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I just got a Vista HCX, my first GPS, and I have a subscription to Trails.com, which I have used for regular non-GPS hikes.

Today I tried to download some waypoints I created in Trails.com in GPX format and import them into Garmin's MapSource. It didn't work.

Is there a way to import waypoints or routes in GPX format into the Garmin unit?

Or am I stuck buying topos of the each state I want from Garmin?

I like the unit so far.. but I don't have much experience to evaluate it with.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Wayne from White Salmon

File => Open => GPX didn't work for you?



For off the shelf mapping you're pretty much limited to Garmin's MapSource products. You can find info and a map viewer at the following link. http://www8.garmin.com/cartography/ There are 3rd party topo maps available for Wyoming and Colorado.

Yep, File>Open>GPX gave me a 'cannot be imported' message.

I found a piece of software that does import them called GPSBabel, and a nice windows front end for it . It seems to work OK.

I think for all that effort, I'll just get the Garmin maps for the area I hike in most, and call it good for now.

I was hoping that I could find people's waypoints online and download them for popular hikes in the Columbia River Gorge. It sure seems that if there are guide books and such for these hikes, there would be GPS routes in Garminese as well.

Where can I find Garmin hikes in the Columbia River Gorge?

Thanks for your help.

WayneC

The GPX file spec was created so that information could be exchanged between different software packages so it's odd that MapSource would have problems with any properly formatted GPX file. I looked around Trails.com site but couldn't find any examples of their GPX file to download.

However if GPSBabel (a great program) can work with it why not use Babel to convert the Trails.com GPX file to a Garmin database GDB file. You would then be able to open the GDB file in MapSource.