Last updated October 26, 2026
Rail Trail Life (railtraillife.com) is a small personal blog about rail trails and cycling gear. This policy explains, in plain English, what information the site collects, why, and what choices you have. If you have questions, email me at railtraillife@gmail.com.
Who runs this site
Rail Trail Life is run by Michael, the owner of Rail Trail Life, based in Orange Park, Florida, USA. In this policy, “I,” “me” and “my” mean the person who runs the site.
The short version
- I only collect what I need to run the blog, answer messages and send emails you sign up for.
- I don’t sell your personal information.
- The site uses cookies, including cookies from Amazon when you click an affiliate link.
- You can ask me to see, correct or delete your information at any time.
Information I collect
When you contact me
If you use the contact form or email me, I receive your name, email address and whatever you write in your message. I use it only to read and reply to you. Form messages are stored in the site’s WordPress database and delivered to my email inbox. I keep them only as long as I need them to handle your message.
When you sign up for emails
If you join an email list, I collect your email address and, if you give it, your first name. I use it only to send the Rail Trail Life updates you signed up for. If I offer an email list in the future, signups will be handled by an email service provider that stores the list and sends the emails on my behalf. Every email includes an unsubscribe link, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
When you leave a comment
If you comment on a post, the site collects the name, email address and website (optional) you enter, along with your comment, your IP address and your browser’s user agent string to help detect spam. Your name and comment are shown publicly. Your email address is never shown publicly.
Comments may be checked by an automated spam filter. WordPress may also create an anonymized string from your email address (a hash) and send it to the Gravatar service to see if you have a profile picture there. Gravatar’s privacy policy is available at automattic.com/privacy. If you leave a comment, it and its information may be kept indefinitely so follow-up comments can be approved automatically. You can ask me to delete your comments at any time.
Information collected automatically
Like most websites, the server that hosts this site automatically records basic technical information when you visit, such as your IP address, browser type, the pages you view and the time of your visit. This helps keep the site secure and working properly.
Cookies
Cookies are small text files saved in your browser. This site uses:
- Essential cookies that WordPress needs to work, such as remembering a cookie consent choice or keeping logged-in users signed in.
- Comment cookies. If you leave a comment, you can choose to save your name, email and website in cookies so you don’t have to type them again. These last for one year.
- Analytics cookies, described below.
- Amazon affiliate cookies, described below.
You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. Some parts of the site may not work as well if you do.
Analytics
I may use website analytics tools, such as the basic statistics provided by my web host, to understand how many people visit the site, which pages are popular and how visitors find it. This tool may use cookies and collect information such as your approximate location, device, browser and the pages you visit. I look at this information in summary form only and don’t use it to identify you personally.
Amazon affiliate links and cookies
Rail Trail Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. When you click an Amazon link on this site, Amazon may place a cookie in your browser so it can tell that you came from Rail Trail Life and credit me with a small commission if you buy something. Amazon, not me, collects and controls that information, and I never see who you are or what you bought. Amazon’s use of your information is covered by the Amazon Privacy Notice. You can read more on my Affiliate Disclosure page.
Embedded content from other sites
Posts may include embedded content such as Instagram posts, maps or videos. Embedded content behaves the same way as if you visited the other site directly, and that site may collect data about you, use cookies and track your interaction with it.
Hosting
This site is hosted by Hostinger. Information collected through the site, including form messages, comments and server logs, is stored on Hostinger’s servers. Hostinger handles that data as a service provider under its own privacy and security practices.
Who I share information with
I don’t sell, rent or trade your personal information. I only share it with the services that help run the site, as described above (hosting, email, analytics, spam protection and Amazon’s affiliate program), or if the law requires it.
How long I keep information
I keep contact messages only as long as needed to respond, email signups until you unsubscribe, and comments until you ask me to remove them or the post is taken down.
Your choices and rights
You can ask me to show you, correct or delete the personal information I hold about you. Just email railtraillife@gmail.com. You can also unsubscribe from emails at any time and control cookies in your browser. Depending on where you live, you may have extra rights under your local privacy laws, and I’ll honor those requests.
Children
This site is meant for adults and isn’t directed at children under 13. I don’t knowingly collect personal information from children. If you think a child has sent me information, email me and I’ll delete it.
Security
The site uses a secure HTTPS connection, and I take reasonable steps to protect your information. No website or online service is 100% secure, so I can’t guarantee absolute security.
Changes to this policy
I may update this policy as the site grows or adds new features. When I do, I’ll change the “last updated” date at the top of this page.
Contact
Questions about this policy or your information? Email railtraillife@gmail.com.