Note: A lot of the apps here don\u2019t function offline, so plan accordingly. Download critical safety and wayfinding material (maps, for one!) before leaving home.<\/p>\n
Ready to incorporate tech into upcoming treks? These are the tools local experts can\u2019t live without.<\/p>\n
Finding your next trail<\/p>\n
When it comes to route-scouting apps, AllTrails (alltrails.com<\/a>) is the app that everyone knows for hiking.<\/p>\n I used AllTrails while researching my first guidebook, and was generally pleased with the results. The popular mobile app features a massive, user-reviewed database packed with hundreds of thousands of curated trail maps and real-time feeds offering detailed trail information (think: length, elevation gain, dog-friendliness), along with user reviews and photos showcasing terrain and current conditions. Offline navigation is also an option (with a paid subscription).<\/p>\n Some reviews are more helpful than others since things like difficulty and aesthetic value are obviously subjective. Still, AllTrails is great for discovering new trails, and the AI-powered search bar is fun to mess around with. (I got 20 results when I tried \u201cinline skating routes with wildflowers great for dogs!\u201d)<\/p>\n For local precision \u2013 and real-time safety advice \u2013 you might want to try the Colorado Trail Explorer<\/a> (COTREX) mobile app. Colorado Parks and Wildlife statewide public information officer Bridget O\u2019Rourke highly recommends it \u2014 which is no surprise since CPW developed the app several years ago to give Coloradans a leg up on the outdoors.<\/p>\n The app works directly (and exclusively) with land managers at parks and open spaces to ensure that all the information on the platform comes from reliable, trusted sources, O\u2019Rourke pointed out. To date, more than 236 land managers have contributed data on 45,076 miles of trail across Colorado. What\u2019s more, O\u2019Rourke added, \u201cWe have a designated person who manages the app at CPW; it\u2019s his full-time job to make sure everything is correct.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s still a social component to COTREX since users can follow one another and log personal field notes. They can also discover new routes, view allowed-use types (such as hiking, biking, OHV and snow sports), download offline maps, and see trip recommendations from participating partners.<\/p>\n If COTREX sounds like AllTrails, well, the apps are definitely similar, with a couple of notable differences. COTREX is totally free; there\u2019s no subscriber-only content. What\u2019s more, COTREX posts real-time advisories for safety hazards and essential trail alerts \u2013 a mountain lion or aggressive moose in the area, for example, or maintenance closures. The app displays active fire alerts, too, including wildfires and prescribed burns in covered areas. If a trail is closed, or a lot is full, COTREX users can view surrounding areas. (AllTrails also generates a list of nearby trails for last-minute pivots.)<\/p>\n For a third option, check out the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy\u2019s TrailLink<\/a> app, with over 40,000 miles of trail nationwide. That app is a lot like AllTrails and COTREX but focuses on rail-trails, which are decommissioned railway routes that have been converted to multi-use trails.<\/p>\n Backcountry safety<\/p>\n For those intending to explore Colorado\u2019s wide swaths of wilderness, a safety app is a smart idea. I\u2019ve had great experiences using Gaia GPS<\/a>, a mapping and navigation app that\u2019ll track your route as you go. While it certainly isn\u2019t as flashy as the competition, Gaia GPS is perfect for detail-oriented hikers who might be interested in, say, stacking map data like a deli sandwich, overlaying public land boundaries with slope-angle shading in order to steer clear of dangerous terrain.<\/p>\n Outdoors enthusiast Orion Aon, founder and owner of Forage Colorado<\/a>, uses OnX<\/a>, which, he said, launched as a mapping tool for hunters but now provides excellent data sets for backcountry hikers and off-roaders. Similar to Gaia GPS, OnX has offline tools for those recreating in remote places. \u201cIt\u2019s a paid service, but well worth it,\u201d Aon added.<\/p>\n Of course, even the best app is one dead battery or dropped signal away from total uselessness. For serious treks, where the stakes are high, Coloradans should get into the habit of packing a dedicated satellite messenger like Garmin\u2019s inReach<\/a> or Zoleo<\/a>. These communicators bypass cell towers entirely.<\/p>\n Plant ID apps A handful of Colorado plant gurus all shared a similar message: use iNaturalist<\/a> or its kid-safe imprint, Seek by iNaturalist, for \u2026 literally everything.<\/p>\n At its core, iNaturalist is essentially a social network for citizen science. It\u2019s also an excellent entry point into plant identification. Here\u2019s how it works: Upload photos you\u2019ve captured in the field,\u00a0 then connect with other users who can help you ID the plants, fungi, and animals you\u2019ve discovered.<\/p>\n \u201cThe app has three very useful features,\u201d Gharbi said, pointing to its built-in identification algorithm, vast network of users, and expert oversight. (He once direct-messaged the preeminent millipede expert of the West, who responded almost immediately.)<\/p>\n \u201cThere are entomologists and botanists and ornithologists who check people\u2019s postings,\u201d added Kristine Johnson, a Colorado native plant master and Wild Ones Boulder regional co-coordinator.<\/p>\n Johnson also uses iNaturalist in \u201cthe reverse way,\u201d she said, to find specific flowers that other users have observed in an area. \u201cIf you\u2019re looking for a rare bird \u2013 or trying to find a new foraging spot of leaf-peep destination \u2013 this is especially valuable,\u201d Gharbi noted.<\/p>\n Mowen tries not to rely on one specific app alone. \u201cI always verify my findings with a second app and then cross-reference with a book,\u201d she said, explaining that plant ID apps struggle to differentiate between closely related species.<\/p>\n Beyond iNaturalist, there\u2019s always Google Lens<\/a>, an AI-driven search tool that comes pre-installed on most modern Androids. (It\u2019s also available for iPhone users via the Google app.)