How to Find Hiking Trails Using Trails.com

Trails.com offers information on hiking trails in Canada, the United States and Mexico, as well as a Top 100 Trails feature, listings for National Parks, State Parks and City Trails. The database is searchable by zip/postal code or keyword. You'll be able to find thousands of ways to enjoy the great outdoors no matter where you're headed.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Computer with Internet access
• Trails.com account (recommended)
• Credit Card (if purchasing a membership)

Track Down Trails

1. Go to the Trails.com homepage (see Resources below) to start your search for hiking trails.
2. Log in using your email and password, if you already have an account. If not, consider creating one. Follow the 'Start A Free Account' link to fill out a membership form. You'll then be given the option to try a free 14-day membership. You can skip this if you simply want a guest membership.
3. Look for the 'Trail Finder' tab. Click on it.
4. Click a U.S. state on the map to search that state for hiking trails. If you want to search elsewhere, find the links menu. You can search for hiking trails in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, as well as by popularity, zip/postal code or keyword by clicking on the appropriate link.
5. Find Hiking Activities on the page to which you'll be redirected. For example, if you clicked on Alabama on the U.S. map, you'll be taken to an Alabama Trails & Alabama Trail Maps page. Under the Alabama Outdoor Activities sub-heading, you'll be looking in the Hiking Activities list for the 'Alabama Hiking' link. Click that link.
6. Browse the results returned by your search for hiking trails. You'll notice a number of options on this page: you can 'Expand Your Results' using the link with that name, or you can search Popular Outdoor Destinations in the region you searched and also browse links to more specific localities within your region.
7. Look through the list of trails you're given once you refine your search for one you like. Happy hiking!

Tips & Warnings

• Consider trying a free, 14-day trial membership to Trails.com. There's no obligation to join and you'll be able to enjoy full member benefits, including advanced search options, for the duration of your membership. You'll need a Visa, MasterCard or American Express card to do so.
• Click the 'Help' link (see Resources below) if you get lost using Trails.com.
• Protect yourself by exercising the utmost caution when entering personal information on the Web. Erase your browser's history and memory cache immediately upon completion of any transactions involving your credit card number.