Data Sources, Credits and Independence
Last updated October 13, 2026
Independence policy
Hike Alberta is independently owned and operated. It is not a Government of Alberta, Alberta Parks, Parks Canada or municipal government service, and it is not affiliated with or endorsed by any park agency, mapping provider, safety agency or data contributor listed on this page.
Agency names, source links and required credits identify where information came from. They do not imply sponsorship, approval or endorsement. Official agencies remain the authority for their parks, closures, regulations and emergency information. Hike Alberta combines their public information with mapped trail data as an independent planning guide.
Trail and map data
| Source | How it is used | Licence or credit |
|---|---|---|
| OpenStreetMap contributors | Trail and path geometry, names, surfaces and trail features | Open Database Licence |
| Parks Canada | Official national park trails, ratings, facilities and source pages | Open Government Licence Canada |
| Government of Alberta and Alberta Parks | Provincial protected areas and official trail information | Open Government Licence Alberta |
| Municipal open data providers | Local parks and paths where covered by their open licences | Credited with each applicable dataset and trail |
| Mapterhorn and Natural Resources Canada | Elevation profiles, terrain, hillshade, contours and 3D terrain | Mapterhorn attribution and Open Government Licence Canada |
| OpenMapTiles | Basemap schema built from OpenStreetMap data | CC BY 4.0 |
| Esri World Imagery | Satellite imagery | Powered by Esri |
| Natural Resources Canada and CRTC | National overview of predicted wireless coverage when the optional layer is enabled | Open Government Licence Canada |
Government information and original sources
Hike Alberta displays trail records, weather, air quality, road access, river, wildfire, closure and condition information published by government agencies. Hike Alberta is not a government service. Each live notice also links directly to the specific source notice when one is available.
| Government source | Information shown by Hike Alberta | Original official page |
|---|---|---|
| Government of Alberta and Alberta Parks | Provincial park advisories, closures and Kananaskis trail reports | Alberta Parks advisories and Kananaskis trail reports |
| Parks Canada | National park bulletins and trail conditions | Banff bulletins, Jasper bulletins and Waterton bulletins |
| Environment and Climate Change Canada | Weather alerts, forecasts and air quality | Weather alert map and Air Quality Health Index |
| Natural Resources Canada | Wildfire detections and perimeters through the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System | CWFIS interactive map |
| Government of Alberta | Road incidents and winter road conditions near trailheads | 511 Alberta |
| Government of Alberta | River advisories | Alberta River Basins |
Avalanche forecasts are provided by the independent nonprofit Avalanche Canada. Automated updates can be late, incomplete or unavailable. Open the linked original source before making a safety decision.
How calculated facts work
Distance is measured from mapped trail geometry. Elevation gain, highest and lowest points and the elevation profile are calculated from the elevation model. Estimated moving times use a hiking standard and exclude breaks. Hike Alberta difficulty and trail scores are calculated summaries unless an official agency rating is identified.
Corrections and questions
If a route, trailhead, name, source credit or calculated fact looks wrong, please contact Hike Alberta. Include the trail name and a link when possible.
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