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Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Trail Finder?

Trail Finder is a free, interactive mapping site designed to help Vermont and New Hampshire residents and visitors find hiking, walking, snowshoeing, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and paddling trails across the state. Our goal is to help people get out, be active, and explore our state’s treasures, both those well-known and more hidden. Detailed trail description pages allow users to view the trails, get essential information, submit trip comments and photos, find nearby geocaches, and a whole lot more. 

Use Trail Finder to track your trail experiences noting trails that you have completed, your favorites, or ones you want to visit. Save trail logs to remember all your adventures. 

Why trails on the internet? I like paper maps

Trail maps are great and essential (we know, we make them for a living!), however, trying to find comprehensive sources on what trails exist in any given area can be challenging. Trail Finder brings together extensive and up-to-date information about trails in one convenient location. Search tools help users quickly find the right trail for a Sunday afternoon stroll or short-list a handful of trails to be explored during a week-long vacation. We can edit online trails data when notified by trail managers so that they show up on the website instantaneously. The ability of trail managers and Trail Finder account holders to post announcements and trip reports helps users know what to expect or entice you to choose one trail over another.

When you go out on the trails, however, we highly recommend bringing a trail map. Please contact the trail manager to find out about what paper maps are available or print out the Trail Finder posting to bring with you.

Why isn't my favorite hike on your site?

Posting high quality and accurate information on trails takes time. All posted trails are closely reviewed by Trail Finder administrators and trail managers before they are made available to the public to ensure the maps and content are accurate and current. If you don't see a trail you think we should include, let us know!

Who administers Trail Finder?

Trail Finder is overseen by the Upper Valley Trails Alliance in collaboration with the Center for Community GIS; Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation; UNH Cooperative Extension; and the National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program. We partner with trail managers across both sites to create and maintain trail postings. The website exists because of partnerships, collaboration, and widespread public involvement. Major project supporters are listed at the bottom of each web page. These financial contributions have been matched in value through significant in-kind support from trail managers, steering committee members, and volunteers who have all assisted with promoting the project, GPS-ing trails, organizing trainings, and sharing information.

The Original Trail Finder. In the fall of 2005, Local Motion (a Burlington, Vermont based non-profit organization promoting people-powered transportation and recreation for healthy and sustainable Vermont communities) began to shape their vision for an online trail information system. Local Motion’s Trail Finder program efforts continued until 2013 when a new partnership between Vermont Forests, Parks, and Recreation Department and UVTA provided a great opportunity to centralize trail outreach through Trail Finder and bring new technologies into this great resource.

Read more about the Original Trail Finder

What about motorized trails?

Trail Finder aims to be a comprehensive resource for diverse trails in New Hampshire and Vermont, including trails for motorized vehicles, such as snowmobiles and ATVs. 

Many of the trails shared on this website allow some form of motorized use within their networks. However, the information provided is not specifically geared to motorized vehicle use, since these trails are also used by non-motorized users. At this time, Trail Finder has very limited postings tailored to motorized vehicle use. We'd love to have more information to show you where to ride... and where to park a trailer or fuel up, for example.

If you represent a trail management or partner organization responsible for overseeing motorized trail networks, and you are interested in adding motorized trails to Trail Finder, please Contact Us. We would be happy to work with you to add high-quality trail information about motorized trails to our website.

 

What else do I need to know when using Trail Finder?

Have fun. Be safe. Show respect. Be a good trail steward and show respect for the places that trail managers and private citizens make available for public use and enjoyment.

Share your knowledge. Sign up for a free Trail Finder account and submit trip reports to help keep trail content engaging and current. This information is not only useful for trail users, it also helps trail managers and land owners better manage their trails. Also don't forget to tell your friends about Trail Finder and like us on Facebook and Instagram.

Give us feedback. Let us know what works well and what we can do to make it even better.

Help us keep Trail Finder free. Consider making a tax-deductible donation through Upper Valley Trails Alliance to help Trail Finder grow. Are you a corporate donor? Support Trail Finder and get your business profiled on the bottom of each and every web page. Contact us for more information.

Still Have Questions?

If you don't see your question answered here, please feel welcome to Contact Us.

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