It’s all too easy to find yourself in a rut when deciding where to run, ride, climb, or ski each day. Maybe you’ve never deviated from the five-mile loop around your neighborhood that you discovered when you first got into running, or you’ve only ever climbed at one crag that a friend introduced you to years ago.
Whatever the case, when you want to explore more places for your favorite activity, you don’t have to wait for someone to take you there—get the directions on these apps, and head there yourself.
Best For: Running, Cycling
If you’d asked us a year ago, we would have recommended Google Maps or MapMyRun over Strava for planning basic running and biking routes. Strava, long a favorite for tracking runs and rides and comparing workouts against friends, previously didn’t offer much in the way of mapmaking. That’s changed in a big way since the company introduced a new and improved Routes feature, with an algorithm that suggests loops based on your location and preferred mileage; it also takes into account which roads other athletes frequently track activities on. (You’ll need a $5-per-month subscription to Strava to access the feature.)