# Best mountain bike trail website and/ or app?



## ems (Jan 18, 2008)

This was probably the best forum to post this in.

I'm getting back into mountain biking after a long time away. I noticed that mtbr might not be the go to place for trail info like it used to be. So my question is what are some of the best websites/apps (free or paid) that have the most trail information out there? Or even just the best general trail website/app out there? Doesn't have to be mountain bike specific.

Also, I'm aware of regional areas have websites specific to that area that are sometimes the best, but for a general across the board website for trail maps/info what do you think?

mtb project?
google earth? i recall trail info there...
Strava? Does Strava even have trail info, never used it.
Trail Forks seemed out of date, missing trails. ... unless I wasn't using the website properly...


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Trailforks phone app is still very popular. You can download regions and sync it up when new trails are added to the database. 

I would stick with the app rather than the Trailforks website. I don't know how often the website receives new data. I wouldn't be surprised if the data is pushed to the mobile phone app more often than the website.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Trailforks and mtbproject are the two standards. Use them both, because neither has perfect coverage everywhere.


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## Lone Rager (Dec 13, 2013)

Both Trailforks and mtb project are very good and I use those, but I also use OSM And (open source maps), Strava heat maps, and official park/forest websites. OSM shows most all trails everywhere on the planet, but not identified as legal or suitable for mtb or not. Strava heat maps show where people actually ride (legal or not). Official websites tell you the laws and regs that pertain to those areas.


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## ems (Jan 18, 2008)

Well Battery, call me old fashion, but I like sitting at a computer and looking at the lay of the land. But again, as I was thinking its all about the apps. HAHA thanks for the tip.


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## ems (Jan 18, 2008)

ok so combo the 2. interesting, thanks for the tip!


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## ems (Jan 18, 2008)

ok thank you for those references. yes I was also curious about just general trails, so I will look into this OSM. Is that Open Street Map?


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

ems said:


> ok thank you for those references. yes I was also curious about just general trails, so I will look into this OSM. Is that Open Street Map?


Yes, OSM = Open Street Map. Also not perfect everywhere. Like Trailforks and mtbproject, it's crowdsourced, so quality of the information will depend on having people who are reasonably local supplying information.


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## NorCal_In_AZ (Sep 26, 2019)

It doesn't have "trails" but for lay of the land, and propertity lines I use OnX maps. Works for hunting, works the same way if your out exploring open land on a bike.


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## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

Ride with GPS


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

mtbr.com

oh wait, it's not 2001 anymore, is it?


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

chazpat said:


> mtbr.com
> 
> oh wait, it's not 2001 anymore, is it?


you mean 1998?


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## bcg337 (Apr 13, 2020)

AllTrails is a good app 


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

Harold said:


> Trailforks and mtbproject are the two standards. Use them both, because neither has perfect coverage everywhere.


Yep exactly this.

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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Did a hike today in a little out-of-the-way spot. Saw one other person, and only 2 other vehicles in the parking lot when I finished (was the first car there). The place permits mtb riding, so I also wanted to scope out the riding potential there.

NONE of the apps showed the trails that the "official" map showed, that I got from the land manager's website. Which STILL wasn't quite right. Lots of old gravel roads through the place, and most didn't appear on the maps. Trail markers were just arrows on the ground. No trail names, though the official map showed names. Some of the "official" trails (also just old logging roads) were completely unlabeled and it looked like they were completely unmaintained, as well.

It was certainly quiet and felt like we were "out there" but none of the trail apps were worth very much. Hiking Project (the hiking version of mtbproject) showed the most, but only a couple trails. Definitely not all of what the "official" map showed and far from everything that was out there.

Good illustration of why you shouldn't ever rely 100% on the nav apps or even to a degree provided paper maps and that going into the woods means that you need to work on some navigation skills (both map and terrain reading) and common sense. The farther "out there" you go, the more on point your skills had better be. Because the apps WILL fail you eventually. Having the ability to shrug that off, put the phone away, and use other skills in your toolbox is essential.


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## BerkBill (Jun 7, 2013)

I use both MTB Project and Trailforks. But if I get completely turned around/lost - out comes GAIA. I found this is the most accurate telling me where I am and oftentimes most trails are on it.


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## mike_of_earth (Aug 1, 2016)

GAIA GPS is a must for me for camping etc. Fro rides I know I just track them on my wahoo. Tracks I don't know get the full conversion to GAIA. I subscribe to get all the layers I need and it seems to be very accurate with GPS in the middle of nowhere.

I used to use MTB project and trailforks. I think I liked trailforks better.

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