The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources just made it easier for you to navigate through Minnesota's woods and waters right from your mobile device.

New digital maps are available from the MN DNR, as cartographers have upgraded nearly all of the maps for Minnesota state parks, state water trails, off-highway vehicle trails and public water access sites, according to the Minnesota DNR.

“Our new GeoPDF maps are part of our ongoing efforts to improve the visitor experience,” said Erika Rivers, director of the DNR’s Parks and Trails Division. “Knowing exactly where you are at any given time takes away the worry about getting lost, so you can focus instead on having fun outdoors.”

 

The GeoPDF maps are best used with Avenza Maps, which is a GeoPDF reader app, which you can download for free on your Android or Apple device. The best part? Once you download the app, you will not need internet access or cell phone service for the app to function.

“The app relies solely on a device’s built-in GPS receiver to track your movement,” Rivers said. “Your location is represented on the map by a small blue dot, which moves as you move.”

Sounds pretty sweet, doesn't it? You may want to hit the trails right now! If you are more interested in state trail and the state snowmobile maps, those will be available next month.

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