BackCountry Navigator TOPO GPS

Contains adsIn-app purchases
3.4
6.92K reviews
1L+
Downloads
Content rating
Everyone
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About this app

Download topo maps for an offline outdoor navigator! Use your phone or tablet as an offroad topo mapping handheld GPS with the bestselling outdoor navigation app for Android OS! Explore beyond cell coverage for hiking and other recreation.

Download topo maps for the UK and many other countries in advance, so you won't need cell coverage for navigation. Use storage memory for maps.

New: Android Wear support to see navigation at a glance on wrist

Use GPS waypoints from GPX or KML files, or enter your own coordinates using longitude/latitude, UTM, MGRS, or grid reference. Using GOTO makes a waypoint a locus for navigation.

This uses many publicly available map sources as free downloads.

You may try the free version to make sure you like the maps in your country.

About topo (topographic) maps: Topo maps show terrain through color and contours, and are useful for navigation offroad. Topo maps and GPS can be used for hiking, hunting, kayaking, snowshoeing, & backpacker trails.
You can create your own maps with Mobile Atlas Creator, or specify a custom tile server, or use prebuilt maps from OpenAndroMaps.org/en

Contour lines

Built in sources include:
OpenStreetMaps from MapQuest
OpenCycleMaps showing terrain worldwide
Explorer style maps of the UK from Bing
4UMap free topo map of Europe
US Topo Maps from Caltopo and the USGS
USTopo: Aerial Photography with markup.
Canada Topo Maps from Toporama
Marine maps: NOAA RNC Nautical Charts (coastal)
USGS Color Aerial photography
Topographic Maps of Spain and Italy
Topo maps of New Zealand
Japan GSI maps.
Many of the above sources are generally free to use.

Use offline topo maps and GPS on hiking trails without cell service. The GPS in your Android phone can get its position from GPS satellites, and you don’t have to rely on your data plan to get maps. Have more fun and safe GPS navigation in the backcountry.

Use as a geocaching navigator by getting a pocket query as GPX.

Besides geocaching, use GPS for recording tracks and GPS waypoints on your trip, all the while tracking your GPS quest on topographic maps. It may replace your Garmin handheld GPS.

Here are some of the outdoor GPS activities BackCountry Navigator has been used for:
As a hiking GPS both on hiking trails and off trail.
Walking footpaths across countryside or wilderness areas
Camping trips to find that perfect camping site or the way back to camp with GPS.
Hunting trips for hunting wild game in rugged areas.
Doing recon for a hunt or as your hunting GPS
Fishing: make it your fishing GPS.
Search and Rescue (SAR).
Trekking the trailsl or other long term hiking.
Kayak and canoe treks on inland lakes and streams or marine, coastal waters.
Wilderness Backpacking trips: using topo maps of wilderness areas and forests for navigation on trails with the GPS in your rucksack or backpack.

Find your own ways to have fun in the outdoors. This can be your outdoor map navigator to keep your on track.

BackCountry Navigator has been on WM devices and preloaded on the Trimble Nomad outdoor rugged device. This Android version is more flexible, featured, and fun. Create a memory with maps.

For a one time fee, this a great addition to the outdoor gear you bought at Cabelas, REI, or another outdoor store. Many have found the Android GPS in a phone or tablet to substitute for a Garmin GPS or Magellan GPS, such as the Garmin GPS units Montana, Etrex, or Oregon. Android can be your handheld GPS.
Updated on
30 Jan 2024

Data safety

Safety starts with understanding how developers collect and share your data. Data privacy and security practices may vary based on your use, region and age. The developer provided this information and may update it over time.
No data shared with third parties
Learn more about how developers declare sharing
This app may collect these data types
App info and performance
Data is encrypted in transit
You can request that data be deleted

Ratings and reviews

3.5
6.3K reviews
A Google user
14 July 2019
This app is awesome! I use this on my phone and I have a handheld garmin GPS, using them side by side, obviously I much prefer the screen size, brightness and responsiveness of my phone. Be sure to download your map ahead of time. While youre on the trail turn off mobile data, bluetooth, etc. Leave location services enabled. I also use the battery saver mode and can get my phone to go a few days without a charge. I always carry a backup battery just incase.
47 people found this review helpful
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Tim Brandis
18 May 2022
Wow, after reading other reviews it almost seems redundant to point out that recent updates to the app or Android have left this app completely dysfunctional and worthless. I have been unable to download any new maps, tracking for me has been mostly reliable, but I am unable to contact support and share the logs of the trouble. All of this after years and years of flawless reliability. What the hell happened?
67 people found this review helpful
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CritterMap Software LLC
18 May 2022
You can reach support by replying to the email notification of this response. There is a map we have had to update the configuration for recently. Please let us know.
A Google user
1 February 2020
Great app! As the information from Crittermap states, the app requires some practice before taking it on a major trip. I've used it to log several trips, hiking and biking. I feared the battery usage would be excessive, but for outings of a few hours my phone's battery did not run low. I enjoyed knowing the maximum up and down speeds, time moving and not moving, and other statistics; as well as making screen shots of the tracks. Get this app to know where you are out-of-doors.
20 people found this review helpful
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What's new

Import fixes for Android 14.
Library updates required by Google Play.
Newer version of Mapsforge library for openandromaps.
Fix for NOAA charts
GPS Pointer resize
More accurate altitude in some cases.
Avoid getting stuck on permissions.
Highlight links
Changes for Android required by Google Play.
KML/KMZ export fixes.
Dropbox now recommended for backing up files.