Have you ever visited a new destination and found yourself unsure of what kind of opportunities for outdoor adventure existed there? Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a resource that could tell us the best places to go hiking, camping, trail running, or mountain biking? That’s exactly the kind of database that The Outbound Collective has been building on its website over the past two years, providing visitors with suggestions on thousands of things to do in locations all across the globe. But now that same information can be found right in the palm of your hand thanks to The Outbound’s new app that recently launched for iPhone and iPad.
The app grants access to more than 5000 carefully curated adventures found near hundreds of unique destinations around the world. So, if you happen to find yourself in Boulder, Colorado for instance, you can pull out your iPhone and discover all of the unique outdoor experiences that can be had there. That’s not surprising in an outdoor Mecca like Boulder however, but the app also offers suggestions for places like Chattanooga, TN; Round Rock, TX and Minneapolis, MN, just to name a few. And if you’re traveling abroad, you’ll also find recommendations for things to do in destinations ranging from Chamonix, France to Cape Town, South Africa, and a host of other great international locations.
When using the app there are more than 20 outdoor activities to choose from, with most of our favorite sports well represented. The software uses the iPhone’s built-in GPS functionality to hone in on the user’s current location as well, offering suggestions of what to do in the vicinity. Those suggestions can be narrowed even further by specifying certain criteria including whether or not an activity is family-friendly, if it is well suited for beginners, or if it is available during certain seasons. In this way, each user can search for the items that interest them the most, and discover things to do that closely fit their needs.
In addition to having all of these great suggestions of what to see and do at a particular destination, The Outbound website and app also feature more than 18,000 professional quality photos of the various locations. This helps to give users a better sense of what to expect while taking part in a certain activity, and provides a sense of the natural beauty of the place they are visiting. These images look great both in a web browser and on your iPhone screen, and go a long way to getting you ready to explore the destination.
With over 100,000 registered users, and 250,000 visitors each month, The Outbound Collective has managed to build quite a community around its activity-recommending business model. The company says that it has seen a 400% jump in growth over the past year alone, and is expecting big things in the future as well. Right now, the focus is on adding more activities in more locations around the world, with the intention of making the app and website the go-to option for outdoor enthusiasts everywhere. Considering how far they’ve come in such a short time, I’d say they’re definitely on the right track.
