# Route Scout - GPS Topo Mapper — Exploring tool > Offline GPS topographic mapper for recording and navigating outdoor activities. (iPhone/iPad app by Joseph Bartels.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/route-scout-gps-topo-mapper/id1030966878 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Joseph Bartels](https://appshunter.io/developer/888786341) - Category: Navigation, Health & Fitness - Price: Free - Rating: 4.30/5 from 29 App Store ratings · 10 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 17+ - Requires: iOS 16.1 · 104 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2015-08-22 - Data updated: 2026-08-17 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/route-scout-gps-topo-mapper/id1030966878/reviews.md ## What is Route Scout? Record outdoor activities. Designed for hiking. Route Scout maps where you went, shows you where you are, and talks to you while you hike, so your phone can stay in your pocket. RECORD • Topo map with live miles, elevation gain, speed, moving average, time, and breaks • 40+ activity types: hike, backpack, trail run, mountain bike, horseback, snowshoe, kayak, canyoneering, 4x4 and more • Drop waypoints as you go: junctions, summits, water sources, trip notes • Splits Review: a per-mile table of time, pace, gain and accumulated gain • Keeps recording in the background with the screen off LISTEN INSTEAD OF LOOKING Route Scout speaks. Every announcement is optional. • Split statistics every quarter, half or full mile • Nature calls: a bird or animal sound cues each split, followed by a few facts about the animal you just heard • Off-trail alert tells you how far off you are and which direction back, then chimes when you return • Waypoints announced as you approach them • Break started, break over, low battery, and a chime when you are back at the trailhead • Adjustable speech speed; lower or silence other audio while it plays FOLLOW A ROUTE • Direct GPX import: the last route imported is set to "Follow" automatically • Offline topo maps download for that route, so navigation works with no signal • Pin any track to pursue for miles-to-go and off-track alerts • Back to Start builds a return route from what you have already recorded • Layers: HAZ Topo/Street, Satellite, and a U.S. land owner layer showing BLM, Forest Service, State Trust and private boundaries KNOW WHERE YOU ARE • Peak Scope names the summits around you with bearing, distance, and elevation • Compass • Nearby Routes pulls community-recorded routes around your location • Weather forecast and radar MANAGE YOUR ROUTES • Rename, merge, reverse, recolor, edit, and archive • Sort by recent, A-Z, or nearest • Settings sync across devices; reinstall, sign in, and settings come back NOW IN SIX LANGUAGES English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Japanese; on screen and spoken aloud. Warning: never rely on a single means of navigation if your life depends on it. Notice: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. ## Key features - Offline topographic maps - Route recording and tracking - Waypoint management - Audio alerts for navigation - GPX import/export - Elevation and speed tracking ## Recent user reviews (10 of 10) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/route-scout-gps-topo-mapper/id1030966878/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Excellent tool! *2026-03-15* Just started using this app and greatly satisfied with it. Intuitive to use and the gps is very accurate. Honestly I cannot find another app comparable to this one especially if you’re based in Arizona. Great job to the developer. ### 5/5 — Very versatile route tracking app *2021-01-27* This a very versatile and accurate app for tracking your hikes/runs/walks/etc. You can record your track and export it. Gives you mileage, elevation gain, time, breaks, and so on, plus different map layers. You can also import existing routes and set to follow those. It can run in airplane mode, resulting in very little battery usage, even for a full day hike. ### 5/5 — Don’t Leave Hone Without it! *2019-05-13* We love Route Scout! Thanks to hikearizona.com and this app we’ve been able to explore areas of AZ that we didn’t even know existed! Love researching the areas/hikes and the download is super simple. Thanks to everyone who contributes to this fabulous resource!! ### 1/5 — No thanks *2019-02-20* There are too many other easy apps. This app is anything but simple. Easy to record a hike but not so much if you simply want to download a hike and follow it. ### 5/5 — Very cool *2016-11-26* Cheesy audio and 16 bit graphics. Also absolutely the most functional and useful hiking app I have ever used (been through half a dozen). Very accurate and has alerts when u get off track. Fair warning if you a want a simple clean user interface this is not your app. It is a little clunky and requires some figuring out for downloading routes etc. that said assuming it has the route I need available I would not use anything else. ### 4/5 — Great *2016-04-10* GREAT! ### 1/5 — Wall of Sound On Opening *2016-03-23* You know when you stumble across an old Geocities-type website with auto-play embedded sound and suddenly your study session is interrupted by blasting HamsterDance? Yeah, this app auto plays loud distorted bird sound on launch. It was so disturbing and annoying I just deleted the app and never looked back. There are plenty of other apps that do this. I have no idea why the creator though that auto-play sound of screeching birds was a good idea. Was I just Rick-Rolled or something? Just move along. ### 5/5 — Very good program *2016-03-07* Route Scout works very well