Trails.com - Hiking App
I’ve been searching for an app that could help me explore outdoor activities in a specific area and track my adventures. While there are some apps that have this ability, few are able to provide the research and maps I needed when making plans.
“I had no idea there was an app that could take everything I needed and make it available at my fingertips.”
If you’ve ever been on a trail and wanted to know how many miles you’ve traveled or the elevation gained, you might have wished you had a way to track it. And if you’ve ever planned a more advanced backpacking or hiking trip, you may have wanted an app that allowed you to study the region. And if you’ve ever had a day where you couldn’t find the trailhead because it was hidden in too much snow or overgrown, the Trails.com app guarantees you won’t miss it.
Guidebooks
One of the most unique features of the Trails.com app is the amount of trail guides that are provided on a variety of topics such as the best hot springs in the Pacific Northwest, the best road biking trails in Colorado or the best hikes of the Appalachian Trail. You can download or print out these guidebooks so you can have them available while you’re on your trip.
“When you upgrade to Premium, you can view more than 60,000 guides and can select which ones to save for later.”
Trail Resources
What I really love about the Trails.com app is the amount of information it provides for a particular hike or area you’re interested in. It has everything from easy walking trails around city parks to hikes that are rated difficult due to their elevation and miles. Through reviews and photos, you can get an idea of what to expect and the best season to give it a go. Not to mention the app has 100,000 trails it offers (in comparison to the 50,000 that AllTrails has available to users).
Variety of Outdoor Activities
One thing that sets this app apart from other ones I’ve used is the amount of adventures you can explore that aren’t just hiking trails. There’s climbing routes, mountain biking trails, ski resorts, snowshoeing trails, campgrounds, horseback riding trails, fishing holes, birding locations and surf spots, to name a few.
“As someone who doesn’t like having several apps on my phone, it’s nice to know I can have just one and it will be enough to capture my outdoor stoke.”
USGS Topo Maps
If you’re like me and want to geek out about a particular area you’re hiking or traveling to, you might be interested in the high-res USGS topo maps this app offers when you upgrade to Premium. These maps show elevation, hydrography and geographic place names. For me, it helps to see some of these advanced features on trails I’m unfamiliar with. For instance, depending on the season, it’s beneficial to know about river crossings and mountain ranges that might impact whether or not the hike is safe to travel.
Topo map of Mt. Rainer in Washington
To be honest, I wasn’t expecting to need or use the Trails.com app as much as I do. It gets a little addicting to look up all the activities you have near you. I had no idea there were so many city activities surrounded me in the Denver area. And I can’t wait to show my fishing friends this app so that they can explore all the hot spots for trout.
“Now excuse me while I save all the off-highway drives in Colorado, so that I can plan a trip down some roads where no one else goes.”