Best Hiking GPS Devices Reviewed

Reception quality varies depending on the sensitivity of the GPS receiver. Most GPS manufacturers do not print their sensitivity ratings. Look for a hiking GPS that features a “high-sensitivity” profile compared to a “sensitive” profile. You can learn more about GPS sensitivity from National Instruments.

Most Garmin GPS devices weigh approximately 2 to 15 ounces. Some come in wearable watch forms or can be hooked around the hiker’s arm. Others are best added to your backpack or attached to a lanyard. Additional accessories are available on Amazon to help carry your GPS while hiking.

The Garmin Instinct GPS device is the best GPS watch for hiking. It starts with an impressive aesthetic that looks great on any wrist. Modern activity watch with a thin band and clean face. The Garmin Instinct comes in eight different colors: graphite, tundra, flame red, sunburst, lakeside blue, seafoam, black, and coyote tan. The black face remains the same across each color iteration. With each color iteration, there is a "tactical edition" option.

The tactical edition adds considerable cost but offers night vision goggle compatibility, stealth mode, and dual grid coordinates. If you plan to hike at night and want to be protected or would like additional data points, this is the best backpacking GPS watch for you.

Continuing with the tactical angle, Garmin constructed this watch with military-grade components for rugged durability and water resistance. This watch can be worn while swimming and in open water. In fact, the watch even records swim metrics (in open water and pools) such as distance, pace, stroke count, lap count, and swim efficiency as well as calories burned.

This watch is also supported by WAAS and GLONASS to offer the best GPS services so your location can always be tracked accurately. The heart rate monitor is built-in and provides an athletic component to the watch with heart rate features such as monitoring your heart rate zone, providing heart rate alerts, heart rate calories, % heart rate max, and broadcasting heart rate info with a synced device.

We love the additional apps, bands, cases, covers, and cycling accessories available for the Garmin Instinct. This makes the cost of the watch well worth it when you can customize the watch for your specific hiking or workout needs. This GPS watch power bundle includes an HD screen protector and PlayBetter portable charger to keep your watch safe and active.

If you need a large screen to view detailed map data, then this watch might not be your best option. However, if you want a portable and sophisticated watch with premium GPS tracking options, including WAAS and GLONASS, then this watch is for you. The gorgeous aesthetic and military-grade components elevate this watch as our premium pick for hikers who want the best GPS watch.

The Garmin Foretrex 401 is one of the most affordable and inexpensive GPS watch options on our list for hikers. This GPS watch has a battery life of up to 17 hours in GPS mode. A dual-position readout shows hikers their elevation, moving average, and location. Sunrise and sunset times are also included as well as an electronic compass and an altimeter/barometer combo. The device is also water-resistant. HotFix technology helps to ensure coverage when deep in canyons or rocky locations.

Another benefit of this watch is the available hunting and fishing information included. It shows an area calculation as well as the calendar dates for the seasons. For a hiker who is an avid outdoorsman, this is a feature that can be useful. This watch also includes Garmin’s TracBack feature, which allows hikers to retrace their path when necessary. This can help hikers avoid getting lost.

This is the best cheap GPS watch for hiking. It is a bit bulky and outdated when it comes to aesthetics, but it does deliver in performance. The low memory size (approximately 2 MB) can be frustrating if you want to install thousands of maps, but most people won't run into problems. An add-on heart rate monitor is available but is sold separately. For a watch at this price point, you won't find anything better.

If you want an affordable GPS watch to take hiking and hunting or fishing, we recommend this Garmin watch. It has everything you need for a basic trip and is a perfect entry GPS model.

The Garmin GPSMAP 64s is a great handheld navigator choice with GLONASS and WAAS capabilities. The device includes customizable options (can be purchased as a base model, with ANT & Bluetooth, with ANT & Bluetooth & a camera, and with Canada TOPO). High-sensitivity GPS has a quad-helix antenna. A 3-axis compass comes with an altimeter and barometer combo. This antenna and compass system makes it possible to know precisely where you are even in rocky locations or heavy tree cover. 

The color screen offers 2.6” of display space and is readable even in sunlight. A 4 GB memory and a microSD card slot can hold thousands of loaded maps. A free 1-year birdseye satellite imagery subscription is also included to create clearer, more detailed images.

