Gaia GPS Launches First Outdoor Maps for Apple CarPlay

February 25, 2020

Gaia GPS announces integration with Apple CarPlay for offroad and vehicle-based adventures

Gaia GPS announced earlier today Apple CarPlay compatibility. This marks the first-ever CarPlay app built for offroad and overland adventures. After a special round of beta testing – where hundreds of folks jumped on board to give feedback – Gaia GPS’s CarPlay integration is now live and ready to bring the best outdoor maps directly to your vehicle’s dash.

View all Gaia GPS maps, from USFS topo to National Geographic Trails Illustrated, with or without cell phone service, and get turn-by-turn directions on off-grid adventures for any drivable saved route. Whether you’re headed out on a multi-day overland trip or searching for that hard-to-find trailhead, CarPlay connectivity assists you with hands-free navigation that will keep your eyes on the dusty road ahead.

You can also now get all of Gaia GPS’s map sources on your vehicle’s dashboard touchscreen. When you open Gaia GPS from your CarPlay enabled display, the newly redesigned Gaia Topo map will appear and pinpoint your exact location on the map. Hand curated and beautiful to pore over, the new Gaia Topo is free to use.

To customize the map source, open Gaia GPS on your iPhone to choose from the hundreds of maps available with a membership or premium membership. When in a national forest, try out the 2016 USFS map — a favorite with overlanders. Bring up National Geographic Trails Illustrated maps in most of America’s national parks for indispensable park information, or catch a birds-eye view of the terrain ahead with satellite imagery. Any available Gaia GPS map can be viewed on your dashboard screen.

With your favorite map on display, use the touchscreen to zoom in and out on the map, pan or scroll the map in any direction, select and preview saved routes, and cancel navigation. Once you start driving, the map’s location marker pinpoints your progress as you blaze down a lonely dirt road or cruise a well-traveled scenic highway.

Turn-by-turn Directions on Saved Routes

Get turn-by-turn directions on your saved routes in the Gaia GPS app and let voice commands guide you to your destination, no matter how far off-grid you plan to go. Turn-by-turn directions work even when you’re out of cell range or operating on airplane mode to conserve phone battery, making it that much easier to leave the pavement behind.

Turn-by-turn directions are optimal for front country adventures too. You can create and save a sightseeing tour on park roads using a National Park Service Visitor map. Plan to hit all the park’s main attractions and never miss the turnout to that obscure viewpoint again.

We are VERY excited about this news as this integration opens the door to a more user-friendly and efficient way of navigating off-pavement without the requirement of having a separate GPS device to guide your travels while in the backcountry. OutdoorX4 Magazine will be testing and reviewing this technology for an upcoming article in the print edition of the magazine so stay tuned.

OutdoorX4 Magazine – Promoting responsible vehicle-based adventure travel and outdoors adventure