How to Import a GPX File Into Garmin Connect
Start with 10 useful websites for free and paid GPX routes, then import the file into Garmin Connect and send the course to a compatible watch or Edge.
Day 86: How to Import a GPX File Into Garmin Connect
Top 10 websites for GPX route files
The best source depends on whether you want to discover a route someone else recorded or plan your own. These five options provide useful GPX downloads without requiring a paid plan:
5 free GPX websites
- Wikiloc: a large worldwide library of community hiking, running, cycling, and outdoor trails. Public trail pages on the website can be downloaded as GPX or TCX files, including an original-detail option where available.
- plotaroute: browse public walking, running, and cycling routes or draw your own. Standard membership is free and routes can be downloaded for use on a GPS device.
- Waymarked Trails: an open map of official and signposted hiking and cycling networks based on OpenStreetMap. It is especially useful for established long-distance and regional routes.
- cycle.travel: a cycling-focused planner that favors quieter roads and traffic-free paths. It can export GPX tracks, GPX routes, and Garmin-friendly TCX courses.
- BRouter-Web: a free, highly configurable route planner for hiking, road cycling, touring, and mountain biking. No account is needed to draw a route and export it as GPX.
5 paid or freemium GPX websites
- AllTrails: strong for discovering popular hikes with reviews, photos, and recent condition reports. Route-file export is available to signed-in members, while offline maps and the more useful navigation features sit in paid plans.
- Komoot: good route planning for hiking, running, cycling, and bikepacking, with surface and difficulty information. GPX export requires the region where the route starts to be unlocked; one region is normally included and further regions or bundles are paid.
- Strava Routes: useful for routes informed by where athletes actually run and ride. Your own and eligible public activities can be exported, but route creation and discovery are primarily part of Strava's subscription offering.
- Ride with GPS: one of the strongest choices for road cycling, touring, and bikepacking. Web routes support GPX, TCX, and FIT export, while mobile planning, offline navigation, and advanced editing require Basic or Premium.
- Trailforks: built around mountain-bike and trail networks, with trail direction, difficulty, status, and community reports. Free access is limited, while broader regions, heatmaps, offline search, and other planning tools require Trailforks Pro.
Plans and export rules change, so check the current terms before subscribing. Whichever source you use, inspect the route's date, distance, elevation, surface, access restrictions, and recent trail conditions before relying on it.
How to import a GPX file into Garmin Connect
Garmin Connect accepts course files in GPX, TCX, and FIT formats. Save the downloaded file somewhere easy to find, then follow these steps.
Step 1: upload the file in Garmin Connect Web
- Sign in at connect.garmin.com.
- Open Training & Planning, then Courses.
- Select Import at the bottom of the course list.
- Drag in the GPX, TCX, or FIT file and select Get Started.
Step 2: choose the course details
Choose the correct course type, rename the course, and save it. The activity type helps Garmin apply the right routing and display behavior.
Use a short, distinctive name. Many Garmin devices identify courses by only the first 15 characters, so two long names that start the same can become difficult to tell apart.
You can also import on a phone: open the downloaded file and share or open it with Garmin Connect, then choose the course type, edit the name, and save. The exact share menu differs between iOS and Android.
Step 3: send the course to your Garmin
Open the saved course, choose Send to Device, and select your watch or Edge. Sync the device with Garmin Connect or Garmin Express. On most watches, the course then appears inside the matching activity under Navigation or Courses.
Course support and navigation detail vary by device. A basic compatible watch may show a breadcrumb line, while models with maps can place the course on a full map. Always carry an appropriate backup when navigation matters.
Garmin maintains an up-to-date course-import guide if the menus on your account look different.
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