LoamBehind the verdict
These sources supply the data for each estimate. Learn how Loam uses them on how it works.
Open-Meteo
Weather for every network: recent precipitation, temperature, humidity, wind, and the forecast ahead.
Weather data by Open-Meteo, used under CC BY 4.0USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Soil survey data: the texture and drainage behavior of the ground under a trail. Different soils hold and drain water at different rates.
US Government work, public domainSoilGrids, ISRIC World Soil Information
Soil properties for networks outside US soil survey coverage, including the Canadian catalog.
SoilGrids by ISRIC World Soil Information, used under CC BY 4.0. Poggio et al., SoilGrids 2.0, SOIL 7, 217-240, 2021USDA Forest Service and the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium
US tree canopy cover from the National Land Cover Database. Loam samples the terrain around a network's mapped location to estimate cover. This is an environmental input, not the percentage of every trail mile under trees.
US Government work, public domainUniversity of Maryland: Hansen Global Forest Change
Canopy for Canadian networks uses the 2000 to 2023 release. It describes tree cover in 2000 and recorded forest loss through 2023; it is not a current aerial survey. It does not capture later tree growth or every change in cover.
The US and Canadian products have different methods and dates. A comparison of their sampled values needs that context. Each dated report describes the sample it uses; its figures should not be read as a survey of all trails in a state or province.
Hansen et al., Global Forest Change, version 1.11. Data available under CC BY 4.0USGS and NASA elevation data
Elevation and slope for each network, served through OpenTopoData. Slope helps estimate how quickly water drains.
US Government work, public domainNational Park Service
Official alerts and closures for the parks that publish them. A current closure from the managing authority overrides the model.
US Government work, public domainMaps and trail names
OpenStreetMap contributors
Trail names and trail geometry, alongside published agency trail data.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database LicenseLoam Desk
Loam Desk is the byline for Loam's guides and reports. Ryan McLaughlin, Loam's creator and a mountain biker, is responsible for the articles. The guides explain how to use weather and terrain information when planning a ride. The reports describe Loam's environmental data and model results.
Sources are linked so readers can check the advice and figures. A source explaining soil or weather does not establish the accuracy of Loam's model. Reports identify their study dates and distinguish modeled results from observations on the trail.
For a correction, email [email protected] with the article URL, the detail to check, and a source if you have one. Substantive revisions carry an updated date. Original dated datasets remain identified by their study date.
Loam is independent
Loam is not affiliated with, endorsed by, certified by, or partnered with any organization named on this page. Their data is public, and Loam uses it under the terms listed above. Naming them here is credit, not a claim of approval.
Agency names identify our sources; they do not imply an endorsement.
The verdict itself is a modeled estimate, not an official trail status. Check the trail, and respect posted closures and local guidance.
Something look wrong?
Know a network whose soil, tree cover, or terrain looks wrong here? Tell us what you found. Email [email protected], or use the feedback controls in the app.