Hidden Trails That arent on the map
How to Find Hidden Trails That Aren’t on AllTrails in 2025
Nobody posts the really good ones.
I’ve been hiking for 12 years and I still remember the first time I stumbled onto a trail that wasn’t on AllTrails, Gaia, HikersBeta, or anywhere else. No reviews, no photos, no little purple line. Just a faint path disappearing into the trees and, 40 minutes later, a ridiculous viewpoint that made me laugh out loud because nobody knows this is here.
In 2025 the popular apps are more crowded than ever, but the truly magical spots are still out there — they’re just not on the apps. Here are the eight methods I actually use every single month to find them.
1. The 20-Year-Old Topo Map Trick
Old government topographic maps (pre-2005) still show trails that were removed from modern digital versions for liability or land-use reasons.
Where to get them:
- Australia: SIX Maps (NSW) → turn on the “Historical Imagery” layer from 1994–2004
- Victoria: Vicmap classic archive
- Queensland: old 1:25,000 series on the State Library website
I found the [Secret Ridge Track near Blue Mountains] this way — it’s still perfectly walkable in 2025 but vanished from every app ten years ago.
2. Follow the Power-Line Service Roads
Every transmission tower needs a 4WD track to reach it. 95% of these tracks are unmarked on hiking apps but are legal to walk in most states (just stay on the track).
Zoom into Google Earth, turn on “Photos” layer, and look for tower access roads that keep going past the tower. I’ve found five insane lookouts doing this around [Kosciuszko backcountry] and [Lamington National Park plateau].
3. Strava Heatmap “Cold Spots” Next to Hot Spots
Open Strava Global Heatmap → zoom in → find a bright red segment that suddenly stops. That dead-end is usually where the Instagram crowd turns around… and the good stuff starts.
Best filters: “Trail Running” + “Hiking” + turn brightness down so only the dark-red hidden segments show.
4. Ask the 65+ Year-Old at the Trailhead
The older the person, the more likely they walked these hills before apps existed. I simply say:
“G’day mate, any scrappy little tracks around here the young fellas haven’t ruined yet?”
8 out of 10 times they tell me exactly where to go — and half the time they’re stoked someone still cares.
5. Aboriginal Land Map Overlays
Many of the best swimming holes and ridges are on Indigenous-managed land with no public trails marked for cultural reasons. The public overlays (Protecting Country layer on Google Earth) often show faint historic footpaths that locals still use.
Always call the land council phone number shown and ask permission — 90% say yes if you’re respectful.
6. The “Deleted AllTrails” Method
AllTrails users can delete their own routes. When someone deletes a route with 500+ saves… it’s usually because it got too popular and they want pace. These still exist in the Wayback Machine.
Go to archive.org → paste “alltrails.com/trail/australia/[state]/” → look for 404 pages that had hundreds of saves in 2022–2024. I’ve resurrected three absolute bangers this year.
7. National Park Fire-Management Tracks
Every national park has a network of fire trails that are closed to vehicles but perfectly legal (and usually beautiful) to walk. They’re on the internal NPWS/DELWP/Parks Vic fire maps but almost never on public apps.
Email the ranger station: “Hi, doing a multi-day walk, any fire-trail info you can share?” They almost always send the PDF.
8. Satellite + Rain Radar Timing
After heavy rain, new “unofficial” tracks show up as dark brown lines on Planet.com or Zoom.earth daily satellite — they’re literally footprints in the mud that haven’t been walked enough to be on any app yet.
I check the day after big rain in spring. Found [Hidden Falls Track in Barrington Tops] this way — still zero reviews in 2025.
Quick Rules So You Don’t Ruin It for Everyone
- Never geotag the actual viewpoint (100 m off is fine)
- Never name the trail exactly the same as locals call it
- Leave no trace and take your rubbish
- If it has a “No Entry” sign, respect it
Start with one of these eight methods this weekend and I guarantee you’ll find something that makes you grin like an idiot at the top.
Happy secret-trail hunting.
— Found this useful? My $39 Lifetime Secret Trails Pack has 150+ of these spots with GPX files and exact parking pins (new ones added free forever). Link in the sidebar →
