Free Maps For Mac

In This Guide	Why These Free Maps Are Better Installing the Maps On Your Computer Instaling the Maps On Your GPS Device
Follow HikingGuy	Monthly Newsetter YouTube Instagram Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

Calendar alerts on your Mac let you know when it’s time to stop working and go. Just say the word, and HomePod finds directions and sends them to your iPhone on your way out the door. And Maps also syncs automatically with Siri, Spotlight, Messages, and Weather to give you relevant information at all the right moments.
Maptitude Mapping Software. This freeware developed by Caliper Corporation is a GIS software that has tools, demographics data and maps for analyzing and understanding how geography will affect you and the business. Customer and sales data can be processed to find hidden opportunities.

Play champions of norrath. The good news is that if you own a Garmin GPS device, there’s a way to get free Garmin GPS maps. And in most cases, the free maps are much better than the expensive Garmin maps. I’m a big fan of Garmin GPS devices, but I always found it disappointing that they charged extra for maps. Garmin doesn’t publicize it, but most of their GPS units are setup to take any maps in the correct format. Here’s how to get and install these free hiking maps in an easy, step-by-step process.

In retrospect, I think the price for Garmin maps is too high. There are some as good, or better, alternatives available at no cost online. This product is overpriced for what it is. I would recommend other software. – Garmin Map Review on Amazon

Plan a route on your Mac. Before a trip, look around and explore select cities in 3D to plan the best route. How to plan a route. To explore the Maps User Guide, click Table of Contents at the top of the page, or enter a word or phrase in the search field.

Why These Free Maps?

So let me start by saying there are a lot of ways to get free Garmin GPS maps, and a lot of different methods to install them. You could create whole websites devoted to the subject, and people have (see below). This article focuses on installing my favorite free Garmin GPS maps for hiking in the USA, using OpenStreetMaps. If these don’t work for you, try exploring the other map services that I have listed below.

You can also create your own highly-customized maps and download them to your Garmin device.

OpenStreetMaps are the Wikipedia of maps. The public contributes to, confirms, and edits the data on the map. This curation goes for hiking trails too. The maps are regularly updated, and over the last few years have seemed the most accurate in my experience. You can even become a contributor if you like.

The free hiking maps that I’m recommending are great because:

They are good topographic maps with elevation contours.
They have a large number of hiking trails on them.
They are “routable,” which means that you can use free tools like Garmin Basecamp to automatically create routes and tracks that you can follow (without having to plot each point of the trail yourself).
The colors and detail work well for me. That is, they look good on the device.
USA regions are packaged together.

Video Instructions

If you are on Windows, there are some special instructions below.

Which Garmin GPS devices do the maps work with?

First off, the Garmin unit you have might have maps already. You probably know this, but if you’re shopping for a GPS, go to the Garmin website page for the unit. If it maps come with the unit, it will say it has “preloaded topo maps.”

Install Bluestacks 4 On Mac.M1 Macbook Alternative.This is a must have mac app all users must download.It will help you get android on your macbook.Download. Bluestacks 4 big sur. BlueStacks Version 4.240.5 Now Works on macOS 11 Big Sur November was an important month for Mac users around the world as this is when the latest OS update, Big Sur, publicly released, allowing everyone to upgrade to macOS 11 and enjoy lots of improvements, including an interface revamp, and ARM processor support, among lots of other cool things. Dec 11, 2020 BlueStacks on macOS 11 Big Sur: Update to Version 4.240.5. Those who had tried installing or running BlueStacks after the macOS upgrade will have noticed that our emulator crashed or didn’t launch at all due to compatibility issues. However, with the new BlueStacks version 4.240.5, you can now easily install our Android app player on your. Apr 12, 2021 How can I start using BlueStacks on Big Sur? Launch the latest version of BlueStacks on your Mac. You will now receive a 'System extension blocked' popup. Here, click on 'Open Security & Privacy'. The Security & Privacy menu will open up on the General tab. Here, click on the lock icon, as shown below.

If you already have a unit and want to find out if these free maps work, go to the unit’s page on the Garmin website, and then check out the “specs” section. There is a line for “ability to add maps,” if you have a check there, you’re good to go.

Downloading the Free Garmin GPS Maps

The first thing you’re going to want to do is visit the GMapTool website, specifically the USA OSM Topo Routable page.

Then pick the region you want, and download the appropriate map package (link way at the bottom of the page). The files are pretty big. The download might take a while.

Installing the Free Maps on Your Computer

The instructions are different for Mac and PC. The map website has a link for installation instructions, click on that. My instructions cover the installation on a Mac, but I have some general that fill in the gaps for installing on Windows below .

