Even if mountains are beyond your reach right now, that doesn’t mean your walking adventures need to stop. Wherever you’re based in Great Britain, there’s a fascinating network of trails and footpaths right on your doorstep.
Over the past year all of us have spent more time exploring our local areas than ever before, which has made finding new and exciting places to walk more difficult. But that’s where the Ordnance Survey’s fantastic OS Maps smartphone app comes in.
For a start, it puts full mapping for the whole of Great Britain straight into your pocket (that’s the equivalent of 607 paper maps at 1:25k and 1:50k scale), so wherever you choose to walk, you can view your precise location and navigate using detailed digital maps.
OS Maps also lets you create, plot and follow unlimited routes either on your phone or computer, adding in key waypoints along the way to make your walk as feature-packed as possible. Once you’ve plotted your route, you can follow it on your smartphone, even getting mobile alerts if you wander off-course. And here’s the best bit – you don’t even need phone signal for the app to work while you’re walking, because all routes and maps can be downloaded and stored for offline use.
If you need a little more inspiration for where to walk, OS Maps has you covered. With more than half a million ready-made routes to choose from (written by experts including Trail and our partners at Country Walking and Trail Running magazines), all you need to do is fire up the app and choose from hundreds of options in your local area. Before setting off on your chosen route, you can also view it and the surrounding terrain in a stunning 3D fly-through.
So, if you can’t get the mountains this month don’t worry. There’s still plenty of adventure out there waiting for you!
There's a reason OS Maps is the most popular app in Britain - it mixes the best maps with the best route guides, giving you everything you need to plan, navigate and record every outdoor trip. I've used it to follow routes in the Scottish Highlands and to plot walks in our local woods, and it's perfect for all types of adventure.
- Oli Reed, Trail Editor
OS Maps - adventure in your pocket
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Get digital maps for the whole of Great Britain at 1:25k and 1:50k scale
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Search over 500,000 ready-made routes
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Includes hundreds of expert route guides from Trail magazine
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Use across mobile, tablet and PC
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See every marked footpath and public right of way
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Create, plot and follow your own routes
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Works offline without phone signal
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Explore the terrain in stunning 3D detail
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Print unlimited maps at A3 and A4
GET 50% OFF OS MAPS WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE TO TRAIL
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