Common Questions
Where does the trail data come from?
Trails are sourced from OpenStreetMap (Overpass API). Parks and campgrounds come from Recreation.gov RIDB. Weather forecasts come from Open-Meteo. We link back to each original source on the relevant detail page.
How current is the data?
The full pipeline re-runs weekly. Recent OpenStreetMap edits typically appear here within a week or two. Weather is refreshed every 6 hours.
Is this free?
Yes. No account required, no paywall, no app to download. The site is funded by Google AdSense and occasional sponsorships.
Why does some difficulty seem off?
Difficulty is derived algorithmically from OSM tags (SAC scale, length, surface) and is a best-effort estimate. We rely on what mappers tagged — some trails are mistagged. See the methodology page for the full classification rules.
Can I submit corrections?
For trail data — file the correction directly on OpenStreetMap. Once it's fixed there, the next weekly pull will reflect it here. For non-trail issues (bugs, suggestions), email us via the Contact page.
Do you have offline maps?
Not yet. The site works as a PWA so you can install it on your phone, but trail data still requires an internet connection. Offline maps are on the roadmap.
How does "Find Nearby" work?
Your browser asks for your location (you can decline), then sends GPS coordinates to our API to look up trails and parks within a radius. We don't log, store, or share location data on our servers. Your saved settings (radius, last location) live in your browser's local storage and can be cleared anytime from the Nearby page.
What does "favoriting" actually do?
Hitting the heart on any trail or park card saves it to your browser's local storage. There's no account; if you switch browsers or clear your storage, the list disappears. The same applies to the "completed" check mark. Visit /profile to see everything you've saved.
Why do some parks not have photos?
Photo availability depends on Recreation.gov — about 47% of indexed parks have at least one photo. The rest get a generated illustration so cards stay visually consistent.
Are reservation links affiliated?
No. We link directly to Recreation.gov when a reservation URL is in the source data. We don't earn anything from these clicks.
Is the weather forecast accurate?
Forecasts come from Open-Meteo, which blends multiple model outputs (ECMWF, GFS, etc.) and is highly accurate for 1-3 days out. Days 4-5 are less reliable. Always cross-check with NOAA or your usual weather source before a serious trip.