For the Mac, you’ll need three (free) programs to install the maps. You can download and install these programs while you wait for your maps to download. Bluestacks download for pc.

That’s it. The maps are on your computer. If you’re not already using the free Garmin Basecamp tool, I highly recommend getting it. It will allow you to browse maps, create tracks, and is invaluable in planning hikes.

Installing the Free Maps on Your Garmin GPS

Once your map is downloaded and installed, you’re all set to install them on your GPS unit.

Installing on GPS Devices With MTP Mode

Garmin added a connection mode called MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) to transfer files, which makes the Garmin appear as a “media device.” And of course, Apple doesn’t support it. Most Garmin devices allow you to switch the USB mode to “mass-storage” and you should find that in the settings and give it a try. Make sure the device firmware is updated to get the latest settings. Once in “mass-storage” mode, you should be able to follow the steps laid out earlier.

If you’re stuck in MTP mode, I’ve found a solution. It’s not the most graceful one in the world, but it works (confirmed on a Fenix 5x Plus).

Get your maps from here: http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl
The site will send you an email with a download link.
Download the ZIP file that is described as “Compressed file that contains a single image that can be placed directly onto the SD-card of the GPS.”
Unzip the file. You should have a file with a “.img” extension.
Now we need to connect the Garmin to the computer. Download the free Android File Transfer program from Google. Install it on your machine as per the instructions.
If you have Garmin Express running, make sure it’s not running and you have disabled any “automatically launch when device is connected” settings.
Plug in your Garmin to the computer and launch the Android File Transfer program. You should see a screen like this:
Simply drag the “.img” file that you downloaded into the Garmin folder. You might want to rename the “.img” file to make sure it doesn’t whack any maps already on there.

That’s it. Go to your map settings and turn the OSM map on and off.

Tips for Windows Installation

The directions on GMapTool site aren’t very descriptive for Windows. Here are some tips from fellow hiker Dave T. on how to install the free maps on Windows.

Run the “bat” file as described on the GMapTool site.
Open Garmin Basecamp to ensure that the maps have been installed.
Use the free Garmin MapInstall program to send the maps to your device. OR you can also install them directly from Basecamp. Right click on the internal storage and selected install maps (thanks to John S for the tip).
Or use the maps at garmin.openstreetmap.nl, Download your map first. This will create a single “img” file for each map you download. Then copy that map file to your Garmin (the drive if you have a micro SD card, not the device) in the “Garmin” folder (which you must create first if it doesn’t already exist).

If These Free Garmin GPS Maps Don’t Work For You

There are other free maps for your Garmin GPS, and again, they might have different instructions for installation. Check the website where the maps are offered for directions on how to install them.

GPSFileDepot is a great resource that’s frequently updated. I recommend trying this site before any others.
OpenStreetMap.nl is good if you want to grab.a smaller, more specific map.
OpenSeaMap offers nautical charts.

If you’re having trouble finding the GMAP folder, this tip has helped some folks (thanks to Liz S!).

Some Final Thoughts

I recommend planning your hike and creating a GPX file beforehand. Most Garmin GPS units are too small for anything more than impromptu navigation planning. I have a tutorial on how to plan a hiking route for your Garmin GPS here.

And I could use your help. I don’t download these maps every day, so if these directions don’t seem up to date, please contact me and let me know. I’ll update the directions here accordingly.

Lastly, a note if you’re having tech issues. Unfortunately, I can’t help everyone who emails me. I recommend posting your question online in the Garmin Reddit, the Garmin Forums, or in a Garmin group on Facebook. That’s probably you’re quickest path to success.

Have an idea on how to make these guides better? Leave me your thoughts here.

Related Guides

Best Free Mind Map Software

GitMind (Web, Windows, iOS, Android)

First off is GitMind. This amazing free mind map tool allows you to arrange your thoughts and ideas by listing them one by one in a diagram format. Another special feature is that it has an outline function that helps you create essay outlines fast and easy. This is where you can group, organize, and see an overview of your mind map in a linear form. Moreover, project planning and team development will be a lot easier with its collaboration feature. Check this amazing tool with the following steps.

Search “GitMind” on your browser to visit the officvaila page of the tool. From here, click the “Get Started” button to then it will be directed on the template gallery. If you wish you use its desktop version, hit the “Download Now” button.

DOWNLOAD

Input your thoughts and ideas and if you want to customize your mindmap, you may proceed to the layout options.

