About NearLark

NearLark helps you find a good hike near where you are, and tells you plainly how long it is, how much it climbs and how to get to the trailhead.

Who makes it

NearLark is an independent site built and run by Wasif Nawaz, a software and AI engineer based in Pakistan. It isn't owned by a land agency, an outdoor brand or a booking company, and nobody pays to be listed or ranked.

Where the information comes from

• Trails, waterfalls and trailheads: © OpenStreetMap contributors, under the Open Database License.
• Elevation: the US Geological Survey's 3D Elevation Program (3DEP), which is public domain.
• State lines: US Census Bureau boundary files, also public domain.

Lengths, climbs, high points, round-trip times and difficulty are calculated by NearLark from that data. Where we estimate something, such as difficulty from length and climb, the page says so.

How difficulty works

Difficulty is marked the way trails are: with painted blazes.

• Easy: short, little climbing.
• Moderate: a real workout, steady climbs.
• Hard: long, steep, or both.

We use the harder of two ratings: the trail's grading in OpenStreetMap, which describes the terrain, and an effort score based on the National Park Service's Shenandoah formula, which combines distance and climb.

Please check before you go

Open map data is very good but not perfect, and trails close, wash out and get rerouted. Check current conditions with the land manager (the national forest, park or county), carry a real map or GPS app, and turn back when the weather or the trail says so.

Spot a mistake?

Tell us. Corrections to trail names and routes can also be made directly on OpenStreetMap, and they flow into NearLark on our next data refresh.