Route Planning 101: Safer, Smarter Routes for Trail Running, Hiking, and Cycling

Route planning is less about drawing a line on a map and more about reducing surprises: terrain you didn’t expect, climbs you didn’t budget for, or navigation complexity you didn’t notice.

This guide is a launch‑ready checklist you can use for trail runs, hikes, or rides.

Start with the outcome

Before you open any tool, decide what “success” looks like:

• Time window: how long can you be out?
• Effort budget: easy, steady, or a hard day?
• Risk tolerance: how remote is acceptable?
• Navigation style: follow obvious trails or explore?

If you don’t define the constraints first, you’ll usually plan a route that looks good on the map but feels wrong on the day.

Distance is only the first number

Distance is useful, but it’s incomplete. Two 10 km routes can be totally different:

• a flat park loop
• a ridge route with sustained climbs
• technical terrain where you move slower than expected

Treat distance as the baseline, then adjust using elevation and terrain.

Elevation: the hidden difficulty multiplier

If you’re new to trail planning, elevation gain is often the first thing that surprises you.

A simple mental model:

• More elevation = more time + more fatigue, even if the distance is short.

If you want the details (and why different apps disagree), read: Elevation Explained.

Terrain and surface decide your pace

Maps can hide the part that matters most: how runnable/rideable the surface actually is.

When you plan, look for:

• trail type: singletrack vs road vs gravel
• technicality: rocky/roots/scramble sections
• exposure: ridge lines, steep drop‑offs, avalanche terrain (seasonal)
• water crossings: they can be fine or they can end a plan

If your stack includes heatmaps or popular‑trail overlays, they’re helpful, but don’t use them as proof of safety.

Safety checks that take 60 seconds

These are easy to skip — and they’re the difference between a fun day and a stressful one:

• weather + temperature swings
• sunset time (especially for winter)
• bailouts: where you can shorten the route
• cell coverage assumptions: plan as if it won’t work
• offline plan: maps + a GPX track on your device

TrailSplits supports offline maps and GPX workflows in the app, and the web planner is designed for quick planning and exports.

GPX: treat it as the portable version of your plan

GPX is how you carry a route between tools and devices.

Use GPX when you:

• want to navigate on a watch/phone/bike computer
• want to share a route reliably
• want a backup when the map UI isn’t available

If you have a messy or overly large GPX file, tools like a GPX Cleaner or Simplifier can make it easier for your device to handle.

If you’re not sure what GPX contains or why there are “tracks” vs “routes”, read: GPX Basics.

A simple planning workflow (fast and realistic)

1. Pick start/finish (parking, transit, trailhead)
2. Sketch the shape (loop / out‑and‑back / point‑to‑point)
3. Check elevation profile (big climbs, steep spikes, long descents)
4. Decide turnaround/bailout points
5. Export GPX and keep it available offline

If you want to do it right now: Open the TrailSplits planner.

Common mistakes

• Planning by distance alone
• Underestimating steep climbs or technical terrain
• Not checking an elevation profile before committing
• Not exporting a GPX backup
• Assuming cell service

Quick checklist (copy/paste)

• Start/finish confirmed
• Distance matches the time window
• Elevation gain is understood
• Terrain/surface is realistic
• Weather + sunset checked
• Bailouts identified
• GPX exported and available offline

Next reads:

• GPX Basics
• Elevation Explained
• Open the planner