California Hiking Trails is a reader-supported website. In order to keep our county guides, trail roundups, and hiking resources free for everyone, we participate in affiliate marketing programs and display advertising. This page explains how that works, in plain language, in line with Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines on endorsements and affiliate relationships.
What Is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate marketing means that some of the links on California Hiking Trails, for example, links to hiking boots, backpacks, trekking poles, GPS devices, guidebooks, or trip-planning services, are affiliate links. If you click one of these links and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission from the retailer.
This comes at no additional cost to you. The price you pay is exactly the same whether you use our link or go directly to the retailer’s site. The commission is paid by the retailer out of their own marketing budget, not added to your purchase price.
Programs We Participate In
California Hiking Trails is a participant in affiliate programs including, but not limited to:
– The Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
– Affiliate programs with outdoor gear retailers, booking platforms, and hiking-related service providers
Display Advertising
In addition to affiliate links, we display advertising through Google AdSense and/or Google Ad Manager. These ads are served by Google and its advertising partners and may be personalized based on your browsing activity. You can learn more about how this works, and how to opt out of personalized advertising, in our Privacy Policy.
How This Affects Our Content
Our editorial process is independent of our affiliate relationships. We do not accept payment in exchange for a positive trail review, and no retailer or brand has the ability to influence which trails we recommend, how we rate difficulty, or what we write about a hike. Gear and product recommendations reflect what our team genuinely believes is useful for California hikers.
If we ever recommend a specific product or service through an affiliate link, it’s because we think it’s genuinely worth considering, not because it pays the highest commission.
Your Choice
You are never obligated to use our affiliate links. If you’d prefer to search for a product or book directly through a retailer’s website without using our link, you’re always welcome to do so, it simply means we don’t earn a referral commission on that purchase.
Questions
If you have questions about our affiliate relationships or advertising practices, please reach out through our Contact Us page.
Thank you for supporting California Hiking Trails, it’s how we’re able to keep building free, detailed hiking guides for every county in the state.