It knows the rules. All of them.

Every list has its own fine print, and it’s easy to get wrong. Here’s what List Hiker checks for you — automatically, on every hike.

Season & month boundaries.

“Season” hikes have to start and finish inside the official season — and the definition of “season” isn’t the same from list to list.

Astronomical vs. calendar seasons — New England lists (e.g. the NH 48, Adirondack High Peaks) use astronomical seasons (solstices/equinoxes); pan-Northeast lists like the Northeast 115 use calendar seasons. List Hiker applies the right one per list.
No straddling the line — a hike that crosses the season boundary doesn’t count; List Hiker checks the start and end.
Month lists — some lists require a hike to start and finish within the same calendar month.
Always local time — every boundary is evaluated in the hike’s local time.

Timeline: a hike bumping just over a solstice line, flagged

Counting & completion rules.

Multi-peak traverse with one peak highlighted “counted”; full trail segment complete end-to-end

How much a single hike counts — and how much of a trail you have to cover — depends on the list.

One-peak-per-hike lists — the Trailwrights 25 counts only one peak per hike, even if you tagged five. List Hiker counts it correctly.
Cross one peak twice, count it once — re-traversing a summit in the same hike doesn’t double-count.
One hike, many lists — the same hike can advance several lists at once (where each list’s rules allow it).
Full-segment requirements — trail lists like the Terrifying 25 require the entire length of a listed trail (like King’s Ravine); List Hiker verifies you did the whole segment, not just part of it.
Elective requirements — the Terrifying 25 has 20 required trails plus 15 electives, of which you must complete five. List Hiker tracks the electives.
Blackout dates — some lists void hikes on certain dates (e.g. the Terrifying 25’s COVID blackout window). List Hiker honors them.

Changing lists & grandfathering.

Some lists add and retire peaks over time, with rules about what still counts.

Evolving peak sets — lists like 52 With A View change their qualifying peaks over time.
Grandfathering & time limits — older ascents of since-changed peaks may still count, sometimes within a time limit. List Hiker applies the list’s grandfathering rules.

“This peak was on the list when you climbed it — still counts” callout

Local exceptions.

Peak map: sanctioned public-trail high point vs. private true summit (Mt. Bross)

A few peaks have special-case rules, and List Hiker handles them.

Access exceptions — Colorado 14ers, for example, treats a peak like Mt. Bross (on private land) as counted if you traverse the public trail nearest the summit. List Hiker applies the exception instead of demanding the true summit.

Plausibility.

List Hiker also sanity-checks each hike against what’s physically reasonable, so a bad GPS track or a mis-logged activity doesn’t quietly corrupt your record.

Elevation gain/loss must be plausible for the peak, per the certifying organization’s rules.
Speed — average and peak speed have to be within human range, with margin for GPS error and special allowances for backcountry skiing.
Distance & duration consistent with actually climbing the peak.
Anything implausible gets flagged for your review — never silently counted.

Gauge/flag UI: “Average speed 22 mph — this looks like a drive, not a hike.”

Automatic. Accurate. Fun.

Start tracking your lists today.

You don’t have to memorize any of this. List Hiker does — and checks every hike against it, so you can hike with confidence and submit without second-guessing.