for me. The interface can be a little confusing at first, but once figured out the program works well. The "follow" features are particularly useful, as it essentially turns you phone into a graphic GPS. It is handy to have a track of where you have been, and the voice messages are nice to let you know how far you have come and at what pace. Be aware that using your phone in GPS mode will drain the battery in a few hours, an auxiliary battery to recharge it is handy on longer hikes. All in all a very handy app. ### 5/5 — Best Hiking App Ever!! *2016-02-27* Love this app! ### 4/5 — Better than Garmin for GPS *2015-09-04, version 2.0.18* Route Scout is a great tool for using your phones built in GPS functions. It records tracks that you can save online or export in any compatible format such as GPX or KML. You can even import tracks and use Route Scout to follow a track. Imported tracks also include topographic maps and satellite imagery of your route for use offline when you are out of a good cell signal. It's ideal for hiking deep in the wilderness! While the design and interface has some quirks I have yet to find another app that makes it as simple to upload and download GPS tracks. This is the real beauty of Route Scout. It can be set to "talk" to you and announce how far you have hiked or biked, speed, elevation climbed, time, etc. It will follow a track and verbally announce when you get near waypoints on your route. This is an awesome feature if for making sure you don't miss a turn in the trail, or an important landmark or geocache. The developer is great at responding to concerns and queries and improvements are frequent with each update. It's free which is the best part. And there are no ads either so not annoying free. Just real free! ## Frequently asked questions about Route Scout ### What is Route Scout? Route Scout is a free GPS topographic mapping application designed for recording and navigating outdoor activities like hiking. It offers offline maps, route tracking, and audio alerts. ### Does Route Scout have ads? No, Route Scout is ad-free, providing an uninterrupted experience for users during their outdoor adventures. ### What devices does Route Scout support? Currently, Route Scout is supported on iPhone devices. ### How often is Route Scout updated? The app was last updated on March 11, 2026, indicating a commitment to ongoing development and improvements. ### What is the age rating for Route Scout? Route Scout has an age rating of 17+, suggesting it may contain content or features more suitable for mature audiences. ### Can I import routes into Route Scout? Yes, Route Scout allows direct GPX import. The last imported route can automatically set to follow mode for seamless navigation. ### What kind of navigation alerts does Route Scout offer? Route Scout provides audio options for split times, alerts for nearby waypoints, and notifications if you go off-trail. ### How does Route Scout compare to other navigation apps? Route Scout focuses on offline topographic maps and detailed outdoor activity tracking, offering features like GPX import/export and specific audio alerts that differentiate it from general navigation tools. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 7.5.7 — 2026-08-10 • fixed broken links and updated Info • added help & rate to the bottom of the home screen ### 7.5.4 — 2026-08-04 • added nature info to settings; off by default • added scorpion to nature sounds • fixed waypoint list arrows and added Go option to pursue • quicker compass response • fixed disconnected sync notice that was occasionally false • added languages in settings • point logic revised based on data modeling ### 7.5.2 — 2026-07-22 • Fixed a Splits Review bug • Updated dependencies • Fixed a decade-old issue of writing too much to the database, which resulted in purging the DB • Added a rebuild database option as a backup for existing or unforeseen issues • Fixed review map initial center/zoom for routes outside the Americas and south of the equator • Added a low signal filter to reduce scribble at low speeds ### 7.5.1 — 2026-07-01 • Updated network sync • Fixed pause bug • Updated dependencies ### 7.4.40 — 2026-06-01 • Updated dependencies • Refined rare imported-route prompt for already-followed route • removed GNSS fallback introduced in 7.4.17, which created more issues than it resolved ## Apps similar to Route Scout | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [bergfex: Hiking & Tracking](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bergfex-hiking-and-tracking/id912776148) | 4.7 (126) | Free | Navigation | | [Guru Maps - Offline Navigation](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guru-maps-offline-navigation/id321745474) | 4.7 (2,759) | Free | Navigation | | [Avenza Maps: Offline Mapping](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/avenza-maps-offline-mapping/id388424049) | 4.8 (127,094) | Free | Navigation | | [Guru Maps Pro - Offline Nav](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guru-maps-pro-offline-nav/id891362701) | 4.7 (988) | $89.99 | Navigation | | [iHikeGPS : Classic Topo Maps](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ihikegps-classic-topo-maps/id351499175) | 4.4 (59) | $4.99 | Navigation | | [onX Hunt: GPS Hunting Maps](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/onx-hunt-gps-hunting-maps/id672902340) | 4.9 (274,263) | Free | Navigation | ## Related topics [joseph bartels](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/joseph-bartels) · [toptracer](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/toptracer) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-17.*