Trail-Routing Software

[Matt]

I am intending to fastpack the Palmetto Trail in South Carolina.  I am aware of the PT Association’s on-line maps, but they do not provide the sort of detail necessary for accurate and quick navigation.  I have diddled around with GAIA GPS to plot my route, but frankly, I find the program VERY cumbersome to master (my apologies, GAIA).   Does anyone have any other suggestions of software that a semi-literate computer user can employ to plot a route and then download to his phone (or better yet, real maps of the PT that I’m not aware of).  For what it’s worth, I’m using Scot Ward’s Thru-Hiker Manual to bridge the incomplete sections of the trail.  Thanks for any suggestions.

[Greg Mihalik]

ViewRanger

Please let the forum know what you think.

[BlackHatGuy]

Have you checked out the Palmetto Trail Low Country Guide? Says it includes detailed maps, but I don’t know anything about it, just found it online (it’s a book, not an online map).

Also, Traillink lists some Palmetto Trail maps, but I can’t access them since I don’t care to register. You could check those out. I don’t know if they have the entire trail, as Traillink is a rails-to-trails organization.

 

[Andrew Johnson]

@mhr We’d be happy to give you a few pointers via email or phone if you like, to help you get started with Gaia GPS. If so, shoot an email to [email protected].

I’m not sure how you’ve been doing it, but often times people will plot a route using gaiagps.com/map, so they have a bigger screen. Then, that route will sync to the app, and you can press “Download Maps for Track” for the route, and that should be everything you need.

[Jeff McWilliams]

Have you tried Caltopo?

Here’s a link to a Caltopo map I created:  https://caltopo.com/m/8NBE

In the upper right corner you can select which map is drawn.  I defaulted to the Google Map, but for Trail information, “Mapbuilder Topo” will probably be the best for your use, as it shows the Palmetto Trail.

You’ll see that I traced the route from Lake Moultrie SE to the coast.  This took me about 2 minutes to do on a PC.  Caltopo can autoroute pretty easily.  It’s basically incorporating information from Open Street Maps.

It would take, maybe 15 – 30 minutes or so to trace the rest of the trail to its northwestern terminus, assuming it’s all in the OSM database.

Once you have the entire route in caltopo, you could export it as a GPX.  Import the GPX into GaiaGPS on your SmartPhone, and have it automatically download the maps along the route as Andrew suggests above.  That way you’ll have the maps in your phone even when you don’t get cell reception.

Paper maps would be good too.  You’d probably need a Caltopo “Pro” account to generate a series of 11×17 paper maps covering the route, if that’s the type of paper map that works best for you.

I’m not familiar with the trail or SC at all really, so I can’t say whether the Caltopo paper map will work better or worse than other paper maps of the trail will.

If you want to directly edit the Caltopo map link above, Caltopo may ask you for a “writable” password for that online map (since it’s owned by me).  The PW is “palmetto”.

 

[Eliot]

Not sure if this directly answers your question, but I’m going to second using Caltopo. I used Caltopo to make 7 different maps in Olympic, and it was pretty easy to use. Cumbersome at times, but that was a result of my freshness to that program. With a free account, you can create as many maps as you want and export them as GPX files, or as location-based pdf files (is that the same as GPX?).

On the phone, I used AvenzaMaps to use the files. With a free account, they offer limited pre-made maps and you can only store 3 custom maps at a time. But, since you’ll have all your maps on your phone, you can swap them out on the app as needed.

Here is a really nice step-by-step that walks you through Caltopo. Best of luck!

[Mario Caceres]

Elliott, I’m also a big fan of Caltopo and AvenzaMaps combo.  The 3 custom maps restriction to avoid the subscription has been OK so far, but I’m intrigued by your statement  “..But, since you’ll have all your maps on your phone, you can swap them out on the app as needed.”  Could you please elaborate on this?.  Where do you keep your maps and how you transfer them to AvenzaMaps?.  (I normally have my maps on Dropbox and grab the ones I need for the trip I’m taking, but that requires me to have signal when I load them into AvenzaMaps)

 

[Mario Caceres]

Curious about Elliott’s statement about swapping maps on the field, I did a little digging and found out that if you use the “ITunes file sharing option” on Avenza, you can have/use unlimited custom maps in your phone/device even if you are not an Avenza subscriber (Non-Subscribers are limited to use 3 custom maps at any given time).

Basically when you are at home you transfer via “ITunes file sharing” the maps you want to carry in your iphone (There is no limit of how many maps other than your iphone memory) and then when you are out of the backcountry (no signal) you need to select “From ITunes File Sharing” when you click on the “+” button. (Which is used to add a map to avenza app).

Before you try to add a map you need to make sure you have less than 3 custom maps on avenza app.  If you have 3 already you will need to erase at least one of them.  This is why Elliot was referring to “swapping maps”

I’m not sure how this works for android users.  Sorry I don’t have an android device so I can not comment on that, but I’m sure there is a similar procedure.

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