This handheld GPS device can last up to 16 hours in the field and can share geocaches, tracks, routes, and waypoints wirelessly. Smart notifications make it possible to stay connected to your smartphone with notifications appearing on your handheld device.

A fun aspect of this Garmin handheld navigator is its ability to sync with Geocaching.com. There are 250,000 preloaded caches, including hints and full descriptions from the site to help you find geocaches. It's a great way to add a fun element to your hike and help you explore new places.

The device weighs 9.8 ounces and is relatively lightweight. The long 16-hour battery life means you won’t need to replace batteries often while hiking. The primary reason you might wish to choose another device is that this device requires a map subscription for most of the detailed map options.

If you want a mid-range handheld navigator with a clear color screen, this best backpacking GPS is a great choice.

The Garmin InReach Explorer+ is one of the most expensive options on our list, but it is also the option with the most packed feature set. This device is the best handheld hiking & hunting GPS navigator. It has a 3-axis compass and a high-sensitivity GPS that uses both WAAS and GLONASS.

Aesthetically the device features a color screen with a resolution of 200 x 265 pixels. The display size is 1.4”x 1.9” and is clear as well as easy-to-read. Aesthetically the device is simple and slim compared to other options.

A water rating of IPX7 means that you can’t go swimming or diving with this device, but it can be taken into rain and snow conditions. It can also withstand liquid splashes. The USB connection makes it easy to connect to any computer.

Pre-loaded maps make it easy to start using the device immediately with North America SKU loaded as well as Canada and Mexico. An altimeter and barometer combo is also included. Although the device doesn't include a camera,  there are not many GPS devices that do. 

Two-way communication options are perfect for hikers who want to communicate with loved ones while off the grid. This does require a subscription service, however. For hunters, this device offers additional options with downloadable hunting maps.

If you want a GPS navigator with premium features, including a color screen, detailed maps, hunting details, and SMS capabilities, then this device is a great choice.

The Garmin GPSMAP 62sc is a powerful handheld navigator with a 3-axis compass, altimeter/barometer combo, and a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus. When purchasing BirdsEye Satellite imagery, you can create custom maps and see trail detail in refreshing detail. Aesthetically, the device isn't the most attractive, but it makes up for this with its rugged appeal. The sturdy quality ensures that you won't break the device by accidentally dropping it.

The device is water-resistant, but unfortunately, with an IPX7 rating, it is not cleared for swimming or diving. The device can get wet from rain or snow as well as showering but cannot be submerged. You can share wirelessly with friends and family, including your waypoints, routes, tracks, and geocaches. The camera also includes tracking features so that each photo will be geotagged, and memories can easily be preserved.

When you hike deep into a forested area or a canyon, the GPS location will stay accurate thanks to HotFix satellite prediction and the WAAS and GLONASS GPS receiver. Although this Garmin GPS handheld navigator comes with preloaded maps, you can also add your own maps with marine, road, and topographic views all available.

If you want a handheld GPS navigator with a camera, this is one of your only options. The 3.5 GB version comes with a camera as well as the compass and altimeter/barometer combo. We recommend this unit for hikers who want to leave their smartphones at home but still capture visuals.

The Garmin Oregon 650t is the best hiking GPS with camera option for hikers. It's expensive, but it has every premium feature a hiker could want, including an 8-megapixel autofocus digital camera. The camera geotags every photo so that hikers can remember exactly where they were when each shot was snapped.

A 3-axis compass with an altimeter/barometer combo ensures that you get accurate location recordings wherever you are while hiking. Head into a canyon or rocky location, and you will still be able to see where you are on this device.

A color touchscreen display is 3” wide and sunlight-readable, which makes it easy to see where you are going and what the terrain looks like. Preloaded maps give you details upfront, but you can also purchase a satellite subscription to get more detailed maps.

A dual battery system of both AA batteries and a NiMH battery park helps your device last longer while on the trail. Bluetooth, ANT, and wireless technology allows you to share your location and updates with your friends and family. Track waypoints, photos, and geocaches with the Garmin GPS device’s tracking system.

This unit is not water-resistant, and this may be a problem for hikers who expect to travel in high humidity areas or particular areas that experience snow. If your conditions are going to be wet, then this unit won’t be a great choice for you. However, if you do not need a water-resistant device and plan to keep your device tucked away or stay in relatively dry conditions, then this is a steal. An affordable GPS device with a digital camera is rare.

