New hiking GPS devices: Garmin Oregon 550, Oregon 550t

Just in time for spring-time explorations, Garmin has introduced a pair of premium handheld hiking GPS devices, the Oregon 550 and 550t. These touch-screen navigators build upon the top-rated Oregon 400t by adding a 3.2-megapixel camera, three-axis compass, and expanding the available route storage from 50 to 200 routes. Earning its “t” designation, the 550t model includes detailed, three-dimensional topographical maps, as does the 400t.

The Oregons provide a slick, modern interface that is more akin to an iPhone than a traditional hiking unit. Simple to use, these sophisticated trail aids can guide you from Point A to Point B, plot a course, and add an extra measure of safety on the trail.

In our testing, we have found the Oregon units to be well-suited for geocaching—a popular, GPS-based form of treasure hunting. These units easily connect to geocaching.com to transfer coordinates and instructions for up to 5,000 geocaches. With a paid membership to geocaching.com, the Oregons enable true paperless quests with hints and descriptions available through the device. (Otherwise, some information must typically be printed out to find a geocache.)

We have found topographical maps to be helpful for extreme terrain, off-trail hiking, and serious geocaching, but most casual hikers would be fine with just the included base maps. The maps can be upgraded later, should you change your mind.

The camera adds an interesting dimension, as the device geotags each image allowing you to navigate back to a location. As with other Oregons, these units are waterproof, so the camera is as well.
There is 850 megs of internal storage, and a microSD card can be used to expand storage capacity. The images can be transferred via a USB connection.

Garmin lists retail pricing as follows: Oregon 550 - $500, Oregon 550t - $600. For now, it appears online prices are quite close to retail.

These are full-featured units, and based on experience with similar models, they are expected to be very good navigators. However, casual users may find other models would suffice for much less money.

See our handheld hiking GPS buying advice and Ratings.

—Jeff Bartlett

Also, see our portable automotive GPS navigation systems Ratings and buying advice, watch our video guide, and browse our GPS First Looks. Discuss GPS devices in the forums.