Before founding onX, Eric would use paper BLM and Forest Service maps to discover new places to archery hunt for elk, camp or enjoy other forms of outdoor recreation as he moved from Miles City, Montana, to Bozeman and then Missoula. After years of frustration with the limitations of those paper maps and lackluster GPS maps, he figured there had to be a better way. So, in 2007, he set out with his entrepreneurial spirit and engineering skill set to develop a better solution using new mapping technologies and GPS.

The journey started with organizing recreation data that was beyond the cities and trailheads that everybody knew. He gathered data on rural roads, backcountry trails, topography and land ownership information that was necessary to navigate off the beaten path. By 2009, it had become clear there was an opportunity to create the first complete and accurate picture of land ownership across the entire United States that would allow users to better identify, access and explore outdoor recreation opportunities. 

Much of the team’s focus in the early days had been on this aspect of the map. Now, through the onX suite of outdoor recreation mapping apps, it is organizing the world’s recreation information and working to be like a personal guide alongside anybody who is interested in exploring new places, doing their favorite recreation activities. 

After realizing success with mapping land ownership data and marketing it to the hunting community, Eric and the onX team looked for a focused way to give back to others. It was, of course, fitting to focus on the outdoor recreation community with those efforts. When a historic land access point in the Missoula area was sold into private property, Eric and onX were driven to sponsor RMEF’s access programs. So, the onX access initiatives were started and evolved to include efforts like Project Landlocked, which uses onX technology to identify and bring awareness to landlocked public lands throughout the U.S.. Additionally, Eric began his personal work to make sure similar small parcel properties that create access opportunities into large swaths of public land are not lost again. 

Eric is no longer working day-to-day at onX, but he does offer strategic guidance as a member of its board of directors.