PeakScout is transparent about what we collect, how we use it, where it comes from, and what we will never do with it. Read the full picture here.
PeakScout is an outdoor intelligence platform that aggregates real-time data from government agencies and public APIs into a single daily briefing for the Mountain West. We cover weather, trail conditions, avalanche danger, campsite availability, wildfire smoke, OHV route status, and trip safety planning across 12+ western states.
Our mission: give outdoor recreators one place to check before they go — not instead of agency guidance, but as a layer on top of it.
PeakScout is operated by Polsia Inc., a Delaware corporation. We are not a government agency. We do not have law enforcement authority. All data on this platform is informational.
Account data: Email address, account preferences, and Pro/Summit tier subscription status.
Location data: GPS coordinates used in real-time to power trip planning, trail proximity, and live mode features. For free users, location is processed in-session and not stored long-term on our servers. Pro users may store trip plans with location data.
Trail reports: User-submitted condition reports (snow depth, mud level, crossing status) are stored and displayed publicly on the relevant trail card. You can submit anonymously.
We do not sell, license, or share your personal data — including location, email, or trail history — to advertisers, data brokers, or third parties for commercial purposes. Full stop. This is not a feature or a promise — it is a structural decision. Our business is subscriptions, not advertising.
We do not build behavioral profiles. We do not share data with third-party ad networks. We do not use cross-site trackers. We do not sell your activity data to insurance companies, land managers, or any government agency.
Data retention: Free accounts: location processed in-session, deleted within 72 hours. Pro accounts: trip data retained until account deletion. Trail reports: retained indefinitely unless you request removal. Billing records: retained 7 years per financial regulations.
All data on PeakScout comes from government agencies and public APIs — NOAA, NWS, CAIC, GNFAC, CDOT, USFS, BLM, NPS, AirNow/EPA, NIFC/WFIGS, Recreation.gov, ArcGIS, and others. These agencies operate under their own privacy policies. PeakScout has no control over their data handling practices. When you interact with a third-party service (e.g., making a campsite reservation via Recreation.gov), their privacy policy applies to that interaction.
PeakScout is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy describes what data we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, and your rights regarding that data.
Location is used in real-time for trip planning features. For free-tier users, location data is processed in-session and not stored server-side beyond 72 hours. Pro users can save trip plans that include location coordinates. We never share your location with advertisers or data brokers.
Browser push notifications are opt-in only. They are triggered by avalanche warnings, campfire bans, and trail closures in your saved states. We do not send commercial notifications. You can disable notifications at any time in your browser or account settings.
PeakScout uses minimal cookies: (1) session cookies to maintain your login, (2) analytics cookies (no personal data, aggregate-only), (3) one optional preference cookie to remember your preferred state. We do not use third-party tracking pixels, ad networks, or cross-site trackers. No cookies are used for advertising.
California residents have the right to know what personal information we collect, request deletion, and opt out of the "sale" of personal information (which we do not do). To exercise your rights, email support@polsia.app with "CCPA Request" in the subject.
If you are in the EU/EEA, we process your data under legitimate interest (service improvement) and explicit consent (account creation, notifications). You have the right to access, rectify, port, and erase your data. Contact us to exercise your rights. We are not a large enterprise processor, but we respond to all rights requests within 30 days.
Policy changes: We will notify all active subscribers by email at least 30 days before any material change to this policy. Material changes include expanded data collection, new third-party sharing, or changes to data retention.
Outdoor activity disclaimer: PeakScout provides informational data for outdoor trip planning. It is not a substitute for local knowledge, official agency guidance, or personal judgment. Outdoor activities carry inherent risks — you assume those risks when you participate. Always verify all information with managing agencies before your trip.
PeakScout is not responsible for any decisions made, injuries sustained, or outcomes experienced as a result of using this platform. The data we display is aggregated from third-party government sources — we do not independently verify every data point. Trail conditions, weather, avalanche danger, road status, and fire perimeters can change faster than our updates reflect. Use PeakScout as one input to your decision-making process, not the only one.
You are responsible for: verifying all information with the managing agency before your trip; carrying appropriate gear, navigation, and emergency communication; making your own risk assessment for backcountry terrain; respecting trail closures and land access rules; and not relying solely on PeakScout for safety-critical decisions.
You may not: scrape PeakScout's data programmatically without authorization; use automated bots to access the platform outside the published API; use PeakScout data to build a competing product; or misrepresent PeakScout data as official agency guidance. Pro subscribers have API access under the terms of their subscription.
Subscriptions are billed monthly on your signup date. Annual billing is available at a discount (equivalent to 2 months free). All charges appear on your statement as "POLSIA PEAKSCOUT" or "POLSIA INC."
Cancel at any time from your account settings. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period. No partial-month refunds. Your data is retained for 30 days after cancellation; you can reactivate your account within that window. After 30 days, account data is deleted.
Monthly subscriptions: no refunds for partial months. Annual subscriptions: pro-rated refund within 30 days of purchase. Alert credit purchases: non-refundable after credits are used. For billing disputes, contact support@polsia.app.
All subscriptions auto-renew unless cancelled. We send an email reminder 7 days before renewal. If payment fails, we retry for 3 days, then suspend access. Your data is retained for 14 days during payment failure.
All data on PeakScout is sourced from government agencies and public APIs. PeakScout aggregates, formats, and displays this data — we do not claim ownership of any underlying dataset.
| Source | Data type | Provider |
|---|---|---|
| NOAA / NWS | Weather forecasts, WFO grid data, alerts | National Weather Service |
| CAIC | Colorado avalanche forecasts, danger levels | Colorado Avalanche Information Center |
| GNFAC / WCMAC / FAC | Montana, Wyoming, Utah avalanche forecasts | Gallatin, W. Central MT, Flathead avy centers |
| NAAE / avalanche.org | Unified GeoJSON feed across 10 states + AK | North American Avalanche Exchange |
| CDOT / USFS / BLM / NPS | Road closures, trail conditions, land access | State and federal land management agencies |
| NIFC / WFIGS / InciWeb | Wildfire perimeters, containment, active fires | National Interagency Fire Center |
| AirNow / EPA | Air quality index, AQI category, PM2.5 | Environmental Protection Agency |
| Recreation.gov API | Federal campsite availability, permits | U.S. Forest Service / IBA |
| ArcGIS REST APIs | Public lands, fire restrictions, trail closures | USGS / Esri / BLM / USFS |
Map tiles are sourced from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL license) and USGS national map services. Satellite imagery attribution is per the provider's terms. Source attribution is displayed on every data widget on PeakScout.
Important: Third-party data sources are not under PeakScout's control. Data accuracy, freshness, and availability depend on the originating agency. When source data is incorrect or outdated, the error originates at the source — report it to the managing agency first, then to us so we can note it on PeakScout.
If you find a data error — a trail showing open when it is closed, a Go Score that doesn't reflect current conditions, an avalanche warning not displaying — tell us.
Email: support@polsia.app — include the trail name, state, and what you observed. We aim to investigate within 24 hours and correct within 48 hours for confirmed errors.
Broken links: If a source link points to a 404 or wrong page, email us with the URL and the correct URL if you know it.
Safety concerns: If you believe PeakScout's data could lead someone into a dangerous situation, email support@polsia.app with "URGENT" in the subject. We take safety reports seriously.
Response time: General support: 1–2 business days. Confirmed safety issues: same business day.