Best MtBike Trail apps

[Tricia]

I heard "Trailforks" and feel obligated to mention another fine mountain biking trails app:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mtb-project/id622364906?mt=8

Full disclosure, making that app & the associated websites is my job. We have hiking, trail running and skiing versions, too, but we're in the middle of a complete redesign and the MTB app was the first one to hit the app store.

Feedback welcome! The ski app is definitely a little light on data at this point but it's going to get some love in the coming months.

This was posted a while back, and while I haven't paid attention to phone apps for trails very much, I was riding with a friend at Tahoe City XC Trails today and was encouraged to download Trailforks.

I downloaded it while we were in the parking lot and really liked some of the features that helped us find specific trails while we were out riding.

I only found this post by @RachelV when I got back and was doing a search for trailforks.
I'll probably download the mtb project app to see which one suits our needs best.

Anyone have any experience using both?

 

[luliski]

I use Mtb Project at home to find trails-there's lots of descriptive information on there. I tried to use it once when I was riding and confused about the trails, and I had trouble with it. Maybe I need more practice navigating the app. At me bike shop they recommended Trailforks because it's easy to see your current location on the trail. Maybe Mtb Project has that feature but it's not as easy to find.

 

[ZionPow]

I have been using MTB Project and really like it. I find it easy to locate my position on the maps. My Bro-in-law prefer trailforks so when we ride new trails together, we use both!

 

[RachelV]

...
I'll probably download the mtb project app to see which one suits our needs best.

Anyone have any experience using both?

There are definitely differences in trail coverage. There are some areas that we have covered super well and some where we're still missing a few trails, and vice versa. If anyone here is out riding somewhere where we're missing some trails, I would love it you could point me at your Strava / Garmin Connect / whatever or just send me GPS tracks and I will happily add the lines to MTB Project. Or, I could give you a quick rundown on how to add them to the site yourself, if you're the kind of person who likes owning things on the internet (trails show up as being owned by the person that added them to the site, whereas if I add them they'll show up being owned by "MTB Project Staff").

 

[RachelV]

I use Mtb Project at home to find trails-there's lots of descriptive information on there. I tried to use it once when I was riding and confused about the trails, and I had trouble with it. Maybe I need more practice navigating the app. At me bike shop they recommended Trailforks because it's easy to see your current location on the trail. Maybe Mtb Project has that feature but it's not as easy to find.

Can you be a little more specific about what's confusing you? Is there a certain point where you expect to be able to see your location but can't? Are you able to find the right trail in the app successfully?

Or, if there's a specific screen / action on the TrailForks app that you think is particularly clear, I'd love it if you could post a screenshot or just describe how you get there.

I love getting this kind of input from people that use our apps, so everyone please send any and all feedback my way! Just be nice.

 

[Tony S]

There are definitely differences in trail coverage. There are some areas that we have covered super well and some where we're still missing a few trails, and vice versa. If anyone here is out riding somewhere where we're missing some trails, I would love it you could point me at your Strava / Garmin Connect / whatever or just send me GPS tracks and I will happily add the lines to MTB Project. Or, I could give you a quick rundown on how to add them to the site yourself, if you're the kind of person who likes owning things on the internet (trails show up as being owned by the person that added them to the site, whereas if I add them they'll show up being owned by "MTB Project Staff").

@Wending

(https://wendingmaps.com)

What's your cut?

 

[luliski]

Can you be a little more specific about what's confusing you? Is there a certain point where you expect to be able to see your location but can't? Are you able to find the right trail in the app successfully?

Or, if there's a specific screen / action on the TrailForks app that you think is particularly clear, I'd love it if you could post a screenshot or just describe how you get there.

I love getting this kind of input from people that use our apps, so everyone please send any and all feedback my way! Just be nice.

As soon as I can get on my bike again, I'll try using the MTB Project app again.

 

[RachelV]

@Wending

(https://wendingmaps.com)

What's your cut?

These are really really great maps. If @Wending is interested what we usually do in cases like this is link off to her site from all the relevant trails, and we have paid to use content from some small guidebook authors / local experts as well. Our coverage in the greater Portland area definitely looks like it could use some work. PM me an email if she's interested and I would love put her in touch with the trail content team here to work something out!

 

[Tricia]

There are definitely differences in trail coverage. There are some areas that we have covered super well and some where we're still missing a few trails, and vice versa. If anyone here is out riding somewhere where we're missing some trails, I would love it you could point me at your Strava / Garmin Connect / whatever or just send me GPS tracks and I will happily add the lines to MTB Project. Or, I could give you a quick rundown on how to add them to the site yourself, if you're the kind of person who likes owning things on the internet (trails show up as being owned by the person that added them to the site, whereas if I add them they'll show up being owned by "MTB Project Staff").

There is a new trail north of Reno that you may want to add to the app.
https://www.pugski.com/threads/new-in-town-trail-in-reno.11337/

 

[luliski]

As soon as I can get on my bike again, I'll try using the MTB Project app again.

Sorry @RachelV, about not getting back to you. I ended up using a paper map a bike shop gave me, so didn't use MTB Project. Next time!

 

[RachelV]

There is a new trail north of Reno that you may want to add to the app.
https://www.pugski.com/threads/new-in-town-trail-in-reno.11337/
View attachment 52757

Any chance you can point me at a map? Even better, if you or someone you know has ridden it and have the line on Strava or something that would be fantastic.

