The end of summer is always bittersweet but incorporating outdoor activities is a good way to have fun and get active. Hiking and swimming are the ideal activities for the hot summer weather. If you live in suburban or urban areas finding places to hike may be a challenge, but let these convenient apps help plan your next outdoor excursion.

AllTrails

With more than 3.5 million users, Alltrails is one of the most popular apps used to find the perfect place to hike near you. The app boasts over 500,000 trails in the U.S. and Canada alone, so finding somewhere to explore and hike is an easy task with the app. This app provides you with different trails that range in various levels of difficulty. You can also create your own trails through the app using GPS tracking and save them or share them with others.

Google Maps Offline

By far, one of the most commonly used apps is Google Maps. Planning the time it will take from place-to-place has never been easier through the use of Google Maps. The one downfall has always been that you can’t use this app without the internet, until now. Google’s turn-by-turn directions and destination searches are now available offline using a built-in GPS chip in smartphones, rather than the smartphones’ cell antenna. This feature is helpful for when you are in an area hiking, with little to no service and you need to map your route, or you get lost while out on a hiking excursion and need to get back on track. Google Maps Offline functions in a way that once you have previously saved the map of the area in which you are going to, even with no connection at all, Google Maps will navigate you. This app is available for download free in the App Store and Google Play.

Red Cross First Aid App

Another concern some may have when it comes to being in the great outdoors, is safety. The Red Cross First Aid App, available free to download in the App Store and Google Play, provides instant access to safety information at any time. Available on the app is simple step-by-step advice for everyday emergencies which can be extremely helpful when out on the trails either alone, or with a small group of friends. With the help of videos, diagrams and interactive information you can easily be a first aid pro in the wake of any emergency, big or small.

Make the most of the end of your summer and explore the beautiful outdoors. Whether you are hiking, swimming, or camping these apps have you covered. So lace up and head outside!