What Off-Road Trail App/Web Page Do You Like & Use?

I’ve been looking at various trail apps in the App Store. I haven’t purchased anything. I would like to get input from users and people here. Most apps offer limited information for free then offer their premium version for varying prices.

Because I’m new to this and a complete beginner/novice certain information is very appealing to me and very helpful. It would be nice to find an app that would grow with me as I gain more experience and knowledge.

The information I have found very helpful:

1. Maps that pinpoint my location, then provide the location and distance to nearby trails. That is, how close the trail is relative to my physical location at the moment.

2. Information about the specific trail and the level of difficulty. Right now I need to see only the beginner trails. The sorting feature is very helpful. I would expand it in the future to see all trails or beginner and intermediate, etc.

3. Social input from other off-roaders who have been on the trail. For example, pictures and comments from other people is very helpful and appreciated. If several people comment the trail shouldn’t be listed as a beginner trail, I will take their advice and choose a different trail.

I downloaded the free trial version of “AllTrails”. I like it but there may be better ones available. The app showed me a few trails that are very close to where I live but it is too hot right now. I’m going north next month to Park City, UT and it appears there are quite a few trails in that area, and it’s much cooler.

 

OnX gets pretty good reviews and there's always some sort of discount. Also they offer a free trial for a week.

 

Thank you. I will head over to the App Store and download it.

 

Subscribe to their emails to see all the deals they offer. Also it works in Carplay and Android Auto so it will display on your screen if you have the capability. Just download the area you're going to.

 

I got the free version and it is perfect. Thank you again.

 

I don’t know why the forum isn’t displaying my vehicle under my name yet. I registered as the new owner of a 2025 Trailhunter. The registry updated successfully but my screen name/tag is the same.

I have never driven off-road. I shouldn’t say never because I have taken two wheel drive vehicles on some roads I shouldn’t have. It’s fun to catch a little air under the car. I do like trying new activities and I’m not terribly fearful. I would say I’m cautiously fearful because I don’t want to pay for a new car. To actually have a vehicle that was built to traverse difficult terrain is exhilarating. Life is good.

I’m eager to do much more but the truck has a pretty steep learning curve. I’ve never had so many techie toys to play with while driving. Within a stones throw from my home in St George UT there are a plethora of off-road trails. Thanks to the app that was just recommend by whippersnapper I found the perfect starter/newbie trail 1/2 mile away. I can literally see it from my home. It is a 1/2 mile long dirt trail, very, very easy. It gives me the opportunity to experience the various drive modes on the vehicle in real time. I need to feel how the vehicle responds and performs to understand it’s capabilities and limits. That’s just my learning style.

 

This section? Mine updated right away. Maybe you need more posts?

 

I told my daughters that when I was little we used to go to the closest AAA office and they would print out instructions and routes for trips (the 70s really). Now, I am convinced that if we take cell phones away from our current generation, they would probably think the world is coming to an end. And won't know what to do. Sorry got off topic, get OnX offroad and be done.

 

#1 in my 'Mapping tab'. Sooo nice to be able to pull up OnX in CarPlay on the head unit display.

 

All sections. I don’t know what is up with the website but I do get strange errors. A few times I tried to post but it wouldn’t post then it read the administrator has been notified. Maybe my VPN? Websites don’t like when the IP address changes.

 

My husband and I laugh about all the time. Using an atlas or Rand McNally was a pain if you didn’t have a passenger to do it while driving. We have also laughed about not having a map or a little digital device telling you, you are headed north, south, etc. I’m reasonably certain most of the younger people could not get to their destination. Yesterday we were laughing about our generation being fearful of technology, specifically our new hybrid. We related it to the advent of computers. So I guess it works both ways.

 

I do love that great big screen on my new car. It’s very easy to quickly see the information I need. I almost had to pull over to read those little screens. It was like using a tiny phone screen.

 

I just remembered a recent experience with AAA. MY husband called them to get a hard copy map of Oregon. Last August we spent a month on the coast fishing, crabbing, digging clams, etc. We knew there were many, many areas in the surrounding mountains with dead spots. AAA no longer offers hard copies of maps, it’s web only. What do the younger people do without 5G? Our generation can do it very successfully but the younger folks? Not so much.

 

I really like GAIA Maps. The layer selection is quite good. On X Off Road is good also.