 

[Tricia]

@Philpug has ridden it with Strava but hasn't been on all of the trails.
I'll see if I can get a map. @Andy Mink knows some of the people involved in building the trail system.

 

[Doug Briggs]

I use and like MTB Project. I offered a Strava GPS track of the fairly new Wellington Trail and it is now part of the system. I was coached along the way by a rep at MTB Project. There are two more new trails that I can provide some input on. Just upload your GPS, add some comments and photos and you too can be a contributor.

Finding your current location seems pretty intuitive to me. I've used that feature a lot. I'm where the blue dot is. My only problem with the app is the text size but that is a usual problem with me and phone size screens. I don't use readers on the trail, but I will have to start soon.

I just checked and one of the new trails, Hard Luck, is already mapped! That still leaves the new upper section of Nightmare on Baldy to be mapped. Our MTB community is pretty active and has done a great job of getting new trails on MTB Project.

 

[Doug Briggs]

I just installed Trailforks. It has lots of info and trails but even at a quick glance it has trails shown that are NOT open to the public and misspelled trail names. These aren't killer mistakes, although the owner of the land where a County Road is indicated as a trail is NOT friendly to bikers and it could cause problems. I know that when I submitted a trail at MTB Project, they asked questions that vetted the trail as legit and accurate.

 

[Rod9301]

What did legit mean?

In Tahoe, there are lot of new trails, built by friends of mine, and I'm sure they are not first Forest service"approved".

Are they on the mountain project?

 

[Doug Briggs]

What did legit mean?

In Tahoe, there are lot of new trails, built by friends of mine, and I'm sure they are not first Forest service"approved".

Are they on the mountain project?

In my specific reference, 'legit' means the road exists on USGS (and other) maps but passes through private property and passage isn't permitted by some of the property owner owners. Part of the road has been incorporated into a legit trail, but only a portion in the middle as a means to connect upper Barney Ford with V3 and lower Barney Ford.

There have been lots of illegal trails in Summit County. Most were either closed down and / or incorporated into our trail network. USFS, Summit County, Breckenridge and the Fat Tire Society, along with others, have been very active in designing, building and maintaining trails so our system has developed from highly unorganized to very organized in the course of the 18 years I've been here.

A large number of the illegal trails were on USFS land and poorly designed. They were DH trails or XC trails with serious DH components. Rain and use would degrade them from super fun to barely rideable in the course of 2 or 3 years. Many had hidden entrances to add obfuscation and try to keep the trails 'private'.

A huge number of our trails are the remnants of old mining roads and ditches (aka incorrectly as flumes.) The roads could be unsustainable and many were rerouted onto new singletrack ala Sidedoor. Ditches make great trails as they follow contours and are basically ready made except for needing to remove trees that have grown up. A great example are Upper, Middle and Lower Flume trails (really ditches) that are rideable early in the season and deal well with water (mostly at least.)

The Town of Breckenridge is constantly upgrading, repairing and building trails. At least two new sections were built this year; the ones I referred to earlier: Hard Luck (a super fun intertwined flow trail with some big air possible) and the upper extension of Nightmare on Baldy (aka Harvester in my book; New trail.)

BTW, The person I spoke with at MTB Project mentioned that they only want approved 'in-network' trails listed. If the local trail organization(s) didn't create and/or bless the trail, then it wasn't wanted in the Project. Legality, liability and all that coming into play.

 

[RachelV]

... BTW, The person I spoke with at MTB Project mentioned that they only want approved 'in-network' trails listed. If the local trail organization(s) didn't create and/or bless the trail, then it wasn't wanted in the Project. Legality, liability and all that coming into play.

Yeah, we just also want to help land managers get people out on the trails, and also help land managers keep the trails in good shape. Land managers and local clubs of all kinds have been hugely helpful in getting us raw data to get trails mapped, and that would probably change if our app is sending people on all the social trails that they're trying to phase out for environmental / legal / sustainability / whatever reasons. Long term we feel like it's a way better bet to work with land managers than have every single social / cutoff / illegal trail mapped.

 

[Rod9301]

Yeah, we just also want to help land managers get people out on the trails, and also help land managers keep the trails in good shape. Land managers and local clubs of all kinds have been hugely helpful in getting us raw data to get trails mapped, and that would probably change if our app is sending people on all the social trails that they're trying to phase out for environmental / legal / sustainability / whatever reasons. Long term we feel like it's a way better bet to work with land managers than have every single social / cutoff / illegal trail mapped.

That's your opinion, add you have a product to sell.

And that's why most of these apps are pretty useless.

 

[Monique]

Finding your current location seems pretty intuitive to me. I've used that feature a lot. I'm where the blue dot is. My only problem with the app is the text size but that is a usual problem with me and phone size screens. I don't use readers on the trail, but I will have to start soon.

I have had this weird issue with MTBProject (and HikingProject, etc) since I started using it a couple of years ago - the first time it looks for my location, it puts me way out nowhere near where I actually am. Then I hit the button again, and it finds my correct location. No idea what's up with that.

 

[RachelV]

That's your opinion, add you have a product to sell.

And that's why most of these apps are pretty useless.

I mean, our apps are are totally free, but I guess I get your point.

That said, TrailForks lets people map whatever they want, so check them out if that's what you're interested in. Mapping illegal trails and sharing them on social apps does tend to make them less secret, though.