GPS Foraging Map That Keeps Your Spots Off the Public Map

Mushroom Tracker is the only foraging GPS app that stores your pins in a local database — never uploaded to shared community maps. Offline-first. Free for iOS & Android.

Encrypted GPS Offline — No Cell Service Needed Private by Default Free to Download
Download for iOS — Free Android용 다운로드

The Public Map Problem: Your Best Spots Get Burned

Apps like Forayz, GeoForager, and ShroomSpotter are built around shared community pin-maps — everyone sees where everyone forages. That model is designed for discovery, not privacy. One viral post or a community pin too close to your patch and years of spot-building is gone. Mushroom Tracker was designed from the ground up for the opposite: your coordinates are private by default — never published to any shared map. Newer entrants like Sporecast and Mushroom Finder follow the same crowdsourced-map model.

Offline GPS Map Interface

Private Pin Storage & Fully Offline

GPS works via satellite, not cell towers. Create, edit, and navigate to pins anywhere with zero internet connection.

  • Every coordinate is written to a local database
  • Downloadable offline topography maps
  • Species database is always offline
  • Photo & notes per pin
  • Selective sharing only

How the Foraging Map Works

Download the Free App

Install on iOS or Android. No account required for offline GPS use. Optional account unlocks encrypted cloud backup.

Drop a Pin at Your Spot

Tap the map to create a GPS pin. Add species, photos, notes, and return reminders — all stored in your private encrypted local database.

Return Season After Season

Multi-flush species like chicken of the woods and chanterelles return to the same spot. Your pinned log is the only record you need.

Two GPS Map Models — Know Which One You're Using

Not all foraging map apps store your data the same way. The difference matters when your best spots are at stake.

Community / Public Map Model

How it works: Pins you drop are uploaded to shared servers and visible to other app users — either immediately or after a short delay. Discovery is the feature. Privacy is an afterthought.

Risk: A single popular post or app feature can route dozens of users to your exact GPS coordinates. Spot burning at scale.

Examples: Forayz, GeoForager, ShroomSpotter

Private Encrypted Map Model

How it works: Pins are stored in a local SQLite database on your device only. The server never receives your coordinates unless you explicitly export or enable optional encrypted backup.

Result: Your spots are yours. No community map. No spot burning risk from the app itself. Share only what you choose, with only who you choose.

Mushroom Tracker

Foraging Map App Comparison 2026

How Mushroom Tracker compares to other foraging GPS and community pin-map apps on the features that matter most in the field.

Feature Mushroom Tracker Mushroom Spot ShroomSpotter Forayz GeoForager
GPS Pins — Fully Offline Yes — always offline Not disclosed — crowdsourced map app Requires connectivity Partial — requires sync Partial — requires sync
Private by Default Yes — local No — community pin-map No — public pin-map No — community map No — community map
Spots Shared to Public Map Never by default Yes — core feature Yes — core feature Yes (opt-out unclear) Yes — core feature
Offline Species Database Full database, offline Not disclosed Requires internet Requires internet Requires internet
AI Safety ID (Offline) On-device AI ID AI ID feature — offline status not disclosed Cloud-only Not available Not available
Downloadable Maps Yes Not disclosed No No Limited
Photo + Notes Per Pin Yes — stored privately Yes — on shared servers Yes — on shared servers Yes — on shared servers Yes — on shared servers
Mushroom-Specific Features Purpose-built Mushroom-focused (map-style) Mushroom-focused General foraging General foraging
Free Tier Yes — up to 10 pins free Not disclosed Yes Freemium, restricted Yes
Foraging Marketplace Yes — buy/sell in-app No No No No
Pin Data Reliability Your own verified GPS — not crowdsourced Crowdsourced — 3.74★ rating; users report pins don't match the actual spot Crowdsourced — accuracy varies Crowdsourced — accuracy varies Crowdsourced — accuracy varies

Table based on publicly available app information as of July 2026. Features subject to change. ShroomSpotter: App Store ID 6753267716. Mushroom Spot: App Store ID 1660126297, 3.74/5 as of July 2026.

This table covers map and GPS behavior only — for identification accuracy, privacy policies, and pricing across the same apps, see the full ID-app comparison.

Built for Real Foraging Terrain

Dense Forest Canopy

Heavy tree cover blocks cell signal but not satellite GPS. Drop pins in your chanterelle corridor without service. Return same time next year.

Mountain Valleys

Valleys and canyon walls reliably kill cell coverage. Colorado chanterelles, porcini, and matsutake habitat at 7,000–10,000 ft all get full offline GPS.

Remote National Forest

BC Interior burn morel hunting, remote Pacific Northwest coastal spots, Alaska — places where cell service is measured in days between towers, not signal bars.

Multi-Flush Return Spots

Chicken of the woods, hen of the woods, and oyster mushrooms return to the same substrate. A pinned GPS coordinate from year one is worth years of return harvests.

Private Land Access

Foraging with landowner permission means you need exact coordinates — and you definitely don't want those on a community map. Private pins only.

Urban Foraging Routes

City parks, greenbelts, and suburban lots produce year-round. GPS-pin every productive tree base and run your route efficiently without relying on memory.

자주 묻는 질문

Does the foraging map work without cell service or internet?

Yes. GPS positioning is satellite-based, not cell-tower-based. Mushroom Tracker keeps your species database, maps, and all pin data on-device so everything works deep in the backcountry. The only features that need connectivity are optional encrypted cloud backup and CDN species database updates — both happen automatically when you're back in service.

Are my GPS pins ever shared to a public or community map?

No — never by default. Your coordinates are stored in a local SQLite database on your device. We do not receive your GPS coordinates unless you explicitly enable optional encrypted backup, and even then, the data is encrypted client-side before it leaves your phone. No community map. No server-side location index.

What is the difference between Mushroom Tracker and apps like Forayz, GeoForager, or ShroomSpotter?

Those apps are built around a shared community pin-map: discovery is the core value proposition, and user-submitted GPS data goes to a shared server visible to other users. Mushroom Tracker is built around the opposite model — private, encrypted, offline-first. Your spots stay on your device unless you choose to share them.

How many GPS pins can I create for free?

The free tier supports up to 10 private GPS pins. Unlimited pins are available with the premium plan at US$4.99/month or US$29.99/year in the US (prices vary by country). The free tier needs no credit card.

How accurate is GPS without internet?

GPS accuracy — typically 3–5 meters — is determined by satellite signal geometry, not internet connectivity. You get the same precision offline as online. Accuracy improves in open sky conditions and may reduce slightly under thick canopy, which affects all GPS receivers equally regardless of app.

Can I export my GPS pins to GPX or CSV?

Yes. Data export to GPX and CSV is supported. Free tier includes basic export. Premium plan adds batch export for all pins at once. You're never locked into the app ecosystem.

Does the app work in Canada, the US, and the UK?

Yes. GPS coverage and the species database work globally. The app is free on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in every region where those stores operate.