How to make GPX tracks for phones
This guide shows you step by step how to easily create your own GPX tracks to be used for navigation while hiking. If you have found some area that you would like to go hiking in, but have never been there before, making a GPX track from the start point to the endpoint will keep you on the route and prevent you from getting lost. This is very useful if you want to go hiking where there are no trails or any other hiking markers along the way. In the example maps below, I have made a route to a lake on a big flat mountain, and set the track to pass some smaller lakes along the way, this route would be hard to follow without some extra, help since I haven’t been there before and don’t know where to walk. By making this GPX track and importing it to my phone, I can now always see my current position and where the track I’m supposed to follow is, with the help of the phones GPS. In this guide I’m using GPX Editor, as it’s very easy to use and doesn’t require an account to create or download tracks. There are plenty of other free GPX makers out there which you can find by Googling terms like GPX editor, make GPX tracks, etc. See also the guide how to use GPX on phones, which you should read if you don’t know how to use GPX files
1: Start by opening the GPX maker at www.gpxeditor.co.uk and change the map style to Open Street Map, which is best for making hike routes
2: Navigate to the start point for the hike, change to satellite view if it makes it easier to spot it. Now right click and choose: draw new > route
3: Left click where you want the route to start, then simply keep left clicking to set waypoints along the way until you reach your endpoint
4: Once you are done drawing your new hiking route, click the save all as GPX file, the track will then be downloaded and is ready to be used
5: Now search your app store and download any GPX viewer to use the track you made. See the guide how to use GPX on phones for more help