<\/p>\n Depending on where you\u2019ll be recreating, you might check out CO Woody Plants<\/a>, a free shrub and tree identification app from experts at CSU. The Colorado Wetland App<\/a> is a one-stop resource for all things wetlands-related.<\/p>\n Foraging for shrooms When it comes to foraging mushrooms \u2013 a hot-ticket item for many a Coloradan \u2013 Aon likes Gather<\/a>, a paid app developed by a friend of his for foragers nationwide. The calendar-based app leverages a user\u2019s location to recommend local species that are currently in season, explained Aon, noting that the app is for \u201cthe what, when, and where side of wild food.\u201d<\/p>\n For identification, Shroomify<\/a> uses a modified version of a dichotomous key to help foragers narrow down mushroom identifications, Aon said. \u201cIt\u2019s certainly better than using algorithms and photos,\u201d he said before cautioning, \u201cI wouldn\u2019t recommend relying solely on an app if you\u2019re planning to eat the wild food you find.\u201d<\/p>\n Some plants and mushrooms can definitely kill you, and eating a mushroom confirmed by an app would be \u201csuper risky,\u201d as Aon put it. \u201cNever rely on an app for a final confirmation.\u201d New foragers especially should get into the habit of cross-referencing IDs with a guidebook and knowledgeable source \u2013 possibly even an expert from the Colorado Mycological Society<\/a>.<\/p>\n Bird nerds start here<\/p>\n Technically, bird identification is possible through iNaturalist, but the experts I spoke with use Merlin<\/a> and eBird<\/a> for their bird-specific needs, since both free apps have algorithms that allow users to identify birds by their calls.<\/p>\n Merlin and eBird are connected to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a nonprofit institution based at Cornell University. Merlin is \u201cdefinitely the number one birding app\u201d for everyday users, said Audrey Hicks, Denver Audubon Society\u2019s manager of conservation and research. (EBird, she explained, is less helpful with basic identification and is generally used by experienced birders.)<\/p>\n Merlin, Hicks said, is a great entry point for emergent birders. \u201cJust tap a button, and the app starts recording whatever birdsong is around you,\u201d she said. (In case you aren\u2019t aware, many experienced birders ID solely by ear.)<\/p>\n If you aren\u2019t digging sound identification, you can always upload a photo to the app \u2013 if you can get a clear one. Alternatively, try typing in descriptive information about the bird, and see what pops up. Merlin isn\u2019t 100 percent accurate, but it\u2019s pretty good, Hicks said, explaining that the app marks (with a red circle) any species that are rare. \u201cThat\u2019s when you should question the result,\u201d she said, noting that seeing a rare bird would be \u2026 rare.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t discount the Audubon Bird Guide<\/a>, a free, comprehensive field guide app featuring over 800 North American bird species, offering (similar to Merlin) identification tools, including photos, sounds, and maps, along with real-time sightings. \u201cSerious birders like this one because it allows users to do a side-by-side comparison with various images,\u201d Hicks said.<\/p>\n NestWatch<\/a>, also from the Cornell Lab, is another fun app if you ever discover a nest in your yard.<\/p>\n Seeing stars Let\u2019s say you\u2019re into stargazing, but don\u2019t have an advanced degree in astronomy. An app can definitely help demystify the night sky. And you\u2019ve got options!<\/p>\n Katherine Bond, president of the Denver Astronomical Society, uses SkyView Lite, available through Google Play and Apple. She likes this app for its accuracy and user-friendliness: \u201cBasically, you point your phone at the sky and an interactive map will show various constellations,\u201d she said. Other popular choices among DAS members include SkySafari Pro<\/a> and Stellarium\u2019s<\/a> mobile app. DAS astronomy night coordinator Ken Sturrock recommends Star Walk 2<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sturrock reminds fellow stargazers to always check the weather before heading out. Sturrock suggests Astrospheric<\/a>, an advanced weather tool designed specifically for astronomers to track cloud cover, sky transparency and more.<\/p>\n If you\u2019d like some real-live-person assistance, drop by the University of Denver\u2019s Chamberlin Observator<\/a>y for one of DAS\u2019s free monthly open houses. Details are on the astronomical society\u2019s website, denverastro.org<\/a>. The group also offers tours and the opportunity to view the night sky through a 132-year-old Alvan Clark-Saegmuller 20-inch refracting telescope. Be sure to sign up in advance; these events frequently sell out and require a nominal fee.<\/p>\n OK, maybe my penchant for paper is a bit, um, vintage. I think I\u2019ll always enjoy the tactile feel of a physical map, and yet even a skeptic like me can see that digital companions really can help us connect with the natural world.<\/p>\n![\"Local](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/TDP-Z-FE24MAGCOTREX-01.jpg\")
Local hikers use CPW’s COTREX app while exploring Colorado’s pristine hiking trails. (Provided by Colorado Parks and Wildlife)<\/p>\n
\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/TDP-L-wood-stork-RJS-70335.jpg\")
A juvenile wood stork, typcially only seen in Florida, feeds near the shoreline of Alexx & Michael’s Pond in Broomfield on Aug. 21, 2025. (Photo by RJ Sangosti\/The Denver Post)<\/p>\n
\n![\"Wild](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/TDP-Z-082123TellurideMushroom_045.jpg\")
Wild mushrooms foraged around the Telluride region on display in an educational tent during the 43rd Telluride Mushroom Festival on Aug, 20, 2023. (Photo by William Woody\/Special to The Denver Post)<\/p>\n
\n![\"moon](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/TDP-moonoverlongspeak_1104662082_260834744.jpg\")
The moon and venus over Long’s Peak taken July 26th with a hydrogen alpha telescope by Brian Kimball, a member of the Longmont Astronomical Society. (Brian Kimball, via Times-Call)<\/p>\n