Supercharge Your Teens’ Adventures with these 6 Incredible Hiking Apps

It is no secret that teens can lose interest in activities that used to bring the entire family joy and excitement. Parents routinely lament that their teens are losing enthusiasm for nature hikes and camping, activities that used to be popular while the kids were younger.

Between the phones, laptops, and gaming systems, it seems like we are surrounded by screens that can deter us from taking in the beauty of nature, but there are gadgets and apps that can actually heighten your outdoor experience and get teens engaged on family hiking and camping trips. Here are 6 hiking apps for iphone and Android that will help create a memorable experience for everyone.

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Geocaching

Nothing sparks intrigue like the idea of participating in a real-life treasure hunt. Incorporating geocaching into your family hikes can be an exciting activity for kids of all ages. Geocaching is the hunt for hidden “caches” found throughout neighborhoods, parks, and hiking trails which contain trinkets for trade or a logbook to sign, sometimes both!

Smartphone apps are used to find each cache that may be camouflaged to blend in with its surroundings. A major part of the fun is tracking and locating the items through a digital treasure map, which turns the hike into more than just another hike, but instead an adventure for discovery!

To get started, go to geocaching.com where you can download the app on a smartphone and take a look at the millions of geocaching sights that can be found around the world. Each cache has a rating of difficulty and size, so for your teens, you may want to up the challenge and reward by selecting a cache that is a bit more covert containing loot for trade.

Be sure to have them bring “treasure” for exchange that may be of similar or greater value so that the next treasure hunter gets to experience the excitement of the reward as well. 

Interactive Trail Apps

We live in a tech-driven world, there is no denying it, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Tech has improved and therefore enhanced many hiking experiences, one example being interactive hiking apps like All Trails.

All Trails is a user-friendly app that allows users to discover new trails, and save hikes that they might be interested in, and it delivers updated trail information. Getting your teens involved in selecting the hike through an app like this gives them the opportunity to visually get an idea of what to expect and learn about the area.

There is also the opportunity to get involved in friendly competition with performance records in how quickly or how far you’ve hiked to compare with friends and other hikers in the area.

Apps to Enhance the Hike

Okay, so hikes are typically an opportunity to put down the phone and take in nature’s splendor through real-time experiences. But there might be an exception when it comes to apps that actually heighten the hiking and exploration experience.

The power of technology has made it incredibly easy to identify flora and fauna, birds, rock formations, constellations, and more, allowing you to gain further knowledge and appreciation for the world around you. This can also open an opportunity to set the kids up on a scavenger hunt where they take pictures rather than physical items from the trail.

• PlantSnap is an app that helps you identify plants simply by taking a photo which can be super helpful on treks through unfamiliar territory. Identifying plants use for herbal medicine adds a useful focus to searching.

• The Merlin Bird app can identify birds by both sight or sound with the help of information provided about where you are and what time of year it is.

• Rockd is a nifty app that provides you with information about nearby geologic formations and the possible fossils and minerals that may be found in the area.

• If you and the family are camping overnight, Skyview is an awesome app that makes it easy to identify and discover constellations, satellites, and asteroids in the night sky.

GoPros and Cameras

If you have a creative and artistic teenager on your hands, what better way to engage in their interests than setting them up with a GoPro or camera to document the adventures out on their trails?

There is so much opportunity for self-expression and creativity through their lens and serves as documentation of the fun you experienced as a family that everyone can look back on even after the hike has come to an end.

Shop the LFA Etsy Shop for scavenger hunts, nature journals, road trip games, and more to use on your hikes with teens.

It is essential to encourage children and teens to get outside and explore, especially with the whole family. And incorporating these hiking apps for android phones that pique their interest is a great way to bring two worlds together and inspire them to use their access to technology to learn and discover the world around them.

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