The Garmin ETrex 10 is the best budget hiking GPS on our list. This device is cheap, and one of the most inexpensive GPS devices on the market yet comes with a great list of essential features. The device itself is built with rugged durability in a closed case system.

It can withstand long falls. The monochrome display isn't in color but is easily readable even in sunlight. Weighing in at a little over five ounces, this is also a lightweight device that is easy to carry or add to your pack. You can add 1,000 waypoints, 50 routes, and 10,000 points or 100 saved tracks to your device as you hike.

A USB connection allows you to connect to your computer to update software and download maps. BaseCamp software is also available with this model and lets hikers view maps as well as organize them with waypoints, tracking, and route views.

The software allows hikers to share with friends and family so loved ones can stay in the loop. This model does not have wireless sharing, but the BaseCamp software can share plans before hikers set off on the trail. In addition, basic data including a hunting calendar, fishing calendar, and sun and moon information is available on the device.

If you want a bare-bones GPS hiking device, this is the model for you. It's cheap, affordable, and has all of the basic features you need to get started.

Hiking GPS devices work by combining GPS technology with long operating times via replaceable batteries. The GPS technology makes it possible to pinpoint your location even in places with poor satellite reception.

GPS, also known as a global positioning system, uses the satellite system to identify where a single person is standing. There are currently more than 30 different navigation satellites circling Earth.

These satellites communicate with a GPS receiver in the hiking GPS device. Ground stations on Earth also interact with the receiver. The result is that your device can measure the distance from your hiking GPS receiver to the ground stations and above Earth satellites to determine where you are located. For more information on this useful technology, you can read this blog post from NASA.

Many hikers like to have two GPS options and want to use their smartphone as a backpacking GPS as well. To do this, you first want to choose a smartphone GPS app to use and download the app onto your phone. You want to make sure that you have maps downloaded for offline use.

This will allow you to use your smartphone’s GPS without WIFI and without a cellular connection. When hiking, you will want to make sure that your smartphone stays powered. Bring along a power bank, to keep your smartphone fully charged as you hike. This power bank is a great lightweight, portable option for keeping your smartphone charged.

One of the most popular free hiking apps is the AllTrails: Hike, Bike & Run app. This app can be used on both iPhone and Android devices. The app provides detailed views of existing hiking trails with reviews and tips on how best to complete the hike.

There are more than 75,000 hikes to choose from, including hikes in national parks and hikes in your local neighborhood. The community can add their own photos, videos, and tips that you can review. Your phone will chart your location via GPS as you take on the hike and track your trip stats.

The AllTrails Pro version allows you to download offline maps and track your exact location without signal as well as using "Lifeline," which allows your contacts to know where you are (and follow your hike). The Pro version also removes all ads.

AllTrails for iPhone 
AllTrails for Android

Another popular free hiking app is Gaia GPS Hiking. This app allows you to view satellite maps (and download for offline use on the paid app) as well as offers route planning tools to plan your hikes. You can measure elevation change, distance, and altitude on the map as well as access weather forecasts.

The app suggests new hikes that you can try. In addition to the hiking component, Gaia GPS also has a camping section for those who want to camp and need to know where parks, forests, and public lands are located to set up camp. A hunting feature also lets hunters build their own custom maps and view state hunting laws. The paid feature allows maps to be downloaded and used offline.

A hiking GPS watch and a handheld GPS navigator provides many of the same services, but they do have different benefits. The primary reason to choose a GPS watch is if you want to have a portable device. Watches are highly mobile and can remain on your person as you hike. They are easy to carry, lightweight, and can also be used outside of hiking. Many hikers like to use their GPS watch when they workout, such as going for a run or bike ride.

A handheld GPS navigator can feel a bit bulky to take on a run and will often need to be stashed away in a backpack or fanny pack. A handheld GPS navigator is similar to carrying a phone and doesn’t provide the same ease. From a GPS standpoint, both devices perform well and will keep you safe as well as provide you with tracking data. A handheld GPS navigator can provide a larger screen view of your path, however.

Hiking with a GPS watch or handheld GPS device will keep you safer, provide you with map details, and offer additional fitness tracking metrics. If you want a premium product with military-grade build components and accurate metrics, you want the Garmin Instinct GPS device.

This watch has a sleek, modern profile with rugged durability and superior technological metrics. Keep yourself safe and easily stay on route with a hiking GPS device.