There are great ways to find up-to-the-minute information about trails.
- Bushducks.com: this website accepts reports from anyone and everyone, so it's always up to date. You can also look at past years to see when trails usually opened and when they usually closed, for a good guess about what this year will look like.
- StayTheTrail.org: news, maps, and general information about trails -- this is the place to go if trails are going to be changed or if access has been modified.
- Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUMs): these maps from the forest service have the latest information from the source, so they are always good guides. Do an Internet search for "forest service" or a particular ranger district to get their maps.
- GPS Software: there are lots of applications that let you wander around maps, including ExpertGPS (our favorite, with EasyGPS as the trimmed down and free alternative).
- Printed Maps and Books: they aren't as up to date, but they have lots of the backstories around trails and how they came to be. Amazon.com has a ton of them.
If you're a Subscriber or Member, you can also post in the Forums to ask if anyone has specific trail information. There is a good chance that someone lives near the trail you're wondering about, or they just saw it.