As an AllTrails member, you can create your own custom routes using a desktop or laptop computer. As an AllTrails Peak member, you also have access to the new Custom Routes feature on mobile. The routing engine makes it easier to choose the right path based on your activity, helping you spend less time planning and more time out on the trail.
To create a new route:
- Go to https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/new or hover over 'Saved' in the top header, select 'My maps', and click 'Create map' in the panel on the left
- To center your map around a particular area, you can pan and zoom to your desired area, or click 'Draw on map', which will allow you to search by street address, park/location name, or latitude/longitude. You can also upload a GPX file, and the map will be centered around the uploaded file.
- Under 'Description' you can add and edit the name for your route, add an optional description, and control the privacy of the route
Once saved, your custom routes will be listed under 'Saved' >> 'My maps' in the AllTrails header. These routes automatically sync with your AllTrails iPhone or Android app — you can access them under 'Saved' >> Lists >> 'Custom routes & maps'.
Note: Occasionally you'll need to force a sync between the mobile apps and our servers. To do this, navigate to your 'Custom routes & maps' section as outlined above, then swipe down on the screen to refresh.
Smart Routing vs. Drawing Mode:
Once you've clicked 'Draw on map', you’ll see 2 options in the upper left corner of the screen. Smart Routing will be activated by default, but you can toggle the bar off to switch to Drawing Mode.
Smart Routing is the simplest way to create a route from point A to point B. Select your activity in the dropdown in the upper left corner of the screen, click a starting point, click where you want to go, and we'll intelligently and automatically route you on the best path for your activity.
The following activities are available for routing:
- Hiking: when this is selected, the routing preference will be hiking trails and walking paths that support pedestrian access; you should not be routed anywhere where pedestrians are not allowed
- Mountain biking: when this is selected, the routing preference will be multi-surface trails that support bicycle access; you should not be routed on any trails, walking paths, or roads where bikes aren't allowed
- Bike touring: when this is selected, the routing preference will be on trails, roads, and paths that support bicycle access with a preference for good surfaces and less hilly routes; you should not be routed on any trails, walking paths, or roads where bikes aren't allowed
- Road biking: when this is selected, the routing preference will be on paved roads and paths that support bicycle access; you shouldn't be routed on any trails, walking paths, or roads where bikes aren't allowed
- OHV/Off-road driving: when this is selected, the routing preference will be on multi-surface roads and trails that support motorized "adventure" riding; you shouldn't be routed on any trails or walking paths where motorized vehicles aren't allowed
- Scenic driving: when this is selected, the routing preference will be on paved roads
Note: When routing for mountain biking, bike touring, road biking, off-road driving, or scenic driving, if there is a one-way street, trail, or path, routing will always follow the direction of the pathway.
If you're trying to route on a specific segment and you're being re-rerouted, you can always disable Smart Routing to manually draw along that segment. The segment or road may not be recognized by the underlying OSM data that powers the routing engine, but you can always draw along the segment manually and then reactivate Smart Routing to finish the route.
Drawing Mode allows you to freely draw your route. Segments and roads will not automatically be selected or snapped-to when in this mode. Use your mouse cursor and left-click to draw the trail route.
Tip: When in Drawing Mode, you can hold 'Shift' on your keyboard to enable free-draw. In this state the trail line will be drawn wherever you move your cursor. To undo free-draw, let go of the 'Shift' key and left-click on your mouse to create a straight line to the next point.
Additional tips for routing and drawing:
- To create an out-and-back trail, click on the 'Double-back' button beneath the color options to create a route that returns the way you came
- To complete a loop or return to the start of the trail using Smart Routing or Drawing Mode, click 'Close loop'
- To reverse the locations of the green start and black end markers, click 'Reverse'
- To change the color of a route, select a color from the color block options
- To switch between routing and drawing modes, you can use the control key on your keyboard
- If you make a mistake, simply click the 'Undo' arrow in the lower left corner of the screen
- You can click the 'Redo' arrow to reapply your last action if you change your mind
Please note that you can only select one activity at a time for routing. You can switch your activity (for instance from mountain biking to hiking), but it won't update or re-route the existing drawn route. In order to start routing in your new activity, you'll need to click directly on the map after you've updated your activity.
Keyboard shortcuts:
When tapped:
- cmd-z / ctrl-z = undo
- cmd-y / ctrl-y / cmd-shift-z / ctrl-shift-z = redo
- ctrl = toggles between routing and drawing modes
- delete / backspace = deletes a selected route node
While held:
- shift = "free-draws" when clicking and dragging mouse in drawing mode, allows you to draw on top of lines and also allows you to draw on top of markers (without dragging them)
- option = keeps start/end marker separated, and also when dragging a start/end marker drags along the connecting line segment
Edit and save:
When finished, click 'Save'. You can create multiple routes on the same map using the various color options. Just save your first route and then click 'Draw on map' again to add another.
- To edit a saved route, click the overflow menu (three dots) next to the route in the left column and select 'Edit'
- To delete a route, click the overflow menu (three dots) next to the route in the left column and select 'Delete'
- To edit points in your route, you can simply drag them to another area or hit the 'delete' button to remove a point
This article has more information on editing routes, including tutorials.
Waypoints:
Create a title and description for your waypoints in the edit column. Position your waypoint along the route by clicking the waypoint and dragging its corresponding purple dot to the new desired location. To always show the title of the waypoint on the map view, click the 'Show title on map' box in the edit column. You can find additional information on adding waypoints in this article.
Description:
You have the option to provide a brief description of your route to easily remember what the route covers and why you created it. This may be useful to people who you share the route with.
Photos:
Once you've saved a route, upload photos directly from your computer by clicking the arrow to expand the 'Photos' section, then clicking 'Add new photos'. You can click 'browse' to search your files or drag photos into the box provided.
Elevation profile:
Drag your mouse along the elevation profile graph at the bottom of the map screen for each of your routes to see the corresponding point on the map.
Sharing:
You can share your custom route via the AllTrails iPhone and Android apps or simply by copying the URL of the route at the top of your browser and pasting it wherever you'd like to share it. This article has more information on sharing routes.
Peak members can create their own custom routes in the mobile app with our Custom Routes tool.