Looking for a way to get off that proverbial beaten track? If you’ve got a Ford Bronco the automaker is only happy to help out.
As hundreds of fans gather out in Utah for the annual Bronco Safari, they’ll get a chance to check out the new Bronco Trail App Ford is launching this week. Available for both Apple iOS and Android mobile devices, the app can help you find and navigate 1,200 “professionally curated” off-road trails covering about 18,000 miles of wilderness in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
And it then gives off-roaders the opportunity to record their adventures and share them through social media.
Off the beaten path
“The Bronco Trail App is the perfect companion for those looking to get the most out of their Bronco, especially when they go off the beaten path,” said Matt Winter, Bronco Brand manager. “We know our customers value the time they take to go out there and get away from it all, and this app offers them an easy way to share the exciting experiences they have and connect with other off-roaders.”
Available in the Apple and Android stores, the free program is designed to be linked to a Bronco owner’s Ford Pass app.
Motorists can search across North America for interesting trails, sorting them out by location, length, difficulty and other filters. Each trail is described in detail, with information about the type and difficulty of terrain a driver will run into, while waypoints, scenic points of interest and “can’t miss photo ops” are marked along the route.
Getting prepared
The app also helps motorists prepare for what they might encounter. For one thing, it will advise whether a driver will need to lower or raise their tire pressure for the best traction along the way.
Considering many of the trails will take a Bronco owner well off the grid, the app allows a motorist to download their route ahead of time.
Each route can be studied and followed using a variety of different curated map types. These include satellite images as well as topographical maps.
Sharing adventures
While en route, the app will encourage motorists to record and report on their adventure, allowing drivers to take notes, mark special locations and snap photos.
Ford has equipped its various Broncos with a standard smartphone mount that can make it easy to also record videos along the way. And by connecting to the built-in Sync infotainment system, those videos can be “overlay(ed with) data like speed, RPM, distance traveled, elevation and more,” Ford explained in a news release.
Travelers will then be able to play their trip back, either on their mobile devices or on the SUV’s infotainment screen. They’ll also be able — and encouraged — to upload those pics and videos through social media and online Bronco forums.
A surge in adventuring
There’s been a surge in off-road adventuring in recent years, especially since COVID struck, millions of Americans searching for ways to avoid pandemic lockdowns.
And Ford isn’t the only automaker to come up with an off-road app. Jeep’s “Badge of Honor,” app gives owners access to “an online community that celebrates and rewards those who embrace the off-road life.”
A number of third-party trail apps can also be found in the Apple and Android stores.