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Scenic routes to Garmin: Best Practices

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Exporting Scenic Routes to Your Garmin GPS Device

 

Scenic routes can be exported and imported into Garmin GPS devices, but for best results, it’s important to follow certain guidelines.

The following best practices—shared by Bruce Cowan of the Trillium Miata Club (Ontario, Canada)—will help ensure your route transfers cleanly and navigates as expected.

Why Best Practices Matter

 

Garmin devices calculate the path between each Via point. Think of Via points as “breadcrumbs” along your route—if there aren’t enough of them, your Garmin may take an unintended detour.

A GPX file with enough well-placed Via points will almost always give you a reliable match to your original Scenic route.

Best Practices for Creating Garmin-Compatible Scenic Routes

  1. Place at least one Via point on every road you want to travel.

  2. For longer roads, add multiple Via points along the way.

  3. Place Via points between intersections, ideally centered between them.

  4. Use no more than one Via point between intersections—more can cause U-turn errors.

  5. Avoid placing Via points at or near intersections.

  6. On divided roads or highways, zoom in to ensure the Via point is on the correct side of the road.

  7. Zoom in to confirm all Via points are positioned on the road.

  8. Limit Stop points to 29 or fewer (most routes use just 2–4).

  9. Check for alternate paths Garmin might choose between your Via points.

  10. Prevent alternate paths by placing a Via point on the exact road you want to follow—especially in towns or cities.

  11. Add enough Via points to clearly define your intended path.

  12. Create turn-by-turn directions so others can compare if needed.

  13. Advise users to disable all avoidances in their Garmin settings before using your GPX file.

 

 

What to Expect in Garmin Trip Planner

 

When you export a Scenic route as a GPX file, it contains three separate route versions. In Garmin Trip Planner, some may appear split into two or more sections—these extra splits can be ignored or deleted.

A well-designed route will:

  • Show a Start point with a green flag.

  • Show Stop points with yellow flags.

  • Show Via points as blue dots.

  • Show the End point with a checkered flag.

 

If your route is built using the best practices above, it should not require splitting and will match your intended path.