How to Load GPX Files Onto Your Phone for Navigation

Every walk review on this site comes with a free GPX file. A GPX file is just a small text file containing the GPS coordinates of a route — the digital equivalent of a line drawn on a map. Load it into a navigation app and your phone shows you exactly where the trail goes and where you are on it, even with no mobile signal.

This guide walks you through the whole process: downloading the file, choosing an app, importing the track, and — the step most people forget — saving offline maps so it actually works in the bush.

What You Need

• A smartphone (iPhone or Android)
• A navigation app that supports GPX import (recommendations below)
• The GPX file for your walk (download links are on every review page)
• A few minutes at home on Wi-Fi before you leave

The single biggest mistake walkers make is loading the track but forgetting to download the offline map. The track is just a thin line — without a base map cached on your phone, you will be following a squiggle on a blank screen once you lose signal.

Step 1 — Download the GPX File

On any walk review, tap the green Download GPX button. On a phone the file usually lands in your Downloads folder or opens a “share” sheet.

• iPhone: the file saves to the Files app, or you get an Open in… prompt — pick your navigation app directly if it appears.
• Android: the file goes to Downloads. You can open it from there or import it from inside your app.

Step 2 — Pick a Navigation App

Any of these will import a GPX file and work fully offline. Pick one and learn it well rather than juggling several.

Free options

• Organic Maps — completely free, no account, open-source. Excellent for following a single track. Lightweight.
• OsmAnd — free tier is generous; powerful but a steeper learning curve.

Paid / subscription options

• Gaia GPS — the gold standard for serious walkers. Superb topographic layers and offline maps.
• AllTrails — easiest for beginners; GPX import and offline maps require the Plus subscription.
• Komoot — good route planning; region-based pricing rather than a subscription.

If you have never done this before, start with Organic Maps (free) or AllTrails (friendliest interface).

Step 3 — Import the Track

The exact taps differ per app, but the pattern is always the same:

1. Open the GPX file (from Files/Downloads) and choose Open in [your app], or
2. Inside the app, look for Import, +, or a routes/tracks menu and select the file.

Once imported, the route appears as a coloured line on the map. Give it a clear name so you can find it on the day.

Step 4 — Download the Offline Map (Do Not Skip This)

While you still have Wi-Fi:

1. Open the app’s offline maps or downloads section.
2. Select the region covering your walk — for South Australian walks that is usually the Adelaide / Fleurieu area.
3. Download it. Topographic layers are larger than plain maps, so do this on Wi-Fi, not mobile data.

Then test it: turn on flight mode at home and confirm the map tiles and your track still display. Better to find a problem on the couch than at the trailhead.

Step 5 — On the Trail

• Open the app and load your saved track before you start, while you may still have signal.
• Keep the phone in flight mode or low-power mode to save battery — GPS still works without signal.
• Your position shows as a dot or arrow. Keep the dot on the line.
• Carry a battery pack on longer walks; navigation drains batteries faster than you expect.

Troubleshooting

The track imported but there is no map behind it. You skipped Step 4 — download the offline region.

My location dot is not showing. Grant the app location permission (Settings → the app → Location → While Using), and make sure GPS/Location Services is on.

The file will not open. Confirm it actually downloaded as a .gpx file and not a renamed web page, then import it from inside the app rather than tapping it in Downloads.

Position is jumpy or inaccurate. Give the GPS 30–60 seconds outside with a clear view of the sky to settle, especially in valleys or dense forest.

A Note on Safety

Phone navigation is brilliant, but it is a single point of failure: batteries die, phones break, screens fail in the rain. For anything remote or long, carry a charged power bank and know the basics of where you are headed. A phone is a tool, not a substitute for judgement.

Every reviewed walk on this site includes a free GPX file recorded on the actual route — not an estimate. Load it using the steps above and you can follow any of these trails with confidence.