Best Software to Download From Garmin Gps

How To Become Free Garmin GPS Maps For Hiking

The good news is that if you own a Garmin GPS device, there'south a way to get free Garmin GPS maps. And in most cases, the free maps are much better than the expensive Garmin maps. I'm a big fan of Garmin GPS devices, but I ever found it disappointing that they charged extra for maps. Garmin doesn't publicize information technology, just most of their GPS units are setup to take any maps in the correct format. Here'south how to become and install these free hiking maps in an easy, stride-by-step process.

In hindsight, I recollect the toll for Garmin maps is too high. There are some as skilful, or meliorate, alternatives bachelor at no price online. This product is overpriced for what it is. I would recommend other software. – Garmin Map Review on Amazon

Why These Free Maps?

And then let me start by saying there are a lot of ways to get complimentary Garmin GPS maps, and a lot of different methods to install them. Y'all could create whole websites devoted to the subject field, and people have (encounter beneath). This article focuses on installing my favorite free Garmin GPS maps for hiking in the USA, using OpenStreetMaps. If these don't work for you, try exploring the other map services that I have listed beneath.

Y'all can also create your own highly-customized maps and download them to your Garmin device.

OpenStreetMaps are the Wikipedia of maps. The public contributes to, confirms, and edits the data on the map. This curation goes for hiking trails also. The maps are regularly updated, and over the last few years take seemed the most accurate in my experience. You can even become a contributor if you like.

Hither's a adjacent comparison of the Garmin base map with these complimentary topo maps.

The gratuitous hiking maps that I'm recommending are keen because:

• They are adept topographic maps with height contours.
• They accept a big number of hiking trails on them.
• They are "routable," which means that you can utilise complimentary tools like Garmin Basecamp to automatically create routes and tracks that you can follow (without having to plot each point of the trail yourself).
• The colors and particular work well for me. That is, they look skilful on the device.
• United states regions are packaged together.

This screenshot gives you an thought of the level of the particular in these free maps. Yous can also search the maps for points of involvement. Here I searched for the Peachy Smoky Mtn NP.

Video Instructions

If you are on Windows, there are some special instructions beneath.

Which Garmin GPS devices do the maps work with?

Showtime off, the Garmin unit you have might have maps already. Y'all probably know this, just if you're shopping for a GPS, go to the Garmin website page for the unit of measurement. If it maps come with the unit, it will say it has "preloaded topo maps."

If you already have a unit and desire to find out if these gratis maps work, go to the unit'south page on the Garmin website, and and then cheque out the "specs" department. There is a line for "ability to add maps," if you lot have a cheque there, you're skilful to go.

Downloading the Free Garmin GPS Maps

The showtime thing y'all're going to desire to exercise is visit the GMapTool website, specifically the The states OSM Topo Routable page.

The dainty thing almost this site is that they've arranged the maps upwardly into large regions.

Then selection the region you want, and download the appropriate map package (link way at the bottom of the page). The files are pretty big. The download might have a while.

Installing the Gratis Maps on Your Computer

The instructions are dissimilar for Mac and PC. The map website has a link for installation instructions, click on that. My instructions encompass the installation on a Mac, but I accept some general that fill in the gaps for installing on Windows beneath .

For the Mac, y'all'll need three (free) programs to install the maps. You lot tin download and install these programs while y'all wait for your maps to download.

Offset is a 7z extractor. The map downloads are in 7z format, which is a fancy compressed ZIP file. Download and install this plan. There are also other costless and paid 7z options in the Mac App Store.

Then download the gratuitous Garmin MapInstall and MapManager programs. They make installing the maps easy and not-technical.

Once you download the map file, open up it with your 7z application. It will unzip the files and put them into a folder.

After unzipping, you'll have a few files in the folder. Double-click on the big file with the "gmap" extension on the end.

That should launch Garmin MapManager, which will inquire yous if you want to install the maps. Hit "yep" and it will re-create the maps into your Garmin directory. When you're finished, delete the map download and the unzipped folder.

That's information technology. The maps are on your computer. If y'all're not already using the free Garmin Basecamp tool, I highly recommend getting it. It will permit you to browse maps, create tracks, and is invaluable in planning hikes.

Pairing Garmin Basecamp with these gratuitous maps for Garmin GPS gives yous.a powerful planning tool. Here I'm browsing detail around Icehouse Saddle in California.

Installing the Costless Maps on Your Garmin GPS

Once your map is downloaded and installed, you're all prepare to install them on your GPS unit.

