AllTrails, a hiking and cycling companion named the 2023 iPhone App of the Year, will launch a new premium membership called “Peak” that includes an upgraded feature set. This $80 annual subscription introduces AI tools to build custom routes and provides real-time trail condition prediction, trail traffic heat maps and the ability to identify trees and plants using mobile phone cameras.
The new options will be rolled out in the coming weeks to select members first, and will be available globally to all users by June. AllTrails users can sign up for early access on the website.
Alltrails, a long-standing popular app for outdoor enthusiasts, raised a $150 million growth round in 2021 when the community pandemic rekindled relationships with nature amid lockdowns and social distancing measurements.
Unfortunately for the company, Apple entered the Alltrails market by adding the name of Alltrails IT App of the Year by adding support for terrain maps, including trailheads, contour lines, hill shading and elevation increases for Apple Maps in the US the following year.
So, the latest update to Alltrails is a selection of features aimed at the most enthusiastic and most active members, and it can be seen as the company is fighting back.
For example, Peak Membership’s new AI-powered feature allows users to build the ideal trail by starting from scratch or customizing existing trails. Smart Routing features use AI to change trails by making trails shorter, steeper and even “scenic.”
The prediction of new trail conditions provides information on temperature, precipitation, snow depth, and more, essentially a weather app is placed within every trail. There are also alerts on air quality and mosquito activity. Later updates will add terrain and ground conditions such as pavement, gravel and mud.
TechCrunch Events
Berkeley, California
|
June 5th
Book now
The added heatmap options help hikers and bikers who don’t like getting stuck on busy trails, and those who prefer crowds for safety purposes, like when hiking alone. To work, the app’s access to the activity of millions of users provides traffic data to create quotes, similar to how Google Maps uses data to predict when stores, restaurants, bars, or other venues are the most “busy” time.
This summer, Peak members will also have access to the outdoor lens feature. This allows the app to instantly identify and log trees, plants, or flowers. Over time, the company notes that more identification features will be added to the lenses.
In addition to the release of Peak, Alltrails is rolling out its base and plus membership renewals.
Base is the company’s free offering with trail maps, community reviews and navigation, and Plus adds offline access, incorrect turn alerts, 3D trail previews and live trail activity sharing.
Both receive a feature called Points of Interest. It adds trail amenities to over 500,000 mapped perspectives, landmarks and apps. Meanwhile, subscribers acquire a feature called offline territory. This allows you to download customized areas for offline exploration, including high-resolution maps and other details.