Last updated October 30, 2026. This explains what Trailbound collects, why, and what you can do about it. Trailbound is the website at hiketrailbound.com and the Trailbound iPhone app.
If you create an account: your email address, a password (stored only in scrambled form by our sign-in provider; we can't read it), and the explorer name you choose. You can also add a home state. If you use Sign in with Apple, Apple gives us your name (the first time only) and either your real email address or a private relay address that Apple creates, plus an identifier for your account.
What you add: hikes you log (park, trail, date, distance, notes), trips you save in the planner, friends you connect with, comments, kudos and challenges. Reports you send about other people's content, and your list of blocked explorers, are saved with your account so we can act on them.
Location: if you start a GPS hike, your device's location is used on your device to show where you are and measure the hike. When you finish, a simplified line of the route is saved with that hike in your account. Location is used only while a hike recording is running. In the iPhone app the recording keeps working while your screen is locked, so the route isn't lost, and iPhone shows an indicator while it does. We never track your location when you aren't recording. If you search for a place to stay in the trip planner, the text you type is sent to a map search service to find it.
Payments: Trailbound Pro is paid through Stripe on the website and through Apple in the iPhone app. Your card details go to Stripe or Apple, never to us. We receive only whether your subscription is active, which plan it is, and when it renews or ends. In the iPhone app, a service called RevenueCat checks your Apple purchase for us. It receives your account's random ID and your purchase details from Apple.
Visits: on the website, only if you click Accept on the privacy notice, we count page views to understand what's useful. If you click Reject, or do nothing, nothing is counted. Each count records the page, the website you came from (for example google.com), whether you're on a phone, tablet or computer, and a random ID stored in your browser so repeat visits aren't counted as new people. It isn't tied to your name or email. If your browser sends a "Do Not Track" or Global Privacy Control signal, no ID is stored.
Stored on your device: the site keeps a copy of your data in your browser so it opens quickly and works offline, along with parks you download and reminders you set. Reminders stay on your device only; in the iPhone app your phone itself schedules the reminder notifications, with no notification service involved.
Your profile is private by default: only friends you've accepted can see your hikes. If you switch your profile to public in Settings, other explorers with public profiles can see your explorer name, hikes and badges. Your email address is never shown to other users.
Trailbound uses other companies and public services to work. Each receives only what it needs:
We don't share your information with anyone else, except if the law requires it or to protect someone's safety.
Wherever you live, you can ask us what we hold about you, correct it, get a copy, or have it deleted. In the app, Profile → Download my data gives you a file of your hikes and account details, and Settings → Delete account removes everything. If you live in California, the EU, the UK or another place with privacy laws, you also have the rights those laws give you, including the right to object to or limit how we use your information and to complain to your local privacy authority. We don't sell or share personal information, so there is nothing to opt out of. Email hiketrailbound@gmail.com and we'll answer within 30 days. We won't treat you differently for using these rights.
Trailbound isn't for children under 13. You have to confirm you are 13 or older to create an account, and we don't knowingly collect information from anyone younger. If you are a parent and believe your child has created an account, email hiketrailbound@gmail.com and we'll delete it promptly. In some countries the minimum age is higher than 13; if that's true where you live, please use Trailbound only with a parent's permission.
Data is sent over encrypted connections, and database rules limit each account to its own data and what friends have chosen to share. The database provider encrypts stored data. No system is perfectly secure.
How long we keep things: your account, hikes, routes, comments and friends are kept until you delete your account, and then removed right away. If you stop using Trailbound without deleting, we keep your account so it's there when you return. Reports you send about other people's content are kept as long as needed to protect the community. Visit counts (only if you accepted) hold no names or emails and are kept as long as they help us understand the site. Payment records are kept by Stripe and Apple as the law requires. Copies we keep for safety (backups) are deleted or overwritten on a regular schedule and are never used for anything else.
Where your data is handled: Trailbound is run from the United States, and your information is stored and processed in the United States by the services listed above. If you use Trailbound from another country, you are sending your information to the United States.
If this policy changes in a way that matters, we'll update the date above and note it on the site.
Questions or requests: hiketrailbound@gmail.com