Cookie Policy
Cookie Policy
Last updated: April 28, 2026
This Cookie Policy explains how The Dirty Mule (thedirtymule.com) uses cookies and similar technologies when you visit the Site. It works alongside our Privacy Policy — read both to get the full picture.
If you have questions, email us at hello@thedirtymule.com.
1. What cookies are
Cookies are small text files that a website places on your device when you visit. They let the site remember things between page loads or visits — that you’re logged in, that you commented as yourself, that you’ve already dismissed a banner.
Some cookies are set by us (first-party). Some are set by services we use, like map tiles or analytics (third-party). Most cookies expire automatically; some stick around until you clear them.
This policy also covers similar technologies — local storage, session storage, pixels, and beacons — that work the same way even though they aren’t technically cookies.
2. Why we use them
We use cookies to do four things, in roughly this order of importance:
- Make the Site work — keep you logged in, remember your comment author info, prevent CSRF attacks on form submissions.
- Remember your preferences — map state, filter selections on the Atlas, dismissed banners.
- Understand how the Site is used — which trails are popular, where readers come from, what’s broken — in aggregate, never tied to your identity.
- Serve embedded content correctly — when a page includes a YouTube video, an Instagram post, or a third-party map, that service may set cookies of its own.
We do not use advertising cookies. We do not use cross-site tracking pixels. We do not sell cookie data to anyone.
3. The cookies we use
Strictly necessary
These can’t be disabled — the Site won’t work without them. They expire when you log out or close your browser.
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
wordpress_logged_in_* | The Dirty Mule | Confirms you’re logged in | Session or 14 days if “Remember me” |
wordpress_sec_* | The Dirty Mule | Authenticates admin sessions | Session or 14 days |
wp-settings-* | The Dirty Mule | Remembers your admin preferences | 1 year |
comment_author_* | The Dirty Mule | Pre-fills your name/email when you comment | 1 year |
_wpnonce (in URLs) | The Dirty Mule | Prevents form-submission attacks | Per request |
Functional
These remember your preferences. Clearing them means you’ll see defaults again — nothing breaks.
| Cookie / storage | Set by | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas map state | The Dirty Mule (localStorage) | Remembers your last map zoom/center between visits | Until cleared |
| Filter selections | The Dirty Mule (localStorage) | Remembers your country/difficulty filter on the Atlas | Until cleared |
Analytics
If we have analytics enabled, the cookies are listed below. Replace this section with whatever you actually use — Google Analytics, Plausible, Fathom, Cloudflare Web Analytics, or remove the section entirely if you don’t use any.
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga, _ga_* | Google Analytics (if installed) | Distinguishes anonymous visitors and sessions | Up to 2 years |
_gid | Google Analytics (if installed) | Distinguishes anonymous visitors | 24 hours |
If you use Plausible or Fathom instead, note that those tools are cookieless by design and this section can be removed.
Third-party embeds
When a page includes content from another service, that service may set cookies in your browser. We don’t control these — refer to the third party’s own policy.
| Service | When it loads | Their privacy policy |
|---|---|---|
| OpenStreetMap | On any page with the Atlas or trail map | openstreetmap.org/copyright |
| Gravatar (Automattic) | On comments and author cards if you use Gravatar | automattic.com/privacy/ |
| YouTube | On articles that embed a YouTube video | policies.google.com/privacy |
| On articles that embed an Instagram post | help.instagram.com/519522125107875 | |
| Google Fonts | On every page if installed | policies.google.com/privacy |
| Kinsta CDN | On every page (our hosting provider) | kinsta.com/legal/privacy-policy/ |
If you’ve removed YouTube/Instagram embeds or Google Fonts and don’t use Gravatar, edit this list to match.
4. How to control cookies
In your browser
You can clear, block, or limit cookies through your browser settings. Doing this for our Site means you’ll be logged out and any preferences will reset. Doing this site-wide can affect most websites you visit.
- Chrome — Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
- Safari — Settings → Privacy
- Firefox — Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
- Edge — Settings → Cookies and site permissions
- Mobile browsers — usually in Settings → Privacy
Opting out of analytics specifically
If we use Google Analytics, you can install Google’s official opt-out browser add-on at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout, which blocks GA on all sites at once.
If we use Plausible or Fathom, no opt-out is needed — they don’t use cookies and don’t track you across sites.
Do Not Track
We respect Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals where required by California law. We don’t currently respond to legacy “Do Not Track” browser headers because there’s no industry-wide standard for what they mean.
5. Cookies we deliberately do not use
We want to be specific about what’s not happening here:
- No advertising cookies, retargeting pixels, or audience-tracking cookies.
- No Facebook Pixel, TikTok Pixel, X (Twitter) Pixel, or LinkedIn Insight Tag.
- No cookies that tie your identity to anonymous browsing data.
- No third-party data brokers.
If we ever add any of these — for example, if we run paid ads in the future — we’ll update this policy and notify you.
6. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy when we change services, install new plugins, or remove cookies we no longer need. The “Last updated” date at the top reflects the most recent change. Material changes will be announced on the Site.
7. Contact
Questions about cookies, requests for clarification, or complaints:
Email: hello@thedirtymule.com
For the broader picture of what we collect and how we use it, see our Privacy Policy.
Have a dirty day.