Big Sky Backroads Privacy Policy
Effective date: October 12, 2026
Big Sky Backroads is a map app for Montana's back roads, trails and hunting land. It's built to work with no cell service, so almost everything it does happens on your phone. This policy explains the few things that leave your phone, why, and what happens to them.
The short version: there are no accounts, no ads, no analytics and no tracking. We never sell or share your information.
Your location
The app uses your iPhone's GPS to show where you are on the map, record rides, work out which hunting district you're in, calculate sunrise and sunset, and guide you back to your truck.
- Stays on your phone: your position, recorded rides, the breadcrumb trail back to your truck, and your ride log are stored only on your iPhone.
- Background location: if you mark your truck and allow "Always" location, the app keeps recording the trail back to your truck while your phone is in your pocket. iOS shows a blue location indicator while this is on. It stops when you tap "I'm back" or clear your truck. This trail is never uploaded.
- Weather: when you open the weather screen, your approximate location (rounded to about half a mile) is sent to our map server, which asks the National Weather Service for the forecast. We don't store it.
Things you choose to share with other riders
Some features exist to share road information with other Big Sky Backroads riders. Nothing is shared unless you choose to send it.
- Road condition pins (for example "washed out" or "gate locked"): the location, the condition, and any short note you write are shown to every rider. Pins expire on their own after a few weeks.
- Missing road reports: if you send a recorded ride as a missing road, we receive that GPS track along with any name, vehicle type and note you add. We review each report; approved roads are shown to every rider.
- Anonymous install ID: to limit spam and to let you remove your own pins, the app creates a random ID when it's installed. It's scrambled (hashed) before it's stored and isn't connected to your name, Apple ID, phone number or device.
Please don't put names, phone numbers or other personal details in notes. Pins can be reported from inside the app, and we remove anything offensive or false.
Photos and camera
If you add a photo to one of your map pins, the app uses your camera or photo library with your permission. Photos are saved only on your phone and are never uploaded.
Map data
Maps load from our map server (hosted by Cloudflare) and from public sources such as the U.S. Geological Survey and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Like any website, these servers receive your IP address and the map area being loaded in order to send it to you. We don't keep records that identify you.
Landowner names shown on the map come from public Montana Cadastral property records. They're shown so you can tell public from private land and ask permission. The app doesn't show mailing addresses.
Subscriptions
Big Sky Pro subscriptions are handled entirely by Apple. We never see your payment details. The app checks with Apple, on your phone, whether your subscription is active. Manage or cancel any time in your App Store account settings.
Trip plans
"Share my trip plan" writes a message on your phone and opens your normal share sheet (Messages, email and so on). It's sent by you, directly; it never passes through Big Sky Backroads.
Data retention and deletion
- Everything stored on your phone (pins, photos, rides, log, downloaded maps) is deleted when you delete it in the app or delete the app.
- You can remove your own road condition pins from the pin's card in the app. Pins expire automatically after a few weeks.
- To have a missing road report or anything else you sent removed, email us with the approximate date and location.
Children's privacy
Big Sky Backroads is not directed to children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect information from them.
Changes to this policy
This policy may be updated as Big Sky Backroads adds or changes features. The effective date will be updated when material changes are made.
Contact
Questions about this Privacy Policy, or requests to remove something you sent, can be sent to: