Online Route Planners for Hiking in Australia

Plan and visualise your hiking route before you leave home

Online route planners can be a useful way to visualise a walk, estimate distance and elevation, and create GPX files for use with mapping apps or GPS devices. They are best used as planning aids, not as a substitute for thorough trip preparation.

Before heading out, always research the trail and surrounding area, read recent trip reports, check official park and land manager websites for alerts or closures, review weather forecasts, and make sure someone knows your plans. Digital tools should support good decision making, not replace it.

Below are two online route planners we regularly recommend, each suited to different planning styles.

GPX.studio

https://gpx.studio/

GPX.studio is a powerful, browser based GPX viewer, editor, and route planner. It is particularly well suited to hikers who want a high level of control over their route files. You can use GPX.studio to:

• Create and edit routes directly on the map
• Add, move, or remove track points
• View elevation profiles and distance
• Add and manage waypoints
• Merge, split, or clean GPX files
• Export files for use on GPS devices or mobile apps

This tool is ideal if you already have a GPX file you want to review or refine, or if you prefer hands on route building with precise control.

Suunto Route Planner

https://routeplanner.suunto.com/

The Suunto Route Planner offers a more visual approach to route planning and is generally easier to use for those new to creating routes. It allows you to:

• Draw routes directly on the map
• View elevation, distance, and terrain
• Explore popular routes using heatmaps
• Export GPX files for navigation apps or GPS devices

The Suunto planner is particularly helpful for visualising terrain and understanding how a route flows through the landscape, even if you do not use a Suunto device.

A note on other route planning tools

There are many other online route planners available. Some may suit specific workflows or more experienced users, but many are less intuitive for general hiking use or require a membership or subscription. If you already use another platform and are comfortable with it, that is perfectly fine.

Regardless of the tool you choose, always cross check your route using multiple sources and never rely on a single digital platform when planning a hike.

Estimate difficulty and walking time

To help with planning, you can estimate the difficulty and duration of your hike using our Walking Track Grade and Time Calculator. Access the calculator here.