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App Finder: Best outdoors apps

As winter begins to thaw and spring draws nearer, you're probably ready to spend some time outdoors in the sunshine. Whether you're looking to hike, bike, run or camp, there are apps to help you make your nature-centric plans a reality. It's time to grab your phone, your hiking shoes and your backpack and get out on the trails.

AllTrails: Looking for a new place to hike, bike or run? AllTrails will show you some of the best spots for spending time outside, and features more than 50,000 trails located in the United States and Canada. Leave a review of the trails you've explored already, and share your favorite trails with your friends. The app also offers maps for many of the trails in its database.

Free for iOS and Android.

http://www.alltrails.com

AllStays Camp & RV: AllStays' campground-finder app offers the lowdown on campgrounds, RV parks and other related services in the United States, and is available for use offline. The app's database has more than 30 amenities filters, so find the campground that best fits your needs. Check weather at your destination, see what road conditions are like and use the app to see photos and read reviews of campsites you're interested in.

Free for iOS and Android.

http://www.allstays.com

Google Sky Map: Interested in staring up at the stars sometime soon? Download Google's Sky Map to help you identify what you're seeing. Point your phone up at the sky and the app will tell you about the constellations, planets and stars on your screen. Use the app's search tool to find the current location of a planet or star you're looking for.

A similar app called Sky Map exists for iPhones.

Free for Android.

http://www.google.com

National Parks Wildlife Guide: If you're planning on visiting one of America's national parks this summer, make sure to download this app first. National Parks Wildlife Guide offers info on all of the birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and plants you'll encounter at the 100 national parks in the database, complete with photos and reference guides. The app also offers info on park hours, admission fees and contact info, so you have everything you need once you're ready for your trip.

Free for iOS.

http://www.enature.com

HOT APP OF THE WEEK

Meerkat: Meerkat is an app getting a lot of buzz right now, thanks to its ability to offer instant streaming video via a fairly simple interface. Share your streams through Twitter and your followers can instantly see what you're broadcasting. Once your video is done broadcasting, it disappears from the site.

Free for iOS.

http://www.meerkatapp.co

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