Editorial Policy

How destinations are selected

We start with places independent travelers already try to plan: US national parks, a few iconic trails, and roads that connect them. We do not sell placement. A destination is on the site because we can write a useful page, not because a region paid for a URL.

How information is researched

Pages combine field-style planning knowledge with official public sources (especially NPS park pages) for rules, permits, and seasonal roads. When a number is uncertain, we say so and ask you to check the park. We do not copy tourism-board prose or scrape other blogs.

How corrections are handled

Email fmj3419@gmail.com with the page URL and the correction. If we can verify it, we update the page. Trail closures and permit systems change faster than any static site; official links remain the last word.

Sponsored or affiliate relationships

Compass & Trails does not currently run affiliate booking links or paid destination placements. If that changes, the relationship will be disclosed on the relevant page and this policy will be updated. We will not present paid copy as a neutral trail description.

Advertising and content

Advertising is served by Google and other third-party vendors. It is not sold, curated, or placed by us, and no advertiser sees a page before it is published. An ad appearing next to a trail description is not a recommendation of the advertiser or its products, and it has no influence on which places we cover or how we describe them.