OnX Offroad is revamping its Trail Guides program, which pays a lucky few to help bring more off-road trail detail into the app’s growing database.
Mapping giant onX Offroad is looking for passionate off-roaders to become official onX Trail Guides. Trail Guides will “help add to the app’s 425,000-plus miles of mapped routes across North America,” onX told us. Its initial Trail Guides program launched last May, but this year onX really plans to grow.
Empower off-roading beginners, help others find new trails, grow the resources in your own back pocket, and get paid while doing it. Sound good? Here’s how it works.
Become an Off-Road Trail Guide
“The Trail Guides are our eyes in the field,” onX explained. “They help us collect featured trails and bring them to life through [photos], a short description, and a difficulty rating, which gives users enough information to be inspired to run a trail and know what to expect when they get there.”
Trail Guides also help keep all of onX’s data up to date. OnX tasks its guides with submitting changes like washouts, closures, and variations in trail difficulty so onX can update the app. OK, OK, yes, it’s a job. But it’s a fun one at that.
A few requirements:
- Live anywhere — onX is looking for Trail Guides all across North America
- Must submit an application
- Must complete a “Tread Lightly 101” course (free online)
- Follow Leave No Trace principles in the field
Best of all, in exchange for being a guide, onX will pay you in plenty of perks (and cash). Here are a few:
- Free premium access to the onX Offroad app (for each year a guide is active)
- Industry discounts with over 100 brands
- Exclusive onX gear and swag
- Trail Guide events and gatherings
- Submit 15 trails or more in a year and get paid per submission ($25-100, or more!)
- Access to overlanding and off-road industry expos
“Each Trail Guide is a crucial part of the onX Offroad team,” said Chris Cordes, onX Trail Guide program manager. “[They help] us document existing trails and backroads in greater detail than any other source.
“Government data might tell us a forest road is 4.8 miles long, [but] a Trail Guide can report if it’s gravel or sand, how big the obstacles are, if there’s a creek crossing, whether they have cell service, and maybe even if there’s a nice spot to fish or swim along the way.”
Already like exploring new trails? What are you waiting for? Become an onX Trail Guide! Learn more about the rapidly evolving onX Offroad Trail Guides program and apply here.
