Hiking Apps for Planning, Navigating, and Exploring Trails in Canada
Discover, Plan, and Explore Smarter with the Best Hiking Apps for Your Next Adventure
Our list of the top hiking apps for trails in Canada makes exploring the breathtaking landscapes and vast network of backcountry trails, wilderness footpaths, and urban pathways in this country easier, safer, and more fun. Technology can change how you plan, navigate, and explore Canada's trails, but with so many great options available to support outdoor adventure, it can be difficult to know where to begin. We've been thru-hiking for 15+ years, using apps to explore over 20,000 km of the world's long-distance trails and pilgrimage routes, including the Trans Canada Trail - the world's longest recreational pathway. Over the years we've tried and tested our kit of online resources on everything from the rail trails of Manitoba to the wilderness footpaths of British Columbia. Whether you're looking for the best app to use for discovering new trail adventures in your area, the most reliable tool for offline navigation, or the best resource for finding water resources on a backcountry trail, we've got you covered.
Why You Need the Top Hiking Apps for Use in Canada
Canada's vast and varied hiking landscape demands reliable tools for safety, navigation, and discovery, and the top hiking apps for trails in Canada rise to the challenge. In fact, using technology to support your hiking adventures offers a wide range of benefits that can transform your outdoor experience. For one thing, using the appropriate trail app can make it easier to plan ahead, stay safe, and pick the kind of adventure that you'll actually enjoy - one that aligns with your own interests, pace, style, and fitness level. In general, hiking apps provide trail maps, elevation profiles, GPS navigation, real-time updates on trail conditions, crowd-sourced reviews, and more. As such, especially when hiking in unfamiliar areas or vast backcountry parks, these apps can improve safety, confidence, and enjoyment. Our roundup of the best hiking apps for Canadian trails will help you choose the right tool for your next adventure, whether you're exploring remote mountain routes in British Columbia or searching for an easy, family-friendly hike in Nova Scotia such as the Celtic Shores Coastal Trail. Let's dive in!
1. AllTrails: Best for Trail Discovery in Canada
AllTrails has become a household name in Canada, and for good reason. It features a database of over 400,000 trails worldwide, 22,000 of which are Canada! This makes it the perfect tool for discovering and exploring everything from city park loops to multi-day backcountry expeditions. For example, this versatile app includes trail maps, GPS routes, elevation profiles, difficulty ratings, and user reviews. Conveniently, trails are searchable by region, distance, elevation, and trail type, making it an excellent recourse for beginners and seasoned hikers alike. As a result, AllTrails has been our go-to app when looking for day-hikes around our home town in Ontario, searching for information on Quebec's P'Tit Train du Nord cycling route, and planning a multi-day backpacking trip on Ontario's Bruce Trail. It has definitely earned its spot on our list of top hiking apps for trails in Canada.
Pro Tip: With a paid subscription users can download offline maps, which can be invaluable in remote areas of Canada where cell service is frequently unavailable.
2. Gaia GPS: Best Offline Hiking App for Canada
When it comes to exploring the breathtaking mountains, pristine lakes, and rugged coastlines of the remote Canadian wilderness, our pick for the top hiking app is Gaia GPS. In rural Canada the scenery is spectacular, but cell service is often very poor or completely absent, and this is where Gaia GPS shines. In particular, this powerful trail app specializes in offline navigation and detailed topographic maps. For example, you can download the GPX tracks for your trail or chosen route in advance, and subsequently select topography, satellite imagery, or streetview as the baselayer map. In addition, you can add layers showing cell coverage, slope, public lands and more, making it an incredibly versatile and powerful tool for use in the backcountry. Although the interface may seem technical, the app is favoured by experienced hikers, backpackers, and search and rescue teams. For us, the Gaia GPS app proved the perfect tool for use along Alberta's High Rocky Trail and the strenuous Fundy Footpath in New Brunswick.
Pro Tip: Download your maps for offline use before setting out, even when you expect to have cell service.
3. Komoot: Perfect Hiking App for Route Customization
For those who love customizing their own adventures, Komoot is a top choice. Its strength lies in planning personalized routes that suit your fitness level, travel mode, and desired terrain. With detailed topographic maps and turn-by-turn voice navigation, Komoot ensures your Canadian trail experience is smooth from start to finish. In addition, because users can share their own trails, Komoot is also a gateway to hidden local gems—whether you're hiking the East Coast Trail in Newfoundland or the Sunshine Coast Trail in BC. Offline access and route planning make it ideal for long-distance treks and weekend wanderings, especially when you want to explore off the beaten path.
