Download a GPX route and check it before leaving

Know what you are downloading

GPX is a format for exchanging geographic information such as waypoints, routes and tracks. A track can contain multiple segments. The format does not mean the file includes a background map, current restrictions or spoken navigation instructions.

Our download exports the stored route coordinates as a track, keeping separate geometry components as separate track segments. It includes the route name and source attribution. It currently does not export the sampled elevation profile as elevations on each track point, so your navigation app may calculate its own ascent figure.

References: Topografix: GPX 1.1 schema · Directory route data and licensing

Import it and compare the result

Use the GPX download on a route page and save the file. Open or import it in the navigation application you plan to use. The exact import controls vary between apps; follow that application's own instructions and check that the correct file appears in your saved routes.

Zoom out to see the whole track, then inspect the start, finish and any separate pieces. Compare the shape with the directory map and the original source. If the app offers to recalculate or snap the track to paths, review the result before accepting it. A recalculated route may no longer follow the supplied line.

Test the map as well as the track

Seeing the track online does not show whether the surrounding map has been downloaded. Save the map area required by your app, including enough context for the approach and return. Then test the saved route and map without a network connection while still at home.

The National Park Service recommends knowing how to use your navigation equipment and carrying a physical map as backup. A phone that contains the right file is not, by itself, a complete navigation plan. Choose a backup you can actually use for the intended terrain.

References: National Park Service: navigation in the Ten Essentials

Investigate differences instead of hiding them

A different distance or ascent in another app can come from sampling, smoothing, changed routing or incomplete data. First compare the geographic line and endpoints. Then check whether both figures describe the same segments and direction. Do not pick whichever number makes the day look easier.

If a segment is absent or appears to jump across unconnected terrain, return to the source and a current local map. Keep the original downloaded file so you can compare it with any modified version. Send us the route URL and a description of the discrepancy if our stored route is wrong.

• Correct route name and full track imported.
• Start, finish and separate segments inspected.
• Background map tested offline.
• Source and local access checked.