Dharma Maps

What Dharma Maps does

Dharma Maps Inc. is a privately-held cartography and mapping-technology company founded in 2000 by Marc Rothmeyer and headquartered in Winthrop, Washington. The company builds a connected suite of locally-powered, real-time trail mapping applications — TREAD Map, Methow Map, Kettles Map, RainShadow, Khumbu Map, and Grand Canyon Map — available on iOS and Android, complemented by waterproof printed maps sold through its e-commerce storefront. Its core technology combines ground-truthed GPS trail data (each trail is physically hiked with a GPS device for accuracy), offline map downloads, real-time trail condition updates crowdsourced from users and land managers, GPS activity tracking with elevation profiles, and dedicated administrator portals for government agencies, businesses, and conservation organizations. Mobile app development is executed through a technology partnership with MobCoder Inc., which provides a 10-person backend development team, while in-house staff handle GIS, project management, sales, and operations.

The platform is designed to serve four customer segments: trail recreationists (hikers, mountain bikers, runners, backcountry skiers, equestrians), land-management agencies (US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, state and county governments), local outdoor businesses, and conservation/recreation nonprofits. Dharma Maps generates revenue from five streams: one-time sales of physical maps ($12.00–$19.95 per unit), freemium mobile app downloads, business sponsorship and geo-targeted advertising (businesses must have a "trail story" to advertise), Amazon Associates affiliate referrals on outdoor gear, and recurring county/regional partnership fees for platform maintenance and land-manager training. Its go-to-market is community-led, anchored by partnerships with regional nonprofits such as TREAD, the Washington Tourism Alliance for statewide distribution, conservation groups like the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust and The Mountaineers, and content contributors such as guidebook author Craig Romano.

Name

Dharma Maps

Legal name

Dharma Maps Inc.

Website

https://dharmamaps.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dharma Maps Inc. is a Washington-based cartography company that builds real-time, community-driven trail mapping apps and printed maps for hikers, land managers, businesses, and conservation nonprofits. It operates six regional app sub-brands and monetizes through physical map sales, advertising, affiliate revenue, and government partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Recreation Mapping Software

NAICS

Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (541370), Tour Operators (561520), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land (48711)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Mapping & Basemap Platforms (Tiles/SDKs) (BPAMANAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hiking, Trekking & Mountain Guiding (THAJABAA), Local & City Guide Content Aggregators (MPACAKAJ), Tours, Activities & Experiences Booking Platforms (BPAMAIAJ)

Keywords

• Trail mapping applications
• Outdoor recreation software
• GPS navigation platforms
• Printed trail maps
• Land management software

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Physical Map Sales: Sale of printed waterproof and tear-proof maps for regions including Khumbu ($19.95), Boise North ($12.00), and various New Mexico and Washington state maps.
2. Mobile App Downloads and Features: Apps available for free download with sponsored business features, geo-targeted marketing, and coupon redemption within the platform.
3. Business Sponsorship and Advertising: Local businesses sponsor trails, publish announcements, and access geo-targeted marketing campaigns. Businesses must have a 'trail story' to advertise. Revenue supports trail maintenance.
4. Affiliate Revenue: Affiliate links to outdoor gear products including trekking poles, packing systems, water purification, guidebooks, and repair kits through Amazon Associates program.
5. County/Regional Partnership Fees: Shared cost and responsibility model where partnering counties contribute to make the app available and effective. Includes data addition, maintenance, and land manager training.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Dharma Maps builds and sells mobile mapping applications and physical printed maps for outdoor recreation, centered on real-time, community-driven trail data. Its core platform combines ground-truthed GPS mapping (where every mile is physically hiked with a GPS device), offline-capable mobile apps for iOS and Android, and a multi-stakeholder ecosystem that connects trail users with land managers, conservation groups, and sponsoring local businesses through administrator portals and geo-targeted marketing features.

Product overview

Dharma Maps offers a connected suite of locally powered real-time mapping tools for communities, user groups, land managers, governments, and adventurers. The portfolio consists of mobile applications (TREAD Map™, Khumbu Map, Methow Map, Kettles Map, Grand Canyon Map, RainShadow) available on iOS and Android platforms, complemented by physical waterproof printed maps for key regions. The ecosystem combines GPS-powered trail navigation, real-time condition updates, community social features, and land manager communication tools into an integrated platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TREAD Map: Comprehensive recreation mapping app for all trail users, all seasons, covering Central Washington with real-time trail conditions, alerts, and community features.
• Khumbu Map
• Methow Map
• Kettles Map
• Grand Canyon Map
• RainShadow

