Privacy at EV Backroads

THE INFORMATION WE HANDLE

Read this before you submit a place or contact us.

Who operates this site

EV Backroads operates this website, its public map, its editorial CMS, and Trail Commons. Use the Contact page for privacy questions or requests.

When you browse

A request can include your IP address, browser and device information, requested page, referring page, and request time. Cloudflare processes this information to deliver and protect the site. Cloudflare Web Analytics measures page views, general visitor country and device categories, and page performance. It does not use cookies, browser storage, or cross-site tracking. It does not collect URL query strings. Cloudflare discards the visitor IP address at its edge before it stores analytics data. EV Backroads can also use short-lived, hashed connection identifiers to limit form and upload abuse. The application does not store the raw IP address in its contact, Trail Commons, or adventure-event records.

Browser storage and offline data

The site uses local storage, session storage, and a service-worker cache. These features remember map position and filters, saved trip packs, list return positions, an anonymous adventure-event ID, and public files needed for offline use. The public map does not request your device location. It stores only the map area that you select. You can clear this data in your browser.

Anonymous product events

The first-adventure tools can send an event name, an adventure slug, a random browser ID, and a small set of product properties. These records help us understand whether the planning tools work. They do not include your name or email address. A daily job removes these events after 180 days.

Contact messages

The Contact form stores your name, email address, optional subject, message, submission time, and review status. Authorized editors use this information to investigate and reply to your message. Contact records are not public.

Trail Commons submissions

A Trail Commons submission can include your email address, optional name, route or campsite details, coordinates, access information, GPX geometry, source links, photos, photo file names, and photo capture coordinates and times. The browser reads photo metadata to group images and stops. It uploads a processed image for private editorial review. Editors can add moderation notes and record a review decision.

What can become public

If an editor approves a Trail Commons submission, the public site can show its route, coordinates at the approved precision, descriptions, access and campsite details, source links, photographs, and publication dates. Contributor email addresses and private moderation notes do not enter the public API. Your name is currently used only during private review unless you separately agree to a public credit.

Editor accounts

Clerk provides authentication for authorized editors and, if enabled, signed-in site access. Clerk can process account identifiers, authentication records, cookies, and device or network information. EV Backroads uses Clerk private metadata to decide who can open the CMS and review queues.

How we use information

We use information to provide maps and planning tools, save your chosen settings, operate offline features, review submissions, answer messages, measure first-adventure tools, prevent abuse, protect the service, correct data, and meet legal duties.

When we disclose information

Service providers process information for hosting, security, storage, maps, and authentication. We can also disclose information when law requires it or when disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect a person, the site, or a legal right. We do not give contact information to charging networks, trail publishers, or data-source partners for marketing.

Retention

We keep information for as long as it supports review, publication history, site operation, security, dispute handling, or a legal duty. Rejected submissions and completed messages can remain in the private review history. Short-lived rate-limit records expire automatically. Browser storage remains until you clear it or the browser removes it. You can ask us to delete personal information. We will honor the request when the law permits and when we do not need the record for security, legal, or documented editorial reasons.

Your choices and rights

Depending on where you live, you can ask to know, access, correct, delete, restrict, or obtain a copy of personal information. You can also object to some processing or withdraw consent where consent applies. EV Backroads will not discriminate against you for making a privacy request. We can ask for information that reasonably verifies the request. Use the Contact page and write “Privacy request” in the subject.

Children

EV Backroads is not directed to children under 13. A child under 13 must not send contact information, create an account, or submit a trail, campsite, or photograph. Contact us if you believe a child supplied personal information.

Security and international processing

We use access controls, private storage, strict schemas, rate limits, and limited public response fields. No system is completely secure. Cloudflare, Clerk, Google, and their subprocessors can process data in the United States and other countries.

Policy changes and contact

We can update this policy when the product, providers, or law changes. The page shows the latest update date. Use the Contact page to ask a question, exercise a privacy right, or report a privacy problem.