This update to Apple Maps makes it easier to navigate national parks, so I took it on a ‘exploration trip’

I can’t leave the house without relying on my iPhone and Apple Watch to help me get to my destination, let alone walk. I have long used Apple Maps for driving and walking directions when navigating a new city. Last year, the tech giant introduced several features that made my devices even more useful while traveling, including offline maps and portable maps of several major cities.

With the release of iOS 18 earlier this fall, Apple introduced travel-friendly features, including additional improvements to Apple Maps that benefit hikers. Now, you can use Apple Maps to access detailed hiking directions for all 63 US national parks on your iPhone or Apple Watch. I’ve always relied on other apps to track my outdoor activities, but these new features have made it clear that Apple Maps can do the job on its own. But there was only one way to know for sure – I had to test it.

My family is lucky enough to live less than two hours from Mammoth Cave National Park, which has several trails above ground, so my husband and I loaded our three kids in the car and headed out for a day of exploring. big outside.

Before your departure

Before we started our trip, I downloaded an offline map of Mammoth Cave National Park. Because most parks are (blessedly) far from civilization, they tend to have cell service.

To download an offline map from Apple Maps, simply search for the national park you plan to visit. You should see a “Download” button next to the button that shows the driving range. When you click the download button, you can customize the location of the map that you would like to download. I suggest you make it big enough that you can use it to get driving directions around the park. Even on the way to Mammoth Cave, it was helpful to have a map of the area downloaded to my phone.

From the same screen where you click to download the offline map, you can scroll down to view a list of the park’s trails. Because I had three kids with me, I knew I had to choose a hike that wasn’t too long or had too much elevation. As I browsed the climbs, I could see the length, elevation and whether it was an out-and-back or point-to-point hike.

I went on a short out-and-back tour that turned toward the cave’s historic entrance. People have been using this entrance for thousands of years, and many visitors to the park still pass through it today. Once you’ve selected a hike (or mountains), click the hike and click “Add to Library.” If it’s in your library, you can access it anytime by opening Apple Maps, clicking your profile picture and then clicking “Library.”

If you prefer to walk your own way, you can also create custom walking routes in Apple Maps and save them to your library. To create a custom route, simply click on any road or route, click “More” and select “Create Custom Route.” You can then click on any route or road on the map to add additional stops to your custom route. Apple Maps can help you complete your route as a loop out or back or closed based on your preferences.

During your trip

Because I had downloaded a map of Mammoth Cave and saved my preferred itinerary before we left, I was able to get driving directions directly from the parking lot near the trailhead. Before this update, I was only able to use Apple Maps to get to the park’s main visitor center and find my way to my destination.

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After arriving, I opened the directions of the trip that I had saved so that I could easily track how far we had traveled. The Mammoth Cave trails are very well marked, but it was nice to have a backup plan in case we got lost or wanted to hike up the mountain after finishing the first one (as it turned out, the kids opted for lunch instead of hiking).

Once our walk was over, it was easy to find our way back to the car using Apple Maps. To show your parked car on Apple Maps, go to “Settings” on your iPhone, click “Maps” and make sure “Show Parked Location” is turned on. This ensures that you can see the location of your parked car, given that your phone is paired with your car’s Bluetooth or CarPlay.

Bottom line

Apple Maps’ new features make it easier, safer and more fun to explore our country’s national parks or make your own way with a custom hiking trail. I love being outside with my family, and I can’t wait to try new features again. Maybe next time I can convince my kids to walk a little longer before stopping to eat.

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