Wikiloc - Trails of the World

What the app is for and who uses it

Wikiloc is a trail database and GPS recorder for people who spend time outdoors on foot, bike, board or water. The listing names hiking, walking, cycling, mountain biking, trail running, kayaking and skiing among its 80 activities.

Most of the trails are tracks that another user walked, rode or paddled and then uploaded, so the listing describes them as coming from actual outings. The community is listed at more than 21 million people, with over 150 million photos attached to trails. The listing presents the app as free.

Finding trails by distance, elevation and difficulty

Searching covers the whole catalogue of more than 80 million trails. You can narrow results by distance, total elevation gain, difficulty and location, which is how you would look for a loop of a set length near a particular town, or a climb of a given height.

The filters work across all the activity types, so a cyclist and a trail runner can search the same area with different limits.

Checking a route before you set out

Each trail page shows the route on a map along with an elevation profile, so the climbs and descents are visible before you leave. Written descriptions, user photos and waypoints sit alongside, and the waypoints mark points of interest or junctions along the way.

Reading the profile and photos together gives a rough sense of the terrain, which matters most for longer or unfamiliar routes.

Recording your own GPS tracks and photos

The app records your own outings with GPS. While you move, you can add photos and waypoints to the track, which then appears as a complete route with its media attached.

Once a recording is saved, you can share it with the Wikiloc community, where it becomes a trail others can find, filter and download.

Keeping trails in saved lists

Trails can be sorted into lists for upcoming trips, training plans or longer personal goals. The listing describes lists as the main way to keep a set of routes together, so a weekend plan or a season's targets can each sit in their own list.