Offline Maps
Download map tile packs for off-grid use — a Trekker-only feature.
Maps That Work Without Signal
Most of the New Zealand backcountry has no cell coverage. Once you leave the trailhead, your phone's online map is a blank screen. Offline Maps solves that — download tile packs for the regions you need before you leave home, and your map works everywhere.
This is a Trekker tier feature.
How It Works
- Open the Offline Maps section in your account settings or from the trip builder
- Select a region — tile packs are organised by DOC region (e.g. Canterbury, Fiordland, Waikato)
- Download — the app fetches high-resolution map tiles for the entire region and stores them on your device
- Use offline — when you open the map without signal, cached tiles load automatically. No extra steps, no toggling.
Region Sizes
Each region pack is roughly 200-300 MB depending on terrain complexity. We recommend downloading over WiFi before you leave. A typical phone has plenty of storage, but check your available space before grabbing multiple regions.
What the Offline Map Shows
Offline tiles include:
- Topographic base map — contour lines, rivers, roads, and land cover
- DOC trail overlays — trail routes plotted on the map
- Hut and campsite markers — with facility information cached locally
- Your trip route — if you have a trip planned in the region, the route and stops appear on the offline map
Keeping Tiles Current
Tile packs update when you re-download them. We recommend refreshing your packs before any major trip — trail data and map layers improve over time, and a fresh download ensures you have the latest.
Storage Management
Head to Settings > Offline Maps to see which packs you have downloaded and how much space they use. You can delete individual packs at any time to free up storage.