Use GPX
​​You can download GPX tracks to your phone or tablet, follow them on a map and never get lost!  You do not even need cell service when you are using a GPS outdoor navigation app.
In a nutshell:
  • Download an app to your cell phone or tablet.  Your phone or tablet must be GPS enabled (most are).
  • Download a map to the app while you are at home with cell service or WiFi.  This map will be available out on the trail when you do not have cell service.
  • Download tracks to display on this map.
  • Go in the field away from cell service.  Your GPS will determine your position from satellites and show it on the saved map.  Follow the tracks on the map and you will always know where you are.​
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Note:  If you have problems downloading GPX files see GPX Download
Three Apps are illustrated below:  Backcountry Navigator Pro, Gaia GPS and Locus Map Pro.
  • These are three I am familiar with.  Others will also work.
  • The illustrations assume you downloaded all tracks at one time, and you want to run the trail "Bad Medicine Bypass 4.0".
  • The location shown has a complex conglomeration of trails.   It was chosen to clearly show the differences between apps.

Backcountry Navigator Pro

Automatically displays names of all tracks on the screen.  This is most helpful when you are zoomed in closer than what is shown.  Clicking the trail has no effect in BackCountry Navigator.

​Tracks created in a Garmin program (as on this website) will upload in original color.  This allows direct correlation to this website.  Easy to tell Access Roads, Major Trails and Minor Trails.

​​Does not do routing.  Many customization options.  Great choice of background maps, including CalTopo and Open Andro.  Only available on Android.  Pro version required.

The developer has a new subscription version, BackCountry Navigator XE, expected to be available for both Android and iOS.  Android is nearing the end of beta as of June, 2019.  iOS is hardly started.  I am not impressed with the Android version as yet.

Hard to tell where Bad Medicine Bypass 4.0 is.

Gaia GPS

​Available on both iOS and Android.  I do not like it as well as the other two apps, but many people will prefer it for it's relative simplicity.  I cannot relate to it's logic.

Does not upload tracks true to Garmin colors - it uploads them as random colors.  It is difficult to distinguish between Access Roads, Major Trails and Minor Trails.  This is only a problem if you display all tracks at one time.  It is not a problem if you only display one or two at a time, of if you like the myriad of colors to immediately distinguish one trail from another.
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I like how it can sync to the cloud on gaiagps.com.  Has a great set of maps available.  Does routing but I have not tried the feature.  It has far less customization but is somewhat simpler to use than the other two.  May be a good choice if you do not care about color and customization.

Click a trail for the name of that one trail.  Others are not named.

Locus Map Pro

Locus displays tracks true to Garmin colors - same as this website.  Easy to distinguish the three types of tracks.  My favorite app.

Locus has a fair variety of background maps, but I prefer Open Andro because it requires very little storage space.  Lots of good additional features such as geocaching and routing.  The learning curve is steeper because of all the features. The settings menu is complex.  Android only.  
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  • ​Clicking on a trail gets a popup with the name of the trail and the trail is highlighted with arrows so you easily know what trail to follow.
  • Can have the name at one end of a trail.
  • Can have time and elevation always on the map.
  • Centering button bottom left.
  • Zoom buttons bottom center.
  • Record button upper right.
  • Main Hamburger Menu upper left.
​You will note I do not say much about how to use the apps.  That is far beyond what I want to do on this website.  All of these apps have a learning curve.

Get started with Locus Map Pro - My attempt to introduce the app.  Feb, 2019

Steps to get started:
  • Buy and install Locus Map Pro (Get Pro, not Free) from Play Store.
  • Set a bookmark to Locus Map User Guide.  You will use this frequently!  You can also search for help using Google - include "Locus Map" in your search.  There is also a Locus Map Help Desk.
  • The Settings menu is complex and it will take a while to learn it.
​ Add Open Andro maps for offline use.
  • Go to Open Andro Maps download page. 
  • Click the box "Install Rendertheme".
  • Elevate 4/Locus.  The rendertheme will install in the background.
  • Go to Open Andro main menu and choose "Map Downloads".  Navigate to "USA" and click "+" by the state you want to download.
  • Choose "Locus V3 Map".  This will start a download that will take quite a while, depending on connection speed.
  • Repeat for all States you want on your device.  I have 9 states for a total of less than 2 Gigs of space.  This small amount of space means you no longer need to screw around with an SD card.
  • Locus installs maps on your device internal memory by default.  If you must use an SD card go to the Locus Map User Guide/FAQ and scroll way to the bottom for  How to use maps on external SD card. 
I hope you enjoy Locus Map.  I cannot offer additional help, but the three sources mentioned above should be able to answer your questions.