Products and services

• TREAD Map A comprehensive recreation mapping mobile app for all trail users and all seasons, covering Central Washington State. Offers up-to-date recreation maps, custom layers, real-time trail conditions, current safety information, community events, and volunteer opportunities. Distributed via iOS App Store and Google Play Store.
• Khumbu Map GPS-powered trekking app and ecosystem for exploring the Nepal Mount Everest Khumbu region. Includes GPS activity tracker, downloadable offline maps, trailhead navigation, real-time conditions and alerts, and a community social feed. A portion of sponsorship revenue is donated to the Namaste Scholarship Fund for Nepalese girls' education.
• Methow Map Comprehensive recreation mapping mobile app for all trail users and all seasons covering Washington's Methow Valley. Offers up-to-date recreation maps, custom layers, real-time trail conditions, safety information, and community events.
• Kettles Map Recreation mapping mobile app for all trail users and all seasons covering the Kettle Mountain Range in Northeast Washington. Offers up-to-date recreation maps, custom layers, trail conditions, safety information, and community events.
• Grand Canyon Map Exploration mapping application for the Grand Canyon, including river maps, trail maps, natural and cultural history, points of interest, and a video river guide narrated by a veteran 25-year Canyon River Guide for safely rafting through Colorado rapids.
• RainShadow Recreation mapping mobile application covering its designated region with trail information and community features.
• Physical Printed Maps Waterproof and tear-proof physical printed maps sold through the Dharma Maps e-commerce shop for various regions including Khumbu, Boise North, Boise South, Washington, and New Mexico areas, priced from $12.00 to $19.95.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trail usage data available to land managers in real-time, enabling infrastructure improvement decisions
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, major and minor.

• Washington Tourism AllianceflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2021State's destination marketing organization partnering with TREAD and Dharma Maps for TREAD Map App pilot program. WTA encourages uploads and usage through marketing campaigns reaching Washington residents and travelers. Following pilot, partners will consider broadening statewide.
• TREADcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrails, Recreation, Education, Advocacy, Development - nonprofit bringing together motorized, non-motorized, water, snow and land stakeholders in north central Washington. Led development of TREAD Map platform with Dharma Maps. Executive Director Mat Lyons provides strategic direction.
• MobCoder Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for all app development. Experienced team of developers ensure apps and projects move forward without skipping a beat. Powers all Dharma Maps mobile applications.
• Evergreen Mountain Bike AlliancemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMountain biking advocacy group with custom themes and branding within TREAD Map app. Engaged in destination marketing, posting trail information and promoting events. Local gear and apparel available through affiliate links.
• Chelan-Douglas Land TrustmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLand trust partner in TREAD Map platform providing hyper-local trail content and destination marketing for conservation-focused recreation.
• The Lands CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpokane-based organization acting as fiscal sponsor for Kettle Crest mapping project, enabling fundraising and grant applications.
• The MountaineersmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerOutdoor recreation organization featured on TREAD Map with books and content. Engaged in destination marketing through the platform to reach outdoor enthusiasts.
• Craig RomanomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning guidebook author contributing localized trail information, pro tips on routes, and advice users need to know. Has authored 25+ guidebooks and hiked 30,000+ miles of trails in Washington.
• US Forest ServicemajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFederal land management agency with 6 staff using TREAD Map platform. Updates trail conditions in real-time, receives immediate alerts from users about trail issues. Multiple regional ranger stations participating.
• Bureau of Land ManagementminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFederal land management agency partnering with TREAD Map for trail information and visitor management on BLM-managed lands.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Komoot: Komoot is a route-planning platform for hiking, cycling, and mountain biking with offline maps and community-curated highlights. It directly competes with Dharma Maps on planning, discovery, and offline navigation across multiple outdoor recreation categories.
• Avenza Maps: Avenza Maps is a mobile mapping platform that lets users load and use offline geospatial PDFs and mobile maps, including commercial map publishers. It overlaps with Dharma Maps' physical-to-digital map distribution model and offline GPS navigation features.
• AllTrails: AllTrails is the largest consumer trail mapping app with community-driven trail reviews, GPS navigation, and offline maps. It directly competes with TREAD Map on the recreationist side, though Dharma Maps differentiates via deeper land-manager integration and physical maps.
• onX Backcountry: onX Backcountry is a GPS mapping app for hiking, hunting, and off-roading with offline maps and public-land overlays. It overlaps with Dharma Maps on detailed trail mapping, GPS activity tracking, and outdoor recreation use cases.
• Outdooractive: Outdooractive is a European outdoor platform with trail maps, hiking routes, and tour content for travelers. It competes with Dharma Maps on tour/trail content aggregation and GPS-guided outdoor experiences, particularly relevant to Dharma's international expansion ambitions.
• Gaia GPS: Gaia GPS is a subscription-based outdoor navigation app popular with hikers and backpackers, offering offline maps, GPS tracking, and route planning. It competes head-on with Dharma Maps on GPS-ground-truthed mapping and offline functionality for backcountry users.
• Strava: Strava is a leading activity-tracking platform with route discovery, community segments, and GPS tracking for runners, cyclists, and hikers. It competes on the consumer side via its heatmap and route database, and overlaps on real-time trail conditions through user-generated content.
• Caltopo: Caltopo (now part of FATMAP by Strava) is a backcountry mapping tool used by hikers, skiers, and search-and-rescue teams, with custom map layers and offline use. It competes with Dharma Maps on advanced trail/terrain mapping and offline GPS for serious outdoor users.
• Green Trails Maps: Green Trails Maps produces printed topographic recreation maps for Washington state and the Pacific Northwest. It is already a Dharma Maps partner contributing trail content to TREAD Map and competes directly in the Pacific Northwest physical waterproof map category.

Emerging players

• Outdoor Project: Outdoor Project (now part of AllTrails) was a community-driven outdoor recreation platform featuring curated trip reports and trail guides. It shared Dharma Maps' ethos of community-driven content and conservation focus, and represents an alternative community-led model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 Dharma Maps