GPX Basics: What It Is, What’s Inside, and How to Use It

GPX is the most common file format for sharing outdoor routes. It’s simple, widely supported, and it survives tool changes — which is exactly what you want when your routes matter.

This article explains what GPX is, what it contains, and how to use it without surprises.

What is a GPX file?

GPX stands for GPS Exchange Format.

A GPX file is just structured text (XML) that can store:

• a track: a recorded path (often with lots of points)
• a route: a planned path (often fewer points)
• waypoints: named points (water, trailheads, turns, etc.)

Different devices and apps treat these differently, which is why a file that “works” in one tool can behave oddly in another.

What’s inside GPX (tracks, routes, waypoints)

Tracks

Tracks are usually the best choice when you want the exact geometry of a path.

They tend to have many points, sometimes one every second during recording. That can make them large.

Routes

Routes are often interpreted by devices as “instructions” that can be recalculated.

That sounds nice, but it can be risky if your device reroutes differently than you expect.

Waypoints

Waypoints are single points with metadata (name/description). They’re useful for:

• water
• trailheads
• key turns
• bailouts

A tiny example (simplified)

<gpx>
  <wpt lat="37.800" lon="-122.460"><name>Trailhead</name></wpt>
  <trk>
    <name>Example Track</name>
    <trkseg>
      <trkpt lat="37.800" lon="-122.460" />
      <trkpt lat="37.801" lon="-122.461" />
    </trkseg>
  </trk>
</gpx>

You don’t need to memorize XML — you just need to know what kind of data you’re moving around.

Common GPX problems (and why they happen)

“The file is huge”

Recorded tracks can contain thousands of points. Some devices slow down or fail on large files. You can use our GPX Simplifier to reduce the number of points without losing the shape of the route.

“My elevation gain is different everywhere”

GPX files don’t guarantee consistent elevation. Some tools use GPS elevation, others use map elevation (DEM), and some apply smoothing.

If you want the practical explanation: Elevation Explained.

“The route looks jagged or noisy”

GPS recordings can be noisy, especially in forests, canyons, or cities. Our GPX Cleaner can help smooth out noisy GPS data.

“My device rerouted it”

If you export a route and the device decides to recalculate, you may not get the path you planned.

A practical GPX workflow

1. Plan a route in a planner
2. Export GPX
3. Test it in your navigation app/device (zoom in on tricky turns)
4. Keep a backup offline

TrailSplits supports a GPX import/export workflow so you can plan quickly and move routes onto the devices you already use.

When to use TrailSplits with GPX

Use TrailSplits when you want:

• quick route planning
• an elevation profile view while planning
• import an existing GPX, adjust it, then export again

Try it here: Open the TrailSplits planner.

Next reads

• Route Planning 101
• Elevation Explained