National Park Service

This is the official app of the US National Park Service, covering more than four hundred and twenty parks. The single most important feature is offline use, and it is worth putting first because it addresses the situation these apps most often fail in. National parks are precisely the places where mobile signal disappears, and an app that needs a connection is useless exactly where you need it. Park content can be downloaded before you set off, so maps, tours and information remain available deep in a canyon or an hour up a trail. Interactive maps show trails, points of interest and the practical geography of a park, which answers the questions that arise once you are there rather than while planning. Self-guided tours work like a ranger talk you can start when you choose, explaining what you are looking at as you reach it. Amenity information covers transport, dining and toilets, which are unglamorous details that shape a day out with children considerably. Planning information includes fees, pass options and opening hours, all of which vary by park and season and are the things people most often get wrong. Being the official source, the information comes from the parks themselves and is kept current.