How to use a hikelevel GPX file

How to use a hikelevel GPX file

A GPX file is the planned route for one hike, as a list of coordinates. Apps and watches read it to show the route on a map, warn when the trail is left, and keep working without signal. hikelevel does not record or navigate hikes; it hands the route to the app already on the phone or wrist.

Where the file comes from

  1. Open the hike's page on hikelevel.com and sign in.
  2. Choose Download GPX. The button shows a lock until the region's plan has been bought; buying unlocks every hike in that region.
  3. The file is named after the hike, for example mount-si.gpx, and lands in the phone's or computer's downloads.

With the hikelevel app the same button saves the file on the device. With a personal AI assistant and an API key, the file is GET /v1/hikes/{hike-id}/gpx.

Picking an app

| App | Best for | Import guide | | --- | --- | --- | | AllTrails | the map most people already have; the file becomes a custom map | AllTrails | | Gaia GPS | offline topo maps and off-trail detail | Gaia GPS | | Garmin Connect | Garmin watches and handhelds | Garmin Connect | | Strava | routes on a Strava-paired watch, and recording the hike for the hikelevel progress log | Strava | | Komoot | turn-by-turn directions on the trail | Komoot | | Apple Watch (WorkOutDoors) | the route on the wrist without a phone in hand | Apple Watch |

Every app in the table accepts GPX. The steps below each link were written for the apps as of November 2026; menu names move, so look for Import, Upload, or Open with when a screen looks different.

After the hike

Record the hike in whichever app recorded it, then import the activity into hikelevel from the activities screen, or mark the hike completed by hand. Progress on the plan counts either way.