trails.com
- Thread starter Daniel Eagan
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Pucknuts61
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They charge a fee for information that can be found on maps and trip report forums.
I think you have to subscribe for 1 year paid up front, then they allow access to stuff you can find here for free....but with cooler people
I think you have to subscribe for 1 year paid up front, then they allow access to stuff you can find here for free....but with cooler people
J
jade
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Been there, done that.....my personal opinion is that it is not a good resource.
...Jade
...Jade
Amicus
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PuckNuts is right in part, but I found the site to be sufficiently cool on the free trial (a few days, as I recall) that I sprang for the one-year subscription, which I'm half-way through. Even for NH, I found a trail map for Green Mountain in Effingham, which I've never seen in any hiking guide. (It's from a mountain-biking guide included in their huge searchable library).
Mostly though I've used it for short trips to other parts of the country, like Phoenix and (don't laugh) Cleveland. It's a very quick and convenient way to find out where to hike anyplace in the US at least. (I don't know whether it covers Canada or other countries.)
That said, I'm not sure I'll renew (and if you do subscribe, you have to tinker with your settings or they'll renew you automatically).
Mostly though I've used it for short trips to other parts of the country, like Phoenix and (don't laugh) Cleveland. It's a very quick and convenient way to find out where to hike anyplace in the US at least. (I don't know whether it covers Canada or other countries.)
That said, I'm not sure I'll renew (and if you do subscribe, you have to tinker with your settings or they'll renew you automatically).
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sli74
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jade said:
Totally agree.
Mark Schaefer
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trailsource.com is no better
I have not subscribed to trails.com, but I once had the misfortune of subscribing to trailsource.com. It's the same type of paid subscription service. Promises a lot, but has very little info you can't get for free elsewhere on the net.
I found trailsource.com when I googled a little known park in Connecticut and also added the keyword "hiking". So I figured they must have some specific hiking information on this park, and I subscribed. Once signed up I discovered they had no specific info other than the park's location and that it had hiking trails. In a years use I never found anything of value on the site. They also automatically renew your membership unless you tinker with your subscription settings.
I have not subscribed to trails.com, but I once had the misfortune of subscribing to trailsource.com. It's the same type of paid subscription service. Promises a lot, but has very little info you can't get for free elsewhere on the net.
I found trailsource.com when I googled a little known park in Connecticut and also added the keyword "hiking". So I figured they must have some specific hiking information on this park, and I subscribed. Once signed up I discovered they had no specific info other than the park's location and that it had hiking trails. In a years use I never found anything of value on the site. They also automatically renew your membership unless you tinker with your subscription settings.
Amicus
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Paying for content on the web is anathema to most and not without reason. I've only done it once before, for EncyclopediaBrittanica.com (worthwhile too). Trails.com, however, (which was recommended to me by a friend) is certainly more than just a rip-off. (I don't know about "Trailsresource.com.")
They've paid for copyright on apparently thousands of guidebooks for hiking, biking and paddling and then allowed you to search them very easily by text and/or using maps that allow you to zero in not just on a State but on a specific spot. Separately, you can also look at and download survey maps for anywhere in the US (and maybe elsewhere).
As I said, this isn't worth the nearly $50 annual charge (but $4 per mo. isn't exactly extortion) for someone on this board who hikes only in NEngland and eastern NY, but if you travel some, in circumstances where you may have a few hours or a day free here and there, it may be worthwhile. (For me, it has been about break-even in value so far.)
They've paid for copyright on apparently thousands of guidebooks for hiking, biking and paddling and then allowed you to search them very easily by text and/or using maps that allow you to zero in not just on a State but on a specific spot. Separately, you can also look at and download survey maps for anywhere in the US (and maybe elsewhere).
As I said, this isn't worth the nearly $50 annual charge (but $4 per mo. isn't exactly extortion) for someone on this board who hikes only in NEngland and eastern NY, but if you travel some, in circumstances where you may have a few hours or a day free here and there, it may be worthwhile. (For me, it has been about break-even in value so far.)
