AllTrails: A Beginner-Friendly Hiking App Used Worldwide
AllTrails is the most widely used hiking app in the world, known for its simplicity and its massive trail database. With millions of users contributing reviews, photos, and trail conditions, it has become the go-to platform for beginners and casual hikers who want a reliable and easy way to discover new routes.
App Overview
Key functions: Trail discovery, community reviews, basic navigation, GPX tracking
Best for: Beginners and casual hikers
Offline use: Available with AllTrails+ subscription
Price: Free version + paid subscription for advanced features
Main Features
Extensive Trail Database
More than 400,000 trails globally, each with distance, elevation, difficulty, photos, and user feedback.
Community Insights
Users share real-time trail conditions, safety warnings, updates on closures, and recent photos.
Map Navigation (Basic & Offline)
Basic navigation is available for free; offline maps, wrong-turn alerts, and other safety tools require the premium version.
Activity Recording
Tracks distance, elevation gain, moving time, and average pace, storing all activities in your profile.
Smart Search Filters
Search trails by difficulty, distance, elevation, duration, route type, popularity, or family/dog accessibility.
Strengths
Very easy to use
Strong community presence
Great for discovering trails in new regions
Ideal for beginners who rely on reviews and photos
Intuitive interface
Limitations
Map precision varies in remote areas
Many safety features require the paid version
Not suitable for technical navigation
When to Use This App
Planning day hikes
-Choosing beginner-friendly or family-friendly trailsExploring new regions while traveling
Tracking simple outdoor activities
AllTrails in the Alps
AllTrails works very well for discovering popular and well-marked trails in Switzerland, France, Italy, and Austria. However, for high-alpine or technical terrain, it should be combined with a more accurate mapping app such as Komoot, Gaia GPS, or SwissTopo.
AllTrails is the perfect hiking app for beginners and casual hikers who want a simple, reliable way to explore new trails. Its huge database and strong community feedback make it accessible and trustworthy, especially for classic or well-maintained routes.
