Close your eyes and imagine the stereotypical hiker. Regardless of what you have imagined, that hiker is probably using the AllTrails app. Almost all hikers do it, even those with no experience.
“The app is free, so we thought, ‘We’ll download it and see what happens,’” said Jessica Wood, co-owner of an ice cream shop in Kansas City, Missouri. “We never deleted it.”
What began in 2010 as an idea backed by a seed accelerator—as incubation programs are known in Silicon Valley—quickly became a giant that swallowed up many of its competitors. Three years later, AllTrails had raised nearly $4.5 million in funding. In 2018, the company raised $75 million.
The app, which has details on hundreds of thousands of hiking routes around the world, saw its star really rise in the wake of Covid.
“During 2020 we suddenly saw triple-digit growth when there were lockdowns,” said Ron Schneidermann, CEO of AllTrails. “There was nothing else to do”.
Wood, who described herself as “a new hiker with no experience,” used AllTrails “almost every day” in the summer of 2022.
“It really made us feel like we had a professional hiker telling us how to do it“, said.
The app features frequently updated trail reviews written by users, with details about the condition of a trail or whether it’s a safe place to take animals or children.
The San Francisco-based company offers a paid subscription, AllTrails+, that allows users to download maps for offline access, among other features. (Trail maps and the basics of the app’s search function remain free.) Users can also view their statistics for the year and track the time it took them to complete a hike.
AllTrails was named Apple’s 2023 App of the Year for fostering “community through comprehensive trail guides and outdoor exploration for everyone.”
Evelynn Escobar, founder of the organization Hike Clerb in California, said the app is “at the center of my outdoor lifestyle. “I put together my excursions based on what I find there.” She provided each member of Hike Clerb’s inaugural class of hiking guides with an AllTrails+ subscription so they can better plan their hikes.
In March, AllTrails introduced its Public Lands Program, a partnership with land managers in 270 parks across the United States which allows access to real-time data on trail activity and sending real-time alerts on trail conditions to AllTrails users.
However, some hikers believe it’s worth trying to get away from AllTrails and venture out on your own.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say turn off your phone,” said Ryan Tripp, a 21-year-old environmental engineering student at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire who has led hiking trips. “But I think a progressive move away has the potential to be really rewarding and expose people to what I think are the benefits of being outdoors.”
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