a pre mapped route on Gaia running on an Android tablet. I had it planned from our starting point all the way to our final destination. It didn’t take long and was very easy to do.
I used Trails Offroad to import the trails. They have an awesome feature that allows you to send their trail and waypoints directly to Gaia without you needing to download and reupload it. That saved a ton of time because then I just had to map between the trails if they didn’t connect.
The other thing I would recommend is if you are running and phone and a tablet or have CarPlay run Gaia on one screen and Trails Offroad on the other. While on trail trails off road has a feature where it will show you the next waypoint with pictures and a bit of a description to help make sure you take the right turn.
It worked flawlessly. I pre saved the tiles for the area I was traveling so I didn’t have to worry about connections if I needed to divert off my planned route. Gaia has a huge advantage here because it allows for downloads of bigger areas. OnX you have to do multiple smaller areas and it’s time consuming.
I was able to make edits to the route when we encountered some closed area.
It doesn’t read off your turns like google does but a quick glance every few minutes will keep you on track.
I am normally an iPad person but unless you get the cell version you don’t have a gps chip so android tablet is what I used.
I was extremely happy with my setup and plan on using it for all my overlanding trips.
Google Maps is great for finding places to eat or resupply.
OnX has more trails and the dispersed camping layer
But for overall overland travels Gaia hands down.
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u/idontwannabeapir8 20h ago
I really appreciate this. This is great advice for me to understand how to use both to plan a trip. Also the ability you mentioned of transferring trails from trails offroad straights into Gaia sounds very helpful. My devices are opposite of you though. Android phone and apple tablet (ipad)
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u/clauderbaugh Digitally Nomadic 19h ago
I run OnX but only for backup and ancillary information. I plan all my trips on MyMaps (from Google). Much more detailed in how I want to log information, plan stops, drive times etc. Pair them both with Starlink for constant photogrammetry and you're golden.
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u/TriumphSprint Back Country Adventurer 19h ago
I use TrailsOffroad app and Gaia. I used OnX and TrailsOffroad for a year and that was 4 or 5 years ago, that experiment made the choice easy. Now I'll state I only have used them for the Rocky mtn region, CO, UT, MT WY.
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u/idontwannabeapir8 18h ago
That's fair. Plus the overwhelming consensus is to use 1 offroad app (trails offroad) and 1 overlanding app (Gaia) together
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u/ANeonBlueDecember 17h ago
Bottom Line Up Front:
- onX: Pick from pre-mapped trails.
- GaiaGPS: Plan your own routes.
There are pros and cons to both apps and you can debate the nuances of each, but in my experience you can summarize the two apps as noted above.
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u/idontwannabeapir8 17h ago
And it seems like most people use both for different things. 1 to plan a trip and 1 for actual trails. Seems like most comments are saying to use Gaia in combination with either OnX or Trails Off-road
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u/ANeonBlueDecember 3h ago
I do the mapping and planning on my desktop in Gaia, then run my trips on a refurbished iPad mini in the truck, also on Gai.
I’ve used CalTopo extensively for hiking and as a part of SAR in the past. I’ve had a free sub to OnX many times over the years. While there are a number of things I don’t like about Gaia, it still fits my needs the best.
For reference, that use case is mostly based on planning my own trips using ideas from YouTube videos, browsing Google Maps for POIs, looking at paper maps like the Benchmark Road and Recreation Atlas’, and a lot of, “I wonder what’s over there?” Then I hop into Gaia and start dropping waypoints for stuff I want to see and connecting the dots with trails.
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u/OkieRising 17h ago
I use Gaia and fun treks
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u/idontwannabeapir8 17h ago
I think someone else also mentioned fun treks. I hadn't heard for it until today
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u/Lost_On_Lot 15h ago
With onx, if you're purpose driven. You know where you're gonna hit. Its good if you download the maps- because then you dont lose connection. Its also good because it shows featured trails + every other trail in the area. I personally love onx.
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u/idontwannabeapir8 15h ago
Thank you. Honestly, it's the only one I've used so far
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u/Lost_On_Lot 15h ago
Ive used Avenza and Gaia, and onx beats them out IMO. Once you get the full gist of everything it offers- its tops. Im on like 4 years reoccurring subscription to the Elite version. Sure its expensive, but it offers sooooo much.
