5 Apps to Help You Get Outside This Spring

As the weather is warming up, it’s the perfect time to get outside, get some fresh air and get some exercise! Here are some of our favorite apps that can help you take advantage of the warmer weather!

Join in on the world’s largest treasure hunt! Geocaches are small containers that are hidden around the world. There are actually millions of them, and you probably walk or drive by several every day! The Geocaching app uses your phone’s GPS to help you find them. You can create your own account and use the mobile app to find the geocaches nearby. Once you find the geocache, you can sign the logbook in the geocache and log your find on the app…then keep finding more! You can also hide your own Geocaches for others to find. Geocaching is a great way to explore your own city or explore new places when you are traveling.

When you use Zombies, Run, you don’t be able to stop running! Zombies, Run is an audio-immersive experience that plays a story through your headphones as you walk or run. Thanks to their audio drama and music, you will feel like you are really being chased by zombies, forcing you to run faster! As you get more steps, you can collect supplies to help you progress in the game. The app has over 200 missions, so you’ll never run out of stories!

If being chased by zombies isn’t motivating enough for you, Stepbet might be the kick in the pants that you need! With Stepbet, you can earn money just for meeting your step goals! Stepbet connects to your fitness tracker, such as your Fitbit or Apple Watch and will calculate your personalized step goals. You can then place your bet (usually $40) and get to stepping! Each game lasts 6 weeks and has daily and weekly goals that you must meet in order to stay in the game. If you don’t meet your goals, you lose your money, but if you meet your goals, you will be eligible to split the pot at the end of the game. It’s a great way to stay active AND make a little money!

If hiking is your thing, you might enjoy the Hiking Project app, created by REI. This app can tell you the best hikes near you, as well as provide detailed maps, elevation and other information about the trail. You can also download trails for offline use if you want to limit your data usage or if you are going to be hiking where there is no cell reception. You can find over 74,000 miles of trails to hike with your family and friends thanks to the Hiking Project!

You can use you phone to enhance your stargazing experience with Star Walk. Thanks to their augmented reality view, you can point your phone at the sky and see which stars and constellations are right above you…even ones that you cannot see! Simply launch the app and point your device at the night sky. As you move around your phone, it will bring different stars and constellations into view. You can tap each object to learn more about all the stars, planets and satellites in the night sky!