Lightning AlertsTrail planning
Check nearby strikes before exposed sections or long returns.
Hiking
See lightning nearby before exposed trails.
Check nearby strikes before ridges, peaks, or open trail.
Real-time strike awareness.
Hiking awareness features
Nearby storm activity
See storm movement before committing to open terrain.
Timely alerts
Get notified when lightning is near or storm activity moves closer.
In the app
See it in action
Live lightning map
Age colors and closest activity at a glance.
Find the closest strike
See the nearest strike's distance, direction, and age at a glance.
See what struck
Type, polarity, strength, age, distance, and street context.
Open from alerts
Nearby strike notifications open back to the live map.
Lightning checks for hikers
Check your route before you start, then keep the trailhead covered while you hike.
How do I check for lightning before a hike?
Open the live map and look at recent strikes around the trailhead and your route. Red markers are the newest, up to 10 minutes old. Choose Ground in the filter to see ground-reaching strikes near ridges and open terrain.
Can I get lightning alerts for a trailhead before I arrive?
Set the trailhead as your saved place and turn on Lightning alerts. It gets its own alert distance next to My Location, and each alert says how many strikes were detected, how close they were, and how recent.
How do I find the closest strike on the trail?
Use Find to jump to the closest strike to you or to your saved place. Its available details show distance, direction, age, and type, so you can see where it hit relative to your route.
Why hikers use Lightning Alerts
Built for trail decisions. Backed by real strike data.
Plan around exposed terrain
Review storm timing before ridges, overlooks, and summits.
Decide earlier on trail
Spot nearby activity before the route leaves cover.
Real strike data, not guesswork
Lightning sensor networks support real-time strike detection.