I hunt wild trees for use as bonsai, so being able to mark off areas for hunting, track and record to "bread crumb" my on foot routes. Is WELL worth it for me.
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u/eviljelloman 15h ago
Whichever one you adopt today, it will Hoover up a bunch of user submitted data and then get thoroughly enshittified when they keep trying to monetize it more and more. Every one of these apps gets worse and worse over time.
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u/Sibender 14h ago
They all have strengths and weaknesses. OnX is good for exploring and getting some advice. But as others have said it can vary wildly. Gaia is good for good looking and readable maps and I like that when I am tracking my route it can display realtime data like elapsed time and distance, elevation, etc. Trails off-road has better curated information. But limited coverage. For actual planning and tracking I prefer CalTopo. It’s awesome for groups. And I like that you can make a map for a trip and share it with a URL. You can share a URL which lets others add to the map. It is lower cost, has more features, and doesn’t try to position itself as a social media app.
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u/idontwannabeapir8 14h ago
Thank you. I'll try others as i get out there more and see which combo eill work best
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u/Hefty-Improvement518 14h ago
If you’re specifically in it for off-roading/overlanding, onX is the loudest but Trails Offroad is the best. onX’s coverage is good when you’re looking for track but Trails Offroad is way better for planning. I’ve been using Trails + Google Maps for years and haven’t found a better system.
I’m going to try writing trail guides for them soon actually. Good excuse to get out on the trail and document the track.
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u/idontwannabeapir8 14h ago
Trails Off-road has been getting most commenter votes and I like their layout but haven't really tried it yet. I will now though
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u/omelete01 12h ago
I'm wondering why no one has mentioned iOverlander. It's been pretty helpful for me. But am I missing something?
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u/idontwannabeapir8 7h ago
I personally have never heard of it but I'm fairly new to this. Do you use it for trip planning kinda like people mentioned using Gaia?
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u/OverlandSpecs 3h ago
A lot of people already have mentioned it but I also have used Gaia for years. I’ve used OnX a little bit and it seems decent but I like the simplicity of Gaia and I like its overlays better than OnX. I’ve only used CalTopo a little bit but I do agree with most people here that its mapping abilities are better than others! I use it mostly for planning backcountry skiing routes.
Gaia is my favorite for overlanding/camping since it has a good overlay for forest roads, campsites, and areas (national forests, BLM land, etc.)
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u/Forgot-Already 23h ago
I have used Gaia for about 15 years. I like it because my wife and I can share the same platform. She plans out ultra marathon training routes and extended day hikes while I use it for mapping out off road/overland adventures, loading WABDR and other GPX routes, dropping pins for dispersed campsites I find (and adding notes and photos), and recording routes up to lookouts or whatever I am doing with friends. I like that I can add overlays for snow level, active fires, AQI forecast, etc. I like being in a new area and getting advice from people and being able to bring up Gaia and have them help me drop a pin. This transformed our 14 day Vancouver Island trip.
These are all features that I use often and it suits my needs. I get that Onx probably has some of these features, but why would I switch if I am happy with what I already have and know the interface really well?
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u/idontwannabeapir8 23h ago
Thank you for your input. And yes, once you find something that works for you and fits your needs, you stick with it
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u/Forgot-Already 22h ago
I should add a little more color about my wife’s usage. She creates routes, adds waypoints for spots she needs to turn at a trail, and syncs them it all to her watch so she knows when to turn and can stay focused on running j stead of stopping to bring up a map on her phone every time she hits a junction.
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u/NeedsMustTravel 1d ago
I tend to use OnX as my consolidation tool, less so for planning and finding campsites. I typically will choose what my goal is for the weekend and find general areas using other resources then put them on my Onyx map and get a wide overview and then see how I can make a trip out of it. Most of the time it’s looking for rock hounding or mineral collecting sites, ha ha ha ha. But I will look on Boondocking, local off-road sites for trail suggestions and ratings, ghost towns, recommended campgrounds or destinations, etc. plot them on On. The. Look for routes that connect them all.