Online GPS plotter-map maker

[Firebolter]

I put together a 2 day 320 mile ADV ride from Thurmont MD up through 4 state/Nat forrest in PA and then out to Rocky Gap resort in Western MD for the night. Back to Frederick MD on Day 2. Mostly all dirt roads, forrest roads and 2 lane back country pavement for the connectors and such. I created GPS files and used this online plotter to look at them and verify my turn by turn directions and such. Really nice tool for planning and printing out tracks/routes if you wanted to.

 

It is free and I am not associated with it in any way, just found it and like it alot and wanted to share it!

 

https://www.gpsvisualizer.com/

[Firebolter]

here is the method I used to build my files. There are NUMEROUS ways to do it, this was easy for me:

 

1. Go to Google Maps and enter in your route from start to finish-That can be a little troublesome as sometimes it wants to "force" you to go a different way sometimes and you have to use the "add destination" point to force it the way you want. And of course, you are limited to how many times you can add a destination point (10 I think).  That takes the most time, this step. Then you go to step 2
2. After you get the track all in google and are happy with it, Copy the URL of your google maps page and paste it into a "GPX" converter website. That website (and there are many) will convert your google maps track into a GPX fie. I used https://mapstogpx.com/
3. That will output a GPX file that you can go to gpsvisualizer.com and load it and see it against the maps and stuff to verify it is what you wanted. 

Then lastly load them into your gps and make sure they look right.

Takes a bit of work, there are plenty of video's on Youtube on how to do this as well. But you get nice GPS files that are made how you want them!

Edited March 17, 2021 by Firebolter