# TrailLink Trail Scraper (`lulzasaur/traillink-scraper`) Actor

Scrape trails from TrailLink.com. Get trail names, lengths, ratings, reviews, surface types, activities, GPS coordinates, and photos from 40K+ miles of trails.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/lulzasaur/traillink-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [lulz bot](https://apify.com/lulzasaur) (community)
- **Categories:** E-commerce
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $10.00 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## TrailLink Trail Finder Scraper

Scrape trail data from [TrailLink](https://www.traillink.com), the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy trail database. Extract distances, surfaces, ratings, reviews, and trail descriptions for biking, hiking, and walking trails across the US.

### Features

- **Search** for trails by city, state, or keyword
- **Browse** trails by state code
- **Direct scraping** of specific trail URLs
- **Rich trail data**: distance, surface type, activities, ratings, reviews
- **Trail details**: descriptions, categories, images

### Input

| Field | Type | Default | Description |
|-------|------|---------|-------------|
| `mode` | string | `search` | `search` to find trails, `trail` to scrape specific URLs |
| `searchQuery` | string | `""` | City or keyword to search (e.g. "denver"). Search mode only. |
| `state` | string | `""` | Two-letter state code (e.g. "co"). Alternative to searchQuery. |
| `startUrls` | array | `[]` | Direct trail URLs to scrape. Trail mode only. |
| `limit` | integer | `50` | Maximum number of trails to scrape |
| `proxyConfiguration` | object | - | Optional proxy settings |

### Output

Each result includes:

| Field | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `name` | Trail name |
| `distance` | Trail length (e.g. "47.8 miles") |
| `surface` | Surface type (Asphalt, Concrete, Gravel, etc.) |
| `activities` | Array of activities (Bike, Walking, Hiking, etc.) |
| `rating` | Average rating (0-5 scale) |
| `reviews` | Number of reviews |
| `city` | City location |
| `state` | State name |
| `trailType` | Trail category (e.g. "Greenway/Non-RT") |
| `description` | Full trail description |
| `imageUrl` | Trail photo URL |
| `sourceUrl` | Full trail URL on TrailLink |
| `scrapedAt` | ISO timestamp |

### Usage Examples

#### Search by state

```json
{
    "mode": "search",
    "state": "co",
    "limit": 100
}
```

#### Search by city

```json
{
    "mode": "search",
    "searchQuery": "denver",
    "limit": 50
}
```

#### Scrape specific trails

```json
{
    "mode": "trail",
    "startUrls": [
        { "url": "https://www.traillink.com/trail/cherry-creek-regional-trail/" },
        { "url": "https://www.traillink.com/trail/platte-river-trail/" }
    ]
}
```

### How It Works

1. **Search mode**: Navigates to TrailLink listing pages (state or city). Extracts trail data from the `window.model` JavaScript data embedded in the page, then visits each trail detail page for full information.

2. **Trail mode**: Directly visits provided trail URLs and extracts all available data from the SSR HTML.

3. **Data extraction**: On listing pages, parses the `window.model` JSON array for basic trail info. On detail pages, parses the HTML for facts (length, surface, category), activities, ratings, reviews, and descriptions.

# Actor input Schema

## `mode` (type: `string`):

Search for trails by location, or scrape specific trail URLs directly.

## `searchQuery` (type: `string`):

City, state, or keyword to search for trails (e.g. 'denver', 'colorado'). Used in search mode.

## `state` (type: `string`):

Two-letter state code to browse trails (e.g. 'co', 'ca'). Alternative to searchQuery in search mode.

## `startUrls` (type: `array`):

Direct trail URLs to scrape (e.g. https://www.traillink.com/trail/cherry-creek-regional-trail/). Used in trail mode.

## `limit` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of trails to scrape.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Optional proxy configuration.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "mode": "search",
  "searchQuery": "colorado",
  "limit": 3
}
```

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "searchQuery": "colorado",
    "limit": 3
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("lulzasaur/traillink-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "searchQuery": "colorado",
    "limit": 3,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("lulzasaur/traillink-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "searchQuery": "colorado",
  "limit": 3
}' |
apify call lulzasaur/traillink-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,lulzasaur/traillink-scraper"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/fV0ONG5KqqgVLhRCV/builds/fyyVIrvlXOHuebyOB/openapi.json