Got your hiking boots at the ready? AllTrails has rolled out a suite of new updates to its popular navigation app to help its 60 million users across the globe make better decisions about where to hike, and what they'll need to do it.
The news comes after we reported on Apple Maps sauntering off with some of the apps' best features earlier this week, and is a strong indication that AllTrails has no intention of being surpassed any time soon in the hiking app world.
"This is our biggest update yet," AllTrails Chief Technology Officer James Graham tells us, as he unveiled the new features on Wednesday.
I recently went hiking in with AllTrails to better understand how the app works. Some features, such as Live Share which alerts your emergency contacts to your location on a hike if you want it to, are only available to AllTrails+ users for $35.99 per year, the new functions are available free to everyone. Just download or update your app to get the latest.
Here are the ones we're most excited about:
1. Collections
The collections feature allows you to add filters to your search so you can home in on the hikes you really want to do. Now when you open the AllTrails app anywhere in the world, you'll see Collections across the top which group local hikes together by features that the data shows many hikers are interested in.
Prefer to visit a hidden gem over a hot spot? Want to see a waterfall? Need a dog-friendly trail? Just click on the collections that suit your needs and wishes and the app now recommends a thoughtful list of hikes perfect for you.
2. Park Pages
There's no denying that National Parks are a popular location for hikers in the US –Graham points out that the annual visitation as of the 63 National Parks is about the same as the entire population of the US.
With Park Pages, you can now go directly to the park you want to visit – that can mean a National Park like Yellowstone, a State Park or a local park in your backyard. and access information like opening hours, top trail recommendations, and fees and permits which Graham explains helps hikers avoid disappointment.
As we've previously reported, AllTrails launched its Public Lands Program at the beginning of the year, which gives land managers access to edit and update these pages to ensure all information stays current.
3. Redesigned Trail Page
When you're considering a hike using the AllTrails app, you want to find the most important information upfront, and Graham explains that they've examined the data to determine exactly what hikers are looking for first, and used that information to redesign the trail page.
Now when you arrive at the page for your intended trail, you'll be able to see how long it is, how difficult and the elevation gain without having to search or scroll. The photo gallery of snaps from other users has been curated so you can preview the trail visually, see what the top sights are and what the trail looks like in different months to help guide your decision, and know what gear you might need.
That last function is especially valuable as more and more of us have started getting out with our trekking poles in all seasons, and need to be prepared for changing conditions throughout the year.
