This article will show you how to create a route on the website. If you need to create a route in the app, please follow these steps:
Please note that saving a route and selecting the graph style requires a Premium membership.
This article will also show you how to plan a trip along an existing trail or road with Snap-to-Trail mode, measure point-to-point distances using the Straight-Line mode, generate elevation profiles for routes, and calculate the length of your route.
- Create a Route With the Full-Width Editor
- Create a Route With the Sidebar Editor
- Save the Route
- Edit your Routes
- Snap-to-Trail Notes
- Combined Snap-to-Trail and Straight-Line Routes
- Straight-Line Notes
Create a Route With the Full-Width Editor
We recently released the New Full-Width Route Editor on the web. It's the same route planner you love, but with a new full-width layout, so you can plan smarter. The Full-Width Route editor works like the Sidebar Editor but has a different view. Follow these steps to learn how to use the Full-Width Route Editor:
1. Go to www.gaiagps.com/map to view the main map.
2. Search for a place you would like to plan a route.
3. Click the Create Route icon.
4. Click the green "Full-Width Editor" button at the top of the edit route details page to activate the Full-Width Editor.
5. Click the Routing Mode menu to select the preferred routing mode to begin your route with. You can change this at any time while plotting your route to interchange the routing mode for different route segments.
6. Click the map to create the starting point for your route.
7. Click the map again to add points along your route. Add as many points as you'd like.
- Click, hold, and drag the map to pan around.
- Scroll to zoom the map in and out.
8. If needed, adjust the route line and delete route points:
- Click, hold, and drag the route line or a route point to move it to a new location.
- Click a point, then click "Delete Point" (red trash can) to delete the point.
9. If needed, click Undo to remove the last segment or edit.
10. Click Reverse Route to reverse the entire route. The direction arrows on the route line and the route point numbers will change direction, and the elevation profile will update.
11. Click the Closed Loop icon to navigate the route on the quickest route back to the start
12. Click the Out & Back icon if you want your route to turn around at the ending point and navigate back to the start of the route
13. View the route distance and cumulative ascent/descent in the elevation profile graph at the bottom of the screen.
The colors of the route on the elevation profile graph represent the steepness scale of the route:
- Green = < 10°
- Yellow = < 17°
- Light orange = < 24°
- Dark orange = < 31°
- Red = Everything else
14. Hover over the interactive elevation profile graph to see corresponding locations along your route. The Full Width Route Editor graph shows the selected location's distance, elevation, and grade.
15. Convert any route point to a waypoint:
- Click a point, then click Add Waypoint.
16. Manage route markers and add waypoints as you build your route.
To place a waypoint independently of your route points, turn on the Manage Route Marker button (it will appear green), then click anywhere on the map to add a waypoint.
To adjust existing markers, drag the waypoints to a new location at any time. Turn the Manage Route Marker button off to resume plotting your route.
Note: Any added waypoints will be separate from the route, and can be edited via the Saved menu after you save your route: Edit Waypoints on gaiagps.com
17. The Full-Width Route Editor on gaiagps.com now includes a cell phone coverage Graph Style option for routes within the United States, which is viewable with a Premium membership. With this feature, you can check cell phone coverage along your route from Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, or view coverage from all carriers:
18. To view Keyboard Shortcuts at any time, click the Keyboard Shortcuts icon in the right sidebar :
19. To save your route, click the Save button. Note: Saving a route requires a Premium membership
Please note that you can return to the Sidebar Editor at any time by clicking the Sidebar Editor icon.
Create a Route With the Sidebar Editor
1. Go to www.gaiagps.com/map to view the main map.
2. Search for a place you would like to plan a route.
3. Click the Create Route icon.
4. Scroll down and click the Routing Mode dropdown menu to select the route type you would like to use as you begin creating your route.
- Select either Snap to Trail or Snap to Road to snap to the nearest trails or roads. (Snap-to-Trail notes)
- Select Straight line to manually draw line-segmented routes. (Straight-Line notes).
Note: If you want to combine snap-to-trail and straight-line routing, you can change the routing mode at any point while creating your route segments.
5. Click the map to create the starting point for your route.
6. Click the map again to add points along your route. Add as many points as you'd like. The route points will display numbers indicating the order in the route segments.
- Click, hold, and drag the map to pan around.
- Scroll to zoom the map in and out.
7. If needed, adjust the route line and delete route points:
- Click, hold, and drag the route line or a route point to move it to a new location.
- Click a point, then click "Delete Point" (red trash can) to delete the point.
8. Click Undo to remove the last segment or edit.
9. Click Reverse Route to reverse the entire route. The direction arrows on the route line and the route point numbers will change direction, and the elevation profile will update.
10. Click Close Loop to navigate the route on the quickest route back to the start
11. Click Out & Back if you want your route to turn around at the ending point and navigate back to the start of the route
12. View route distance and cumulative ascent/descent in the sidebar.
13. Hover over the interactive elevation profile to see corresponding locations along your route.
14. Convert any route point to a waypoint:
- Click a point, then click Add Waypoint.
15. Manage route markers and add waypoints as you build your route.
To place a waypoint independently of your route points, turn on the Manage Route Marker button (it will appear green), then click anywhere on the map to add a waypoint.
To adjust existing markers, drag the waypoints to a new location at any time. Turn the Manage Route Marker button off to resume plotting your route.
Note: Any added waypoints will be separate from the route, and can be edited via the Saved menu after you save your route: Edit Waypoints on gaiagps.com
16. To view Keyboard Shortcuts at any time, click the Keyboard Shortcuts icon in the right sidebar :
Save the Route With a Premium Membership
- Add a Route Title and any Notes.
- Change the route's color by clicking on the color icon left of the title.
- Click Save.
- Your route is now saved. Sync your data to access the route on your devices.
Edit your Routes
After you save a route, you might want to customize the route, or you may need to edit it if your plans change. To edit a route in the Sidebar and Full-Width Route Editor, follow the instructions here: Edit a Saved Route on gaiagps.com
Snap-to-Trail Notes
The Snap-to-Trail feature utilizes OpenStreetMap (OSM) data. Use OSM-based map sources like Gaia Topo for the best results. Here is a partial list of snap-to-trail compatible map sources:
- Gaia Topo
- Satellite Topo
- Satellite with Labels
- Gaia Streets
- OpenCycleMap HD
- Landscape
- Outdoors
Also note:
- Snap-to-trail data is not available for Antarctica at this time.
Combined Snap-to-Trail and Straight-Line Routes
Select Snap to Trail or Snap to Road to begin building your route. If you click near a trail while in Snap mode, the route will automatically create a short straight-line out-and-back segment via the shortest path. If you click far enough away from the trail, you can freely drop points that do not snap. The editor will continue in Straight Line mode until you get close to another trail it can snap to.
If you would like to manually combine snap-to-trail and straight-line routes, change the routing mode at any time while plotting the route to apply a different routing mode to specific sections of your route.
Pro Tip: While routing in one of the 'Snap to' modes, hold the shift key to momentarily switch to Straight Line mode while you continue to add points. This allows for very fast, very flexible route building!
Straight-Line Notes
Straight-line mode has numerous applications. Some possible uses include:
- Establishing an off-trail hiking route
- Setting a backcountry skiing skin track
- Evaluating day lengths on a river trip
- Measuring fly-over distances between two points