Navigation app reccomendations
For the past year I've been using GaiaGPS for navigating while hiking. I got the 1 year paid subscription so I could download maps for offline use.
I like most things about the app: detailed maps, everything (campsites, watersources, ...) is indicated, easy to use, ...
There is one issue that I've come across with the app: you can use the "snap to trail" feature to check the distance between you and some other place on the map. It shows distance and elevation profile to that point. The issue is that in offline mode it only shows distance, not elevation profile. It only does that while I have service. I find that in the mountains, distance without elevation is kind of useless for planning the day ahead.
I know I can look at the elevation lines on the map and count the elevation, but if I'm already doing the "snap to trail" to see distance I'd prefer to also see elevation change.
Any other apps people use or recommend that have this feature and are able to show elevation in offline mode? One that I've been looking at is CalTopo but I'm not sure if it has this feature.
(I hike in Europe, so preferably apps that have good European coverage.)
Posted Sep 2, 2026, 12:43 PM UTC