Free Strava heatmap deep-link generator
Type a lat/lon, choose a sport and zoom level, and the page generates one-click deep-links into the Strava global heatmap, segment explorer, and route browser — plus equivalents on Komoot, Wikiloc, and Garmin Connect, plus reference base maps for cross-correlation. Pure URL templating, no backend, no key.
For OSINT investigators, journalists, and security teams: the Strava heatmap remains one of the most underused free OSINT data sources. It first revealed secret US military base layouts in 2018; in 2024 Le Monde used the same technique to track President Macron's bodyguards. The same approach works on any high-security facility where personnel use fitness trackers — corporate R&D campuses, intelligence-agency offices, embassies, secure data centres.
For interpretation guidance: Bellingcat's Strava OSINT writeups, the OSINT Curio guides, and OSINT Combine's segment-search tradecraft are the canonical references. For automated bounding-box scraping see the open-source stravart Python tool.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the Strava heatmap valuable for OSINT?
It aggregates billions of activities from millions of users into a single visualisation, revealing where people run, cycle, walk, and ski. Inside otherwise opaque facilities — military bases, corporate campuses, government compounds — staff frequently exercise on internal routes, which then show up on the public heatmap. The 2018 Strava-base discovery and the 2024 Macron-bodyguard incident are the canonical examples; the technique works for any high-security location with personnel who use fitness trackers.
Do I need a Strava account?
For zoomed-out continent/country views, no — the heatmap is publicly viewable. For street-level zoom (the OSINT-relevant resolution), yes — Strava requires a free account. The segment-explore feature also requires login. Use a sock-puppet account; Strava's privacy controls don't prevent viewing the heatmap.
What does the "sport" filter do?
Strava filters the heatmap by activity type. Ride (cycling) gives the densest data globally — most useful for revealing road networks. Run is the goldmine for facility-internal route discovery, as people typically run on internal paths rather than commute by bike. Walk catches military patrols. Winter reveals ski areas. All overlays everything.
How do I find a specific person?
If you have a name or username, search Strava's athlete-search directly (login required). If you have only a location pattern (e.g. someone runs the same route at the same time), the segment leaderboards reveal who has completed that route — and clicking through to those athletes' public profiles often gives names, locations, and full activity histories. The 2024 Macron investigation used exactly this technique.
What are the privacy implications?
Significant. Strava accounts default to public; Strava itself recommends users review settings, but most don't. The fix on the user side is simple: profile → privacy controls → "Hide my data from heatmap" plus "Activities visibility = Followers only". The fix at scale doesn't exist — every fitness-tracker company has the same problem (Garmin Connect, Komoot, Wikiloc all expose similar data).
Are there equivalent tools for other fitness platforms?
Komoot exposes tour history and routes globally. Wikiloc is the largest open trail database. Garmin Connect has a course-search feature. None of these have a "heatmap" view as comprehensive as Strava's, but each leaks similar route data through different UIs. The launcher above generates links into each.