Trip planning software

[rlown]

Tried Basecamp, but I prefer the last version Mapsource.

[franklin411]

Another vote for Gaia GPS (Paid). Invaluable to me since I hike in the Alps as well as the Sierra, and Gaia has access to the best US and European government topo maps.

[LonePine]

I use Backcountry Navigator Pro for GPS mapping on my trips. I like the team of developers they are quick to respond to questions and issues.

[grampy]

Another vote for Gaia GPS (Paid). Invaluable to me since I hike in the Alps as well as the Sierra, and Gaia has access to the best US and European government topo maps.

Gaia is pretty useful, but I have noticed it has some errors in its place-name data; some minor, some fairly misleading (I can cite examples). I suggest you have a reliable map (USGS, Tom Harrison, etc) open alongside while you are planning your route, so you can note if any discrepancies turn up. You might not notice this issue if you have the “premium” subscription (more maps available), but I see it in the “basic” paid version.
Also seems like Gaia could improve their “search” function; I think in CalTopo (and certainly Google Earth) you can add the specific county to your search for a “popular“ place name; e.g. there are at least SEVEN “Red Mountain” features in California alone. A query in Gaia turns up seven identical “Red Mountain, California” listings, which you must click on (one by one) until you find the right one.

[levi]

I use Caltopo to sketch out my routes day by day early in the planning process. Caltopo allows you to estimate the difficulty of any given segment of a hike on or off trail, which is the most useful feature of the software for me. I always print out portions of my planned route from Caltopo, including distance/up/down for each segment, to accompany a hardcopy map (I like the Tom Harrison's).

I tend to upload GPX tracks from Caltopo into GaiaGPS for monitoring my progress during a trip. Gaia is wonderful—it's great to have integrated access to a variety of maps, like multiple USGS topos and now all the Nat Geo maps, and it overlays GPX tracks and maps pretty well. I do need to always remember to download the right map portions before I get out of cell service. The biggest downside of Gaia is how good it is. I have a tendency to resort to it when struggling with off-trail decisions, so lately I've tried to keep my phone stowed in my pack, actively tracking my progress while in Airplane mode, only checking it when I absolutely have to.

Also seconding grampy's comment — Gaia's search feature is nearly useless. I tend to just zoom and move around in the maps to find what I need when I'm planning (mostly, to download the right maps for offline use). I have Gaia use GPS to "find" me when I'm actually hiking.

[grampy]

I use Backcountry Navigator Pro for GPS mapping on my trips ...

It sounds like a good app, but (apparently) works only on Android devices.
I went back and looked at my Gaia app; even the basic paid version has a USGS topo layer version (powered by CalTopo database, btw); this partially solves the “placename accuracy” issue, but the “search” function nevertheless still draws from the occasionally faulty Gaia placename database. Examples:
Rosy Finch Lake = “Ross Finch Lake” in Gaia
Pearl Lake (Blackcap Basin) = “Pear Lake” in Gaia
S. Fork Sugarloaf Creek = “Horse Creek” in Gaia (!!!)

I also played with “search” in CalTopo; searching for “Pearl Lake” yields only one result (in Illinois). Search “Pearl Lake, CA” yields only the one in Eldorado County. Search for “Pearl Lake, Fresno County”, and it FINALLY gives you the one in Blackcap Basin.
Conclusion: ALL mapping apps have their weaknesses; you just have to be aware of them. If you point these issues out when suggesting a particular app to a less-experienced hiker, you will likely spare them some frustation.

[LonePine]

Thanks to all for these great suggestions. I'm now up and running with CalTopo - it's a bit of a learning curve but I like what I've been able to accomplish so far.

[calarn]

I really like the paid version of Gaia GPS. It's $40 per year, and I find the organizational features and the access to all of the additional maps such as NatGeo, private/public land zoning, etc worth it. That said, I used the free CalTopo for planning purposes for several years and it is perfectly fine as well. Key is to always have a paper map in addition to whatever fancy electronic stuff you have. About 12 hours into one trip I managed to drop my phone directly onto a pointy rock in a puddle, shattered the screen and made the waterproof phone quite susceptible to the water - I was definitely glad to have my paper back-ups and compass for the next 3 days.

[Shiker]

I like GAIA, but I have been encountering some serious flaws--sometimes the Gaia GPS does NOT show lakes. I've seen this happen on both the GAIA app and also the GAIA web site map.

This can create real problems if you are relying in GAIA GPS for navigation. I guess it's just shows that the only thing you can rely on is a paper map.

See the attachments. These are screenshots from my desktop computer. The first one is from Caltopo.com and the other is the same area shown on the GAIA web site. Caltopo shows all the lakes. But on the GAIA map, only Lake Italy and two other lakes are visible. About 20 or so other lakes are missing! This would make it very difficult to use these maps for navigation.

Like I said, I've encountered the same issue in the backcountry using the GAIA app. On the west side of Muir Pass.

The GAIA GPS app also hangs at random times on my phone, even though I have a new high-end phone (Samsung Note 9). This is a real nuisance, but I've always been able to solve it by force quitting the app and restarting. Sometimes I have to do this more than once before it starts working again, but this has always worked so far.

[Satchel Buddah]

I use Gaia mostly with the USGS maps and pack Tom harrison paper maps as well. I mostly use the paper map in the field, but Gaia is a precious planning tool.
Sounds like I should take a peek at caltopo!