All Trails Rolls Out A New $80-Per-Year Membership That Includes AI-Driven Smart Route Capabilities

AllTrails, the popular hiking and biking app crowned 2023’s iPhone App of the Year, is launching a new premium tier called “Peak.” Priced at $80 annually, the subscription adds advanced features like AI-generated custom routes, real-time trail condition updates, trail traffic heatmaps, and a tool to identify trees and plants using your phone’s camera.

AllTrails to Roll Out New Subscription Globally by June, Early Access Now Open

The new subscription will first launch over the next few weeks to a limited group of users, with global availability expected by June. Those interested can register for early access on the AllTrails website.

A longtime favorite among outdoor lovers, AllTrails round of $150 million in growth funding in 2021, during a pandemic-driven surge in interest for nature and outdoor activities.

Unfortunately for AllTrails, Apple entered its market just before the app was named App of the Year, adding support for topographic maps with trailheads, contour lines, hill shading, elevation gains, and more to Apple Maps in the U.S. The following year, Apple expanded further with features like offline maps, custom routes, and tools for exploring national parks and trails beyond the U.S.

In response, AllTrails’ latest update appears to be a strategic move to appeal to its most dedicated and active users, offering a set of features designed to strengthen its position.

AI Smart Routing Customizes Trails by Distance, Difficulty & Scenery

The AI-driven feature in the Peak membership, for example, allows users to create their perfect trail, either by designing one from the ground up or modifying an existing route. The smart-routing function leverages AI to adjust the trail, making it shorter, less steep, or even more scenic, among other options.

The new trail conditions forecast will provide details on temperature, precipitation, snow depth, and more, essentially integrating a weather app within AllTrails. Users will also receive alerts about air quality and mosquito activity. Future updates will include terrain and ground conditions, such as pavement, gravel, or mud.

New Heatmap Feature Helps Users Choose Trails Based on Crowd Levels and Safety Preferences

The new heatmap feature is designed to assist hikers and bikers who want to avoid crowded trails, as well as those who feel safer with more people around, such as when hiking alone. By leveraging data from millions of users’ activities, the app can estimate trail traffic, much like how Google Maps predicts peak times for stores, restaurants, bars, and other locations.

This summer, Peak members will be able to use the Outdoor Lens feature, which allows them to quickly identify trees, plants, or flowers and record them in the app. The company also mentions that additional identification features will be added to the Lens over time.

Alongside the launch of Peak, AllTrails is also updating its Base and Plus membership tiers. Base, the free plan, includes trail maps, community reviews, and navigation.

Plus offers additional perks like offline access, wrong-turn alerts, 3D trail previews, and live trail activity sharing. Altogether, AllTrails serves a community of over 80 million registered users across all plans.

Both Base and Plus members will now have access to a new feature called Points of Interest, which adds over 500,000 mapped landmarks, viewpoints, and trail amenities. Plus members will also get a new Offline Area tool, allowing them to download custom regions for offline use with high-resolution maps and detailed trail data.

Read the original article on: TechCrunch

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