There are Web sites with excellent trail descriptions around the country, but they cost. Why pay? Many resort towns and even cities with extensive public park systems offer free detailed descriptions of hiking and biking trails on their Web sites, or they include links to sites that tell you where to park, length of trails and often rate a trail's steepness and difficulty level.
Among the many free things you can do in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for example, are hiking and climbing in Garden of the Gods park. If you're looking for hiking and mountain biking trails in Vail, Colorado, you could go to the resort's Web site then click on summer activities and you'll find descriptions of hikes and climbs on the mountain. (You can also find them at Vail Hiking and Biking). Go to a universal search engine and type in the name of the resort, city or region, and you'll be surprised at all the choices that show up. If you're not sure where to start, try typing the name and add official Web site in a search box.
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's free TrailLink.com has detailed information on more than 19,000 miles of bike trails, walking trails, equestrian trails, and hiking and running trails. When you're registered on the site, you can even find out about parking lots near certain trails, customize directions to points along a trail, and share photos, reviews and GPS data.