Connect your Garmin GPS unit to your computer and make sure information technology's on. Give it a minute or two to load and register with the computer.

Load the Garmin MapInstall application. It should show your GPS unit of measurement in the top box. Striking continue.

MapInstall will bear witness you what maps yous have installed already (if whatever), what's on your computer, and how much room you have on your device (at the bottom). Click on the maps you want to install while watching the infinite on your device. My eTrex 20x has 3.7gb of internal retentivity, no need to add a MicroSD card. Click "transport maps."

At present you wait. It can accept a while for the maps to load onto your device. Don't do this if you're in a rush.

Now confirm that the maps are loaded. Go into your settings for maps and poke around. The process is different for different units, simply you should exist able to see something like this.

Smash! Maps! Enjoy the maps on your Garmin GPS. And if there is too much detail or the map rendering seems wearisome, go to settings and try decreasing the particular level.

Installing on GPS Devices With MTP Mode

Garmin added a connexion way called MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) to transfer files, which makes the Garmin announced every bit a "media device." And of grade, Apple doesn't support it. Most Garmin devices allow you to switch the USB style to "mass-storage" and you should find that in the settings and give it a try. Brand sure the device firmware is updated to become the latest settings. Once in "mass-storage" mode, you should be able to follow the steps laid out earlier.

If you're stuck in MTP way, I've found a solution. It'southward not the virtually graceful one in the earth, merely information technology works (confirmed on a Fenix 5x Plus).

• Go your maps from here: http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl
• The site will send you an electronic mail with a download link.
• Download the Naught file that is described as "Compressed file that contains a single paradigm that can be placed straight onto the SD-card of the GPS."
• Unzip the file. You should have a file with a ".img" extension.
• At present we need to connect the Garmin to the computer. Download the gratuitous Android File Transfer program from Google. Install it on your machine every bit per the instructions.
• If y'all have Garmin Express running, brand certain it's not running and you have disabled any "automatically launch when device is connected" settings.
• Plug in your Garmin to the computer and launch the Android File Transfer program. You lot should run across a screen like this:
  
• Only drag the ".img" file that you downloaded into the Garmin folder. You might want to rename the ".img" file to make sure it doesn't whack any maps already on there.

That's information technology. Become to your map settings and turn the OSM map on and off.

OSM maps on my Fenix 5x Plus

Tips for Windows Installation

The directions on GMapTool site aren't very descriptive for Windows. Here are some tips from beau hiker Dave T. on how to install the gratuitous maps on Windows.

• Run the "bat" file as described on the GMapTool site.
• Open Garmin Basecamp to ensure that the maps have been installed.
• Use the free Garmin MapInstall program to ship the maps to your device. OR you tin likewise install them directly from Basecamp. Right click on the internal storage and selected install maps (thanks to John S for the tip).
• Or utilize the maps at garmin.openstreetmap.nl, Download your map first. This volition create a unmarried "img" file for each map you lot download.  Then copy that map file to your Garmin (the bulldoze if you lot accept a micro SD card, not the device) in the "Garmin" binder (which you must create first if information technology doesn't already be).

If These Complimentary Garmin GPS Maps Don't Work For You

At that place are other free maps for your Garmin GPS, and again, they might have different instructions for installation. Cheque the website where the maps are offered for directions on how to install them.

• GPSFileDepot is a great resources that's frequently updated. I recommend trying this site before whatsoever others.
• OpenStreetMap.nl is skillful if y'all want to catch.a smaller, more specific map.
• OpenSeaMap offers nautical charts.
• frikart.no
• openmtbmap.org

If you're having problem finding the GMAP folder, this tip has helped some folks (thanks to Liz S!).

Some Last Thoughts

I recommend planning your hike and creating a GPX file beforehand. Well-nigh Garmin GPS units are too small for annihilation more than than impromptu navigation planning. I accept a tutorial on how to programme a hiking route for your Garmin GPS hither.

And I could use your help. I don't download these maps every twenty-four hour period, so if these directions don't seem upwardly to date, please contact me and let me know. I'll update the directions here accordingly.

Lastly, a notation if you're having tech issues. Unfortunately, I can't help everyone who emails me. I recommend posting your question online in the Garmin Reddit, the Garmin Forums, or in a Garmin group on Facebook. That's probably you lot're quickest path to success.

Accept an idea on how to brand these guides better? Leave me your thoughts here..

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