For years my mapping workflow settled into a set pattern. CalTopo desktop for planning. Google Earth for virtual ground truthing and understanding the landscape. Gaia GPS for mobile use in the field. Avenza for georeferenced PDFs and specialty maps. Paper maps and compass always part of the mix. Now? The mapping app landscape feels very different. Gaia GPS continues its march toward enshittification, most recently by dropping NatGeo map layers ; a major selling point for a lot of users. Goat Maps looked like a way forward for a while. One of the original Gaia developers worked on it, and it felt like what a modern backcountry navigation app should be: mobile-friendly, better base maps, cleaner than CalTopo on a phone. Continue reading Digital mapping tools, my use in 2026 at PMags.com.
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