What Green Trails does

Green Trails Maps, founded in 1973 by Walt Locke in Seattle, Washington, is a privately held publisher of high-quality recreational topographic trail maps covering the Western United States. The company originated as the first publisher of premium recreational topographic maps for Washington State and has since grown its catalog to more than 150 titles spanning Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, including national forests, national parks, public lands, and ocean beaches. Green Trails Maps employs 1-10 people and operates as Green Trails Inc, with current President and CEO Alan Coburn.

The company's core product is a portfolio of printed trail maps produced through a "Boots on the Ground" methodology: paid GPS mapping crews physically traverse trails and capture over 1,000 new trail miles annually, which are then handed to U.S. professional cartographers for mapping, printing, and digital distribution. The catalog spans three tiers — the entry-level S Series (e.g., Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, Mount St. Helens), the standard SX Series, and the premium SXL Series printed on ultralight, waterproof, unbreakable Polyart with multi-color double-sided printing. Approximately 50 titles are now offered in the Gold Standard Polyart format. Each new edition is reviewed by local guidebook authors and resource-agency trail coordinators to ensure accuracy. Digital versions of the maps are distributed through the Avenza Maps platform for Android, iPhone, and iPad users.

Green Trails Maps generates revenue through one-time purchases of physical maps and digital map downloads. Distribution is multi-channel: direct e-commerce through greentrailsmaps.com, retail and online sales through the Mountaineers Books channel (which also handles customer service), and digital distribution through Avenza Maps. The customer base is primarily outdoor enthusiasts — hikers, climbers, cross-country skiers, horseback riders, hunters, anglers, and mountain bikers — with secondary users in search and rescue operations and professional/regional guides. All maps are printed in the USA by USA-based companies.

Name

Green Trails

Legal name

Green Trails Inc

Website

https://greentrailsmaps.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Green Trails Maps is a Seattle-based publisher of topographic recreational trail maps covering the Western United States. Founded in 1973, it sells 150+ map titles through direct e-commerce, Mountaineers Books retail, and the Avenza Maps digital platform to hikers, climbers, and outdoor enthusiasts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Physical Trail Maps Sales: One-time purchase of printed topographic trail maps. Maps are sold individually by title through retail partners and direct channels. The company releases new editions periodically to maintain accuracy.
2. Digital Maps Distribution: Digital versions of trail maps distributed through the Avenza Maps platform for mobile devices (Android, iPhone, iPad).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Green Trails Maps publishes over 150 printed topographic trail maps for the Western United States, covering national forests, parks, public lands, and ocean beaches across Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Physical maps are printed in the USA on unbreakable, ultralight, waterproof Polyart material, with digital versions distributed through the Avenza Maps platform for mobile devices. The company supports this catalog with an annual "Boots on the Ground" GPS mapping program that surveys more than 1,000 new trail miles each year, handled by U.S. professional cartographers.

Product overview

Green Trails Maps publishes over 150 titles of high-quality recreational topographic trail maps for the Western United States, covering Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. The product portfolio consists of three main map series: the SXL Series (premium ultralight waterproof maps with enhanced detail for Utah destinations), the SX Series (standard trail maps for Oregon and other regions), and the S Series (entry-level maps for iconic destinations like Mount Rainier and Mount Baker). All physical maps are printed on unbreakable, solar-powered, waterproof Polyart. The company also offers digital maps through the AvenzaMaps platform for mobile GPS navigation. Green Trails partners with Mountaineers Books for distribution, with maps distributed through both hard copy and digital formats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SXL Series Trail Maps Premium topographic trail maps covering Utah and Western US destinations, printed on unbreakable, ultralight, waterproof Polyart material with enhanced coverage and detail compared to the standard SX series; targeted at hikers, climbers, and outdoor recreationists who need durable field navigation.
• SX Series Trail Maps Standard topographic trail maps covering Oregon Coast, Three Sisters, and other Western US destinations, with multicolor printing on both sides providing trail and access information for outdoor recreation.
• S Series Trail Maps Entry-level topographic trail maps including Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, and Mount St. Helens climbing maps, printed on durable Polyart material for outdoor recreation use.
• Digital Maps via Avenza Maps Digital trail maps available for Android, iPhone, and iPad through the Avenza Maps platform, enabling GPS-enabled navigation on mobile devices for hikers and outdoor recreationists.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1000 new trail miles mapped each year
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Mountaineers BookscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGreen Trails Maps and Mountaineers Books have partnered to deliver current road and trail access information to customers. Green Trails Maps are available for purchase through Mountaineers Books retail channels. The combined partnership has been serving hikers, climbers, cross-country skiers, horseback riders, hunters, anglers, mountain bikers, and search and rescue groups for over 100 years. Mountaineers Books also handles customer service inquiries for Green Trails Maps.
• Avenza MapscoreTechnology or IntegrationGreen Trails Maps partners with Avenza Maps to distribute digital versions of their trail maps for mobile devices. Android, iPhone, and iPad users can access their favorite Green Trails titles through the Avenza Maps platform. This partnership enables users to access Green Trails maps on their digital devices alongside GPS functionality.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GreenTrailsMaps

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Green Trails