Search for hikes, parks, trails, and places in the Android app

This article will show you how to search for hikes, parks, trails, and places (places of interest or POIs) in the Gaia GPS app.

• Tap icons on the map to get detailed information.
• Search using the search box on the main map.  The names come from OpenStreetMap.
• Use the Discover tab to browse and search for known Hikes.

Tap Icons on the Main Map

You can tap on the map to get information about trails, parks, and places.

Tapping icons on the map work best with OpenStreetMap based map sources, like Gaia Topo, Outdoors, or OpenCycleMap HD.

1. Tap a trail or icon to bring up a flag with the name of the item and the Information icon.

2. Tap the Information icon to bring up a details page for that item.

3. Scroll down to see Hikes nearby.  Tap on a hike to view more information.

4. Tap on a Hike to get more information like distance, elevation, and difficulty.  You can save the Hike for offline use and also view reports and ratings.  When you save a hike for offline use, the app will automatically download maps for the hike.  You can view the hike and saved maps in the Saved menu.

Search Box on the Main Map

1. Tap the search icon in the top menu bar and start entering your search term.

2. As the list populates, you can tap an item to go there. Icons to the left indicate whether it is a park, trail, peak, etc. 

Using the Discover tab

1. Tap the Discover tab to find hikes and other items like parks, trails, and places. The page will automatically show popular hikes near your current location.

2. Tap the filter button to narrow these results by length or difficulty. Note: it is not yet possible to filter by 4x4 trails in the Android version of the app.

3. Tap the Search Bar to search by name.

4. Tap a result to see a details page for that item.

5. From the details page, scroll down for more information and to see nearby Hikes.  To save a hike for offline use, see Step 4 in Tap Icons on the Main Map above.

"Hikes" versus "Trails"

• A "Trail" is a dashed line on the map that represents a footpath or road. When you tap to show a trail on the map, it will highlight the trail as a red line.
• A "Hike" is a specific known route that people frequently travel along as an activity. A hike might be one single trail, or it might be a combination of several different trails.  When you tap to show a hike on the map, it will show as a purple line.  The name of a hike may include the word "trail."