The 5 Best Apps for National Parks this 2025

March 31, 2025

Matthew

Introduction

Here at Shaka Guide, we’re proud of our app’s ability to connect people to places through stories.

We also pride ourselves in our ability to guide drivers through national parks, scenic drives, and other destinations. But, our app doesn’t do everything.

Luckily, there are lots of great apps out there that can help keep you organized, help plan your trip, or provide more details on things like campgrounds and hikes.

The next time you take a Shaka Guide tour, keep these following apps in mind as well for a seamless trip.

Alltrails

Best Feature: Information, reviews, and maps of hiking trails.

Description: Alltrails is a compendium of hiking trails. Users on the app are able to rate trails out of five stars, and share reviews.

The app also provides the length, difficulty, and elevation gain of each trail.

While the app is free to use, a yearly paid membership allows users to download trail maps so they’re available offline.

In places like national parks where cell phone signals can be spotty, this is a really helpful feature.

National Park Service App

Best Feature: Up-to-date information on current conditions and trip planning

Description: If your destination is a site within the National Park Service–that includes places like national parks, national monuments, national seashores, and more–then do yourself a favor and download the National Park Service app.

It’s free to use and easy to navigate. Search for any park within the system, and the app provides alerts, as well as hours of operation, points of interest, a park calendar, and so much more.

This is really the best way to access the latest on openings and closures, reservations, and schedules.

Chimani

Best Feature: Information about virtually any national park, state park, or any other government-protected park.

Description: Explore any national park, monument, state park, national forest, and so much more with Chimani.

Click on any park and read a well-written introduction. The app also provides the address, website, and phone number for each property.

An added level of fun is that the app gamifies exploring the parks. Check in to each place you visit, and monitor your progress as you visit your way through the hundreds of options and earn badges.

Though it’s free to subscribe, paid subscriptions offer more detailed travel guides on the national parks.

You’ll also access GPS-enabled offline maps, discounts on local attractions, and more.

The Dyrt

Best Feature: Information and reviews on more than 500,000 campgrounds

Description: Sometimes it’s nice to know which campgrounds have clean bathrooms, and which ones don’t. So get the ‘dyrt’ on campgrounds across the country, with reviews from users and profiles that include site types and amenities.

And if you like what you see, the app provides you with the website or other proper contact information to make a reservation.

Users can also upload pictures so they know what to expect when they pull into a campground. Profiles for The Dyrt are free to create.

PackPoint

Best Feature: Customized packing lists for your travels

Description: Some of us are expert packers, and some of us are not. PackPoint helps you out by generating a customized packing list before you even get the suitcases out.

The app asks pertinent questions about your destination, plans, gender, and if the trip is for business or vacation.

The app then creates your packing list, organized into different categories like essentials, toiletries, etc. It even checks the weather for you!