Pro Tip: Use Komoot's "Highlights" feature to discover scenic spots and hidden gems recommended by other hikers, and save them to your route for a more personalized adventure.4. Trailforks: Key App for Remote Mountainous Terrain in Canada
Although Trailforks is best known among mountain bikers, it's also a rich resource for hikers, especially in rugged provinces like British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. With trail networks mapped in detail, plus live trail condition reports and the all-important elevation data, it's a technical and community-powered app. Because user-generated data is frequently updated, Trailforks is an excellent way to monitor weather impacts, trail maintenance, or seasonal closures. As such, with forest fires, flooding, mud slides, and avalanches becoming increasingly common due to climate change, this can be an invaluable resource for navigating remote trails like the Kettle Valley Rail Trail in British Columbia. Furthermore, offline map downloads allow you to explore remote terrain with confidence.
Pro Tip: Check recent trail status updates and heatmaps before your trip to see which routes are most popular or recently maintained. This helps you avoid closed trails and choose the best route for your skill level.The gladdest moment in human life, methinks, is a departure into unknown lands.
by Sir Richard Burton
5. FarOut: Best App for Finding Water on Canadian Wilderness Trails
The FarOut hiking app is designed for long-distance and wilderness hikers navigating in remote wilderness conditions. Specifically, it provides GPS-tagged water sources along major hiking routes, including the Canadian portion of the Great Divide Trail (GDT) in Alberta and British Columbia and the International Appalachian Trail (IAT) in Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec. Like many thru-hikers on the GDT, we relied on FarOut's crowd-sourced information to stay hydrated in areas where topographic maps alone don't provide real-time updates on water availability.
Pro Tip: Tap into the community comments for real-time updates on water sources, campsites, and trail conditions. While FarOut's offline maps and elevation profiles are invaluable for long-distance hikes, the real magic is in the user-generated notes.6. iOverlander: Finding the Best Campsites On and Off Trail
If your hike includes camping—especially in remote or wild places—iOverlander is a must. This crowd-sourced app helps users locate free campsites, trailheads, water sources, and essential amenities across Canada. From logging roads in Alberta to Crown land in Ontario, iOverlander expands your trail possibilities. Adventurers can view GPS coordinates, recent reviews, road access notes, and photos. For vanlifers and budget hikers, it's an invaluable resource that supports freedom, safety, and sustainable exploration across vast Canadian landscapes. During our coast-to-coast hike across Canada this app was invaluable for finding camping spots in urban areas, such as along Prince Edward Island's Confederation Trail.
Pro Tip: Always read the most recent user reviews before choosing a campsite or service spot, and mark locations as favourites before setting out, especially when travelling in remote areas.7. Avenza Maps: Perfect App for Adding Geotagged Placemarks
Avenza Maps is a powerful hiking app designed for offline navigation using high-quality topographic and trail maps. As such, it is ideal for remote Canadian adventures, because it lets users download official maps (i.e., from Parks Canada), track their GPS location without cell service, record routes, and drop geotagged placemarks. In addition, you can also import custom maps in formats like GeoPDF or KML. While the interface can feel clunky at times, it excels in areas where other apps fall short—especially in the backcountry. If you're planning hikes off the grid and need reliable, detailed maps, Avenza is a smart tool to have on hand.
Pro Tip: Use official maps from trusted sources—like Parks Canada or provincial parks—for the most accurate and detailed navigation.Weighing the Pros and Cons of Hiking Apps in Canada
While hiking apps offer many benefits, ranging from GPS navigation and real-time trail updates to discovering lesser-known routes across Canada, they also come with limitations. While using an app that shows your location relative to the trail can make hiking fun, easy, and accessible, it is never a good idea to rely solely on your phone for navigation or survival. For example, not all trails have up-to-date information on trail closures, weather events, or seasonal changes. In addition, you may find that estimated hike times or terrain difficulty does not match your own pace or fitness level. Furthermore,, some apps are battery-intensive, and phones can be damaged, lost, or run out of power. For multi-day hikes, carrying a battery pack is essential, but even when you have power, sometimes apps can crash or glitch when used offline for extended periods of time. As such, you should always bring a paper map and compass, and know how to use them. Download your maps and tracks ahead of time, but always remember—while apps can be extremely helpful, they're not infallible. Therefore, it is imperative to always pay attention to trail markers, stay alert, and be mindful of your own safety.
Final Thoughts on Hiking Trail Apps for Canada
In conclusion, because Canada's trail network is so extensive and varied, having the right hiking app can make a world of difference. There are many excellent options out there, including some non-mobile resources like the Trans Canada Trail website, which offers free downloadable KML files and information on 28,000 km of Canada's trail network. As such, whether you're planning a solo hike on the Ironhorse Trail in Alberta, a pilgrimage trek on a Canadian Camino, or family walk through PEI's forest trails, these apps offer tools that support every phase of the journey—from dreaming and planning to hiking and sharing.