What are TopoActive Maps? Garmin’s mapping service explained

Garmin recently announced two new premium smartwatches, the Fenix 8 and the Enduro 3.

Both fitness trackers include access to contoured maps through Garmin’s TopoActive Maps feature, but what exactly are TopoActive Maps? 

Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about Garmin TopoActive Maps, including what they are, how they work, which wearables support them and whether you’ll need to pay extra to access them. 

What are TopoActive Maps? 

TopoActive Maps are maps that are optimised for outdoor activities, such as hiking, cycling and driving. These maps can be used to route a journey, offering turn-by-turn instructions to reach a destination. 

Key features include routable roads, trails and walking paths, as well as international boundaries, waterways, natural features, land use areas, historical sites, airport structures and buildings. 

TopoActive Maps highlight certain points of interest in an area too, such as shops, restaurants and bars, schools and universities, car parks and accommodations. You can also search for these points of interest directly in the app. 

Garmin uses OpenStreetMap to source this information, which is a free, open geographic database updated and maintained by volunteers.

According to Garmin, the quality of the coverage, as well as information regarding contour and elevation lines, will depend on the information OpenStreetMap has for that specific area. For this reason, you might find that urban areas are often more developed than rural ones. 

TopoActive Maps cover a wide range of locations from North and South America to Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Antarctica, among others. You can find more specific details regarding map coverage on Garmin’s support page. 

Are Garmin TopoActive maps free? 

TopoActive Maps are available on a wide range of Garmin smartwatches and fitness trackers, including: 

• D2 Mach 1 and Mach 1 Pro
• Descent Mk1 and later 
• Enduro 2 and later 
• Epix (Gen 2) and later 
• Fenix 5X and later 
• Forerunner 945 and later 
• Marq and later 
• Quatix 6 and later 
• Tactix 7 and later 

You can find the full list of supported devices on Garmin’s aforementioned support page. While some compatible watches come with TopoActive Maps preloaded, others do not, meaning you’ll need to use Map Manager or Garmin Express to install the maps manually.

TopoActive Maps are free to use because they’re based on OpenStreetMap data. However, if you want to access other topo maps with more advanced information, you’ll need to purchase them from Garmin.com.