Finally, save it by clicking the “Save” icon or you may get it by hitting the “Export” icon.

Bubbl.us (Web)

It has a full change history feature so you can preview and edit your map anytime.
Can save to image or HTML.
For small businesses only.

Another tool that is a great resource to arrange your ideas is Bubbl.us. It has tabs ribbon that shows you the list of all the currently opened mind maps on the interface. With countless concepts, you’ll surely find the perfect visual aid for your idea. Moreover, its premium version offers unlimited mind maps, a real-time collaboration, history revision for your mind maps.

Coggle (Web, Android, iOS)

Can add Mathematical formulae.
Can export .mm and text.
Cannot combine maps.

Coggle offers a structured and interactive way of making mind maps quickly and easily as its interface shows a list of handy shortcuts for editing purposes. One great point is you can share it with others to give different levels of access to your map. Moreover, you may also set permission to your collaborative group into an organization, by individuals, and on a private link.

FreeMind (Windows, macOS, Linux)

Its map can be exported to HTML and XHTML
Offers built-in icons
Lacks emoticons for designs.

Another free mind map software we listed here for you is FreeMind. This is an amazing tool written in Java where it covers a wide range of exporting capabilities on multiple platforms such as on Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux. Moreover, its export feature offers a flash-based way of converting your file into HTML and XHTML.

MindMup (Web)

Integrates with Google and saves its data to Google Drive
Offers “Measurements” feature where you can visualize and manage money, time and effort and help you to plan, budget, and control the breakdown of your budget tasks.
Difficult to add extra information to nodes.

MindMup is another great application. This tool helps you create a mind map and is very easy to use with a simple and lightweight interface. Moreover, you may create outlines for your documents and presentations for free. Furthermore, using this tool also allows you to convert your maps seamlessly to PDF, PPT, etc., and you may publish and share your mind maps online. Not to mention an online program which only needs a browser to work. On that note, you may also want to check out other best online mind map makers.

XMind (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS)

Offers a slide-based presentation mode.
Allow you to make different charts such as business charts, org charts, tree charts and many more.
Slow-running application.

XMind is an open-source mind map application that offers Microsoft commercial extensions with Microsoft Excel-like functions and features where you can open, rename, and duplicate multiple sheets in one map. Another thing that makes it unique from the rest of the tools is that it has a “Matrix” chart to make an in-depth comparison for your analysis content.

Draw.io (Web, Windows, macOS)

Great for process mapping.
It offers great output without losing its quality.
Its performance can be laggy when making a complex map

Draw.io is very useful when it comes to making mind maps. It’s simple and provides a large collection of default themes and templates that you may use to style your diagram. Also, it is compatible with a number of advanced cloud storage services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, etc. Its unique feature is that you may integrate this tool with Jira and Confluence.

Mindomo (Web, Windows, macOS, Android and iOS)

It has a playback mode wherein you can review the changes you’ve made.
Has notes features where you can add links, notes, images, tasks and many more.
It does not offer a workflow diagram.

Mindomo is a precision-based mind map software that is available on both web and desktop platforms. Also, it allows you to access existing maps made from Mindomo, MindManager/Mindjet files (.mmap), FreeMind files (.mm), Mindmeister file (.mind), XMind file (.xmind), Bubbl.us file (.xml), OPML file (.opml), and Text file (.txt) with its import feature. Another unique point is that it has a playback mode where you can preview how your map was built.

SmartDraw (Web, Windows, macOS)

Minecraft Free Maps For Mac

It can easily produce clean and professional mind maps.
It offers basic floor plans and Architectural Symbol Library.
It does not offer a multi-user collaboration.

SmartDraw is another great application we recommend. This tool uses automation to create mind maps quickly and easily. It also offers a vast range of templates that include different fields such as legal, as well as in medical. Meanwhile, having a lot of symbols in its object libraries is what makes it unique to other mind making tools.

Ayoa (Web, Windows, macOS, Android and iOS)

It allows you to save on Dropbox, Google Drive, and on Social Media sites.
It offers a lot of free themes and templates.
Color choices are limited to its layout options.

Finally, we have Ayoa. Aside from being a free mind map app, it also offers a different kind of mind mapping feature where you can see the mind map as a task board. Also, it has “My Planner” which you may use to schedule each event, plans, errands, and other tasks to help save your time.

Conclusion

Free Map Programs Downloads

These are the top 10 free mind map software to assist you in collecting and arranging your thoughts and ideas quickly and easily. With these tools, you may be able to save more time and effort making mind maps, as well as to share them with your teammates online.

Loadpool287