For anyone who enjoys walking and hiking, there's a good chance they'll already be familiar with AllTrails. Available on both iPhone and Android, the app boasts more than 90 million users worldwide and brings together thousands of trail maps alongside user reviews from locations across the globe.
This means you can touch down somewhere new and instantly discover a well-reviewed route to explore, complete with handy photos and feedback from fellow walking enthusiasts. Whether you're embracing technology in the great outdoors or still clinging to your well-worn Ordnance Survey (OS) maps, you might be wondering whether the hugely popular AllTrails app is actually worth your time.
Free vs Paid: What Do You Get?
While a free version is available, the company also offers Plus and Peak subscriptions at £35.99 and £79.99 per year respectively. The considerable price leap from Plus to Peak unlocks four additional features, including community heatmaps, the ability to build and customise routes within the app, and a recently introduced tool capable of identifying plants, reports the Express.
Not every walker will necessarily need those extras, but the Plus subscription is well worth considering, given that the entirely free version of AllTrails, known as Base, only allows users to save trails, create lists of trails, and follow navigation to stay on track.
Casual Walker's Perspective
I'd describe myself as a casual walker and hiker. Growing up in the Cubs and cadets meant plenty of compass and map expeditions during my childhood and teenage years. Add to that daily woodland and forest adventures with the family dog.
However, my twenties weren't exactly filled with outdoor pursuits, which puts me squarely in AllTrails' target demographic: folk wanting to venture outside more, but who aren't hardcore hikers who already have all the gear from when they traversed Everest.
This broad appeal works for most people, though experienced adventurers might find it somewhat elementary. It also struggles to showcase lesser-known routes in developing nations. But for UK ramblers, it's spot-on, and manages to motivate you to explore more without being condescending or too daunting.
Why Plus Subscription is Essential
Splashing out for Plus, which requires annual payment upfront but works out at £2.99 monthly, provides access to downloadable offline maps for starters, which I discovered was essential when using AllTrails. Even during walks with reasonable signal coverage throughout, the in-app performance is significantly quicker when not dependent on a continuous data connection to maintain the map display.
The GPS functions without signal, so with an offline map saved, my precise location on the map remains completely accurate even with zero reception. It also allows me to create and edit custom routes, which is how routes end up on AllTrails in the first place.
AllTrails says it verifies routes before they appear on the app for others to use, which goes a long way to trusting that the information is reliable. With more than half a million curated trails worldwide, that's good to know. Additionally, members can create and edit on desktop, whereas only Peak members can do this on the mobile app.
Superior to Google Maps for Hiking
The basic experience of using AllTrails involves finding a route to hike in the app and then hitting the start button. This opens a top-down map view of the route and where you are, enabling you to find your way as if using a conventional paper map or Google Maps.
Shortly after using AllTrails you'll discover why it's far superior to Google Maps for wayfinding. Google's platform might appear as if it's the entire planet charted in your pocket free of charge, but it is built to transport you from your current position to your destination as rapidly as possible, with a handful of advertisements for nearby establishments included for good measure.
If you turn up in a picturesque English hamlet and fancy doing a circular 10km ramble encompassing the nearby undulating countryside via points of interest, Google doesn't have the answer. The likelihood is that somebody has shared a route on AllTrails that'll meet your requirements.
Map Detail and Alternatives
That said, AllTrails maps can lack the detail found in Google Maps or OS maps. The latter offers exceptional depth, encompassing both natural and man-made features across the surrounding terrain.
AllTrails maps are considerably more pared-down, concentrating on roads, footpaths and elevation. There is an official OS Maps app available for both iPhone and Android, offering comparable features and a similar subscription price (also £35.99 per year), however, being an OS product, it is exclusively available for use within the UK.
Route Selection and Personalisation
With AllTrails, walkers can select routes based on approximate starting points scattered across the map of whichever area they're in or intending to visit, while also being able to filter by location, distance and additional variables such as difficulty rating to narrow down the walks most suited to their preferences.
Tapping the Explore tab at the bottom of the screen reveals nearby trails, while the For You tab offers a more tailored selection, featuring original editorial content from AllTrails with lists of routes in far-flung destinations, alongside walks closer to home based on your previous app usage. Completed routes are automatically saved to your profile, helping to shape these personalised recommendations.
Smartwatch Integration and Safety Features
With the Plus membership activated during a walk, I received off-route alerts directly to both my iPhone and connected Apple Watch. This proved incredibly useful, as it notified me whenever I veered off the designated path, meaning I wasn't constantly glued to my phone screen throughout the entire hike - something I was particularly keen to avoid while soaking up the great outdoors.
One of the standout benefits of pairing an Apple Watch with AllTrails is the ability to keep your phone tucked away while having the map and off-route alerts displayed on your wrist, which feels far less intrusive. This feature is equally accessible to Android users sporting a WearOS smartwatch, such as a Google Pixel Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch, provided the AllTrails app is installed.
AllTrails also allows you to transfer routes directly to Garmin and Coros sports watches. Having tested this on the latter, it performs brilliantly - you can even kick off a route straight from the watch, with the data automatically syncing to your AllTrails account afterwards, eliminating any need to reach for your phone while out walking.
Additional Benefits and Verdict
Additional Plus benefits include 3D maps, which may not appeal to everyone, though the Live Share feature - allowing friends and family to track your real-time location on a trail - is a brilliant safety tool.
The greatest strength of AllTrails is that it does just enough to point you towards a brilliant walk, before largely getting out of your way. However, as it continuously draws on your phone's GPS while you're out, packing a power bank is well worth considering.
For anyone eager to get outdoors but unsure where to begin, AllTrails could provide the confidence needed to lace up and hit the trails. At £2.99 per month, it represents solid value for those looking to embrace walking and, more importantly, stick with it.
