Developers

TrailHUB exposes three ways to work with trail data outside the web app. Pick the one that matches what you are building.

#What's available

#Public read API

The legacy endpoints (/api/ts/:id, /api/trails/:id, /api/trail-systems, …) return JSON about a trail system, its trails and points, plus a URL to the compiled GeoJSON file that powers the public map. They need no credentials. Use them to build your own map, status board or trail-conditions widget.

Note that browser (cross-origin) calls to these endpoints are limited to an allowlist of origins; server-side calls work from anywhere. See Public read API.

#Management API v1

A JSON REST API for everything a manager does in the web app: open and close trails, post notices, surface conditions and snow reports, add points of interest, edit trail system details. Every write queues a recompile so the public map, stats and embeds update within seconds. Authenticate with an API key created in User Settings → API Keys. See Management API v1 and API keys.

#MCP server

A small Node program that wraps the Management API as Model Context Protocol tools, so you can say "close every trail and post a high-wind notice" to an AI assistant and have it done. See MCP server.

#Who this section is for

• Trail managers who want to automate routine updates (grooming reports, seasonal closures, scheduled notices).
• Web developers building a custom map or conditions page for a trail system on their own website.
• Anyone using an AI assistant who wants it to read or manage their TrailHUB data.

You do not need to be a programmer to use the MCP server; you do need to be comfortable editing a configuration file once.

#Plans and access

• The Management API and API keys are available to every TrailHUB manager account; create a key under User Settings → API Keys at trailhub.org.
• The public read API is unauthenticated. Historically, developer API access was marketed as a top-tier feature (Double Diamond / Star plans). The code does not enforce a plan check on either API today, but the stored hourly weather snapshot returned by /trail-systems/:id/weather is only collected for paid tiers.
• There is no rate limiting yet. Be considerate: poll the public endpoints no more than every few minutes, and cache the GeoJSON file.

#Pages in this section

1. API keys — create, scope, restrict and revoke keys.
2. Management API v1 — full endpoint reference with examples.
3. Public read API — the unauthenticated legacy endpoints and the published GeoJSON format.
4. MCP server — connect Claude or another MCP client to TrailHUB.
5. Webhooks and automation — what exists (and does not) for event-driven integrations.

Related: the Grooming Tracker app records GPS tracks and automatically posts "Groomed" surface conditions.

#Getting help

Discovery endpoints need no credentials and are the quickest way to confirm what the API accepts:

curl https://trailhub.org/api/v1            # endpoint list and enum values
curl https://trailhub.org/api/v1/update-types   # fields for notice / surfaceConditions / snowReport

If something in these docs does not match what the API returns, the API is right; please let us know so the docs can be corrected.

#In this section

• API keys

  Create, scope, restrict and revoke the API keys that let scripts and AI assistants act on your trail systems.

• Management API v1

  Complete reference for the authenticated TrailHUB Management API: trail systems, trails, points, updates, API keys, errors and examples.

• Public read API

  The unauthenticated legacy endpoints for reading trail systems, trails and points, and the format of the published GeoJSON file.

• MCP server

  Connect Claude Desktop, Claude Code or any MCP client to TrailHUB so you can manage trails, notices and conditions in plain language.

• Webhooks and automation

  What TrailHUB offers for automation today, what it does not (no webhooks yet), and practical patterns that work now.