The Best Phone Apps for Outdoorsy People

Access to the outdoors and outdoor recreation has changed a lot since the advent of everyone carrying a phone at almost all times. Trails and backcountry areas that were once accessible to those with paper maps and great navigation skills can now be easily explored by anyone who knows how to use a mapping app on their iPhone.

There are certainly many pros and cons of this that could be explored, especially relating to overuse and overcrowding of previously unused areas. The reality is that everyone has a phone, and the technology related to the outdoors is only getting better. If you like the outdoors, some of these apps might make your adventure planning more convenient and safe. 

• A weather app. Basic forecasts are essential for trip planning and for safety! Notifications for lightning strikes, incoming snowstorms, severe weather and rainfall can be so important for guiding decisions in the outdoors. Weather apps typically also have sunrise and sunset times for staying within legal shooting hours and planning wakeup times. 

• A snowfall app. Make a shortcut to Weatherstreet snow accumulation map or the NOAA snow accumulation map to check out snow depth in areas you plan on traveling to or hunting. This helps with preparation when your current location is further south or lower elevation and you need to know if other areas will be accessible due to snow depth or not. 

• Wind speed app such as Windfinder. Wind speed and direction is essential knowledge for hunters. Wind forecasts are especially important for planning which days to hunt certain locations or let them rest. 

• AllTrails. This hiking app has tons of crowd-sourced data on trails, trial conditions and scenery. The comments and reviews of trails on the app can be helpful for finding up-to-date information on washouts, crowds, insects… pretty much anything you’d want ton know. AllTrails also shows a lot of options for hiking trails on the map setting so you can easily find and explore trails near your current location. 

• OnX Maps. Most people who travel to hunt are familiar with OnX maps. The app shows land ownership, public/private designation of properties, topography, water features and much more. It’s arguably the best way to find new parcels of public land you may not have otherwise known were there. OnX also shows boat launches, trails and aerial imagery for some of the best hunt-planning technology out there. 

You can group apps on your phone by category to have everything you need for hiking or hunting in one place.

• Recreation.gov app. The Recreation.gov website and app is the best way to find and book campgrounds on government-managed lands. Make reservations at national park campgrounds and national forest campgrounds, check availability and prices and have everything ready to go so you don’t risk a fully booked campground upon arrival.

• FarOut Hiking guides. This app is a major information source for thru-hikers, with a social aspect and great info about what to expect along the trail.

• Shortcuts! A shortcut may not count as an app, but phone shortcuts to websites saved on your home screen are the best way to quickly access important websites. Some good shortcuts include state game regulations sites, your DNR account to check in game, and maps of hunting areas. In addition to shortcuts, saving PDF maps for use offline can be helpful, as well. If your state allows you to have an electronic version of your hunting license rather than the paper copy, make sure to have that saved as well.

Example of a shortcut page that opens straight to the state game registration page for quick access to register game.

• Social media and forums. If you have a question about something outdoors-related, chances are someone has already asked it on a forum or Facebook group. Social media can be a great way to learn and stay up-to-date on anything from what birds are migrating through to the best arrow setups for a new bow. 

• Phone accessories. You can find external phone batteries to recharge on the go at a wide range of price points, either rechargeable or solar powered. These can keep you going for days, especially when you keep your phone on airplane mode. 

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