 

that is beyond true. I have two boys 27 and 25 there is NO WAY they could navigate by map. On the flip side my wife thinks she is Christopher Columbus and always travels with maps

 

Yes, most likely your VPN is causing those errors.

 

There's an important distinction between "off road" and "off highway". There may be legal implications as well, depending on where you are driving.

"OFF HIGHWAY" means basically off the pavement--established trails and dirt roads. "OFF ROAD" literally means making your own path across the land. Most of us tend to interchange the terminology.

Here in SoCal, there are lots of dirt roads and designated trails for off highway travel, but not so many "open areas" where one can literally drive anywhere. The Jawbone Canyon area north of Mojave is a good example and has a mixture of both. It's always a good idea, and part of being a responsible 4-wheeler, to check usage rules before you head out.

Traveling full off road carries additional risks from simple "desert pin striping" to tire punctures from rocks or other objects to ending up in an abandoned mine shaft whose entrance was obscured by brush.

It's better to travel the backcountry with another vehicle (and more fun). You need to gain experience in a multitude of areas such as navigation, communications, driving skill/vehicle operation, basic repair and basic survival skills. Traveling with an organized group or club is a good way to learn.

Phone apps are great, but their weaknesses are technical problems with the phone (loss of connectivity, dead battery, equipment failure and shortcomings of the particular app). You should gain familiarity with paper maps and atlases. Printed guidebooks are good for basic research. I spent a considerable amount of time researching the areas I want to visit to gain some familiarity with the not only the routes, but also the history and geography. Local libraries can be a good source of research materials as can used book stores. Some of my favorite trail guides are decades old (I coordinate routes and trails with current maps since routes and access status change over time).

 

Google maps on pavement, after that Gaia or OnX, with a Garmin for backup. And DeLorme Gazeteers for when the EMP hits. Can you tell I'm a map geek?

 

Thank you very much for the very good information. It is very much appreciated. Please keep giving it to me!

I’m a beginner, but a reasonably experienced driver. Gaining the off-road knowledge takes patience, time, and experience. Yes, there is an important distinction between the two types of roads. I was raised in S CA and reasonably familiar with what you’re description of S CA roads. They aren’t mountain fire roads that require some knowledge, they are dirt and gravel with ruts that will swallow you if you aren’t careful. I traveled roads like that everyday for 25 years, in the snow during winter, and floods in the spring time, while living on my farm in the Midwest. I had to if I wanted to get somewhere. Unlike S CA most areas didn’t have street signs so knowing if you were headed N S E or W without using a compass is a requirement.

I’m in off-road country now, S Utah, which is very different. I’m reasonably familiar with the abundance of the true off-road trails around me. Unfortunately many of those trails have too many off-readers these days. I’m not going to take a trail that will pinstripe my beautiful new car. I would like to aspire to trails of moderate difficulty in a year or two. No thank to the so called “expert” trails. Not with a 70k vehicle!

Re navigating. I am a good navigator even if I don’t have a map. I rarely tell someone I’m good at something, but I know I’m better than the majority when it comes to navigating. However, I do have paper maps. It’s important. There are too many “dead zones” in the mountains to discard them completely.

I had to be a good navigator when I got married at 18 my husband of 43 years passed away. I have some very funny stories to tell someday if we ever meet in the wild. Don’t tell me to throw the map out the window while we are driving through mountains in a country that speaks a different language. You may hear sucking sounds as it leaves the car lol. I am not overly concerned about navigating, but I tend to be overly cautious at times. I have a wonderful library close and I will look at the books you mentioned. Thanks so much for sharing that with me! You are truly a good man!

 

I have both Onx and Gaia GPS. I routinely use Gaia gps. I also really like the FunTreks trail guides.

 

I had a significant learning experience decades ago in my early 4-Wheeling days. Two friends and I were exploring the area around Springville. We decided to check out Grafton one day. Easy 4WD road and navigation (no GPS at the time, only paper maps). The roads were a bit damp after a downpour the previous day, but at least it wasn't dusty.

On the way back from Grafton, my friend "Steve" decided he was going to be a big, tough 4-Wheeler and drive his S-10 Blazer thru a large mud puddle. He made quite the splash! But, he wasn't in 4WD and by the time realized he wasn't in 4WD he was mired axle deep in the infamous Utah red mud-sand.

We didn't have an adequate yank strap with us, but fortunately, a friendly local gas station loaned us one and we got him out without issue.

Since then, I've never traveled without a good yank strap and other basic recovery gear.