How to Load GPS Maps on your GARMIN INSTINCT Watch

Hey hikers and backpackers! This week I show you how to load your All Trails maps on your Garmin Instinct watch so that you can get near turn by turn directions when you're hiking off-grid.
**Update**As of 5/10/24: I've created a quick short to bridge the gap between sending the all trails .gpx file to your garmin smartwatch. All trails is now working with Garmin so it's a lot easier to send your map to your device. Watch how here:
• All Trails GPX Maps to...
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[@DaveOffGrid]

**Update**As of 5/10/24: I've created a quick short to bridge the gap between sending the all trails .gpx file to your garmin smartwatch. All trails is now working with Garmin so it's a lot easier to send your map to your device. Watch how here: kzbin.infomLhU4GImixs

[@pengiethebird]

Good info here. thanks . "music soundtrack" is super annoying and unnecessary.

[@trailtramper6551]

Agree with both statements. Unfortunately a year later the annoying music is still here. But very helpful info.

[@DaveOffGrid]

@@trailtramper6551 thanks for checking in a year later 👍

[@Griggory1500]

Agreed

[@Cynthia-g5d]

Yup, I checked out after typing this WTH ?

[@weeklyoutdoor]

Thanks for the video. I just got my Fenix 6 pro and after a lot of KZbin research, your video was the only one that had what I need. I followed your steps and now I have AllTrails maps loaded on my watch. Thank you!

[@DaveOffGrid]

Awesome! Thanks so much for watching! Glad you found it useful! I use it on nearly all my hikes now, gives me a ton of confidence! Enjoy the trails! 👍

[@robertwhite1535]

I'm fairly certain the Instinct has altimeter, barometer, and temp as well.

[@DaveOffGrid]

Thanks so much for watching! My version is pretty basic. It definitely does tracking and has an altimeter but the temp is gathered from cell reception. Other models probably have a better temp gauge.

[@nikolakokot3234]

@@DaveOffGrid all models of the instinct have a barometer altimeter and temperature. ur referring to the weather widget which loads general temp, but it also has a built in thermometer

[@DaveOffGrid]

@@nikolakokot3234 thanks for the input! How do I switch over to the internal temp instead of the temp widget? I've read it's not as accurate because of the temp of your body effecting the internal temp and to use something like the Garmin Tempe instead, add on around $30 option.

[@nikolakokot3234]

@@DaveOffGrid yea it basically just displays your body heat, but a few times i found mysef wondering what the temperature is u just take it off for 3-4 minutes and it displays accurate temperature. you go into the setting of your watch and then go to widgets and scroll down to add more. one of the widgets in the add more section will be a thermometer and a barometer.

[@DaveOffGrid]

@@nikolakokot3234 appreciate the pro tip! Thanks a lot! Will need to look into that for sure 👍 Def helpful. I'm usually interested in what the temp drops to at night when I'm in the tent so I may still look into the Tempe but this is great to know!

[@dan.aparaschivei]

Garmin Isnstinct does not have maps. You can't use maps. Gpx files are not maps are only a navigation courses. GPX will guide you on the track, but you won't see any map on the watch. You can load and navigate a course with Garmin Instinct, but you will not see any map on the watch, only a breadcrumb trace. The watch will guide you turn by turn.

[@Jay1830]

Thank you. This title is click bait

[@Eilidh]

Thanks for the video, it was very clear and well done! I just purchased a Solar Instinct Garmin watch recently, and it has so many functions. It's incredible the amount of data it tracks. Now with your video, I was able to upload a trail route to my watch, and today I will explore it. I had never done it before because it looked hard not to get lost, being a less frequented one, and not too maintained. But NOW I CAN!

[@DaveOffGrid]

So glad to hear the video helped you out! I've never been more confident in the back country now that I have the ability to track my route on the watch with turn by turn directions! Thanks so much for watching and have a great time out on the trail!

[@Eilidh]

@@DaveOffGrid Thanks! I'm very excited about exploring! I often go explore some new areas, but it can be dangerous if I don't know what I'm doing. I live in BC, Canada, so there are plenty of wild playgrounds to explore.

[@DaveOffGrid]

@@Eilidh Oh definitely! You can even try creating your own routes if you want to go off the beaten path a little bit but still stay on course with your downloaded map!

[@backpackingireland8624]

Great video 👌Greetings from Ireland 🇮🇪

[@DaveOffGrid]

Thanks so much for watching from over seas! Appreciate it! Glad you found the video useful!

[@backpackingireland8624]

@@DaveOffGrid have the Instinct Solar on route , looking forward to using it 👌👌

[@DaveOffGrid]

@@backpackingireland8624 awesome! Lmk how the nav works off-grid for ya!!!

[@BaBaBlues]

just bought myself a instinc 2 and i was kinda confuse, cause when i was hiking i was always using altrails pro on my phone to track my hike and know exactly where to go during the hike. before seeig your video i tougth i was gonna track it by my watch and with my phone on alltrails at the same time to know where to go and where i am on the trail thx for that video

[@DaveOffGrid]

Thanks for watching! You can definitely do both if you'd like! I like to load it up on my watch and then just download the offline map on my phone as a backup 👍

[@hoxoboxo]

Kinda funny, reminds me of the 90s hacking programs and security key

[@WilliamWei-ip4fx]

thanks, very helpful!!

[@DaveOffGrid]

Thanks for watching! Glad it helped 🙂

[@michtur6347]

Really well presented Thanks!

[@DaveOffGrid]

Thanks so much! Appreciate it!!

[@marciomarcelogross6353]

Parabéns pelo vídeo! Fui muito útil na decisão de qual relógio comprar! 🇧🇷

[@wyadvd]

Thanks for the information, however what you are showing us is how to download courses to the watch , not maps . I’d like to find out how to down load a topo map to the watch with contour lines and poi.

[@DaveOffGrid]

Better off on your phone. You'll be pinching and zooming nonstop on a watch

[@Torqueyeel]

I'm planning on doing a 3-day Loop trip with my instinct solar. Any tips on making sure the battery lasts the entire time?

[@DaveOffGrid]

Thanks for watching! You should be all set with the solar version. I don't have solar and the battery will last days with a decent amount of tracking. But even if you do have to charge it's only in the 300mah to juice it back up so a tiny battery bank would fill it multiple times. Have fun out there and keep it safe!

[@DersABigBuck]

So I need a laptop and a phone?

[@DaveOffGrid]

@@DersABigBuck one or the other will do

[@harrythehandyman]

TLDR: start at 4:00 and then 6:00. Use desktop browser to download GPX (the phone app cannot).

[@beararms6945]

Use this watch a lot to trackback to the trail head

[@chrisfaessen1417]

Thanks for the vid. Music should be about a third of the volume it is. It's super distracting from the video content

[@grantlingley1385]

Thanks so much for this video really excellent information. I purchased a Garmin instinct as I wanted to be able to follow trail and also track my progress while riding my off road motorcycle and of course use it when hiking and riding MTB. I also Volunteer as a Backcountry Responder for riders who have been injured on course. Having this kind of tool would enable me to pinpoint where I am on reaching a patient and radio back to Base for any additional support I may need as well as pin pointing my location. I will have to look into this more but a potentially great addition in my tool bag.

[@geektarded]

FYI, instincts have a barometer (the ABC button on the bottom left)

[@larryavdili3063]

Thanks for the video, I've used it while offroading and it's good to know that I have an optional backup option to navigate in case all others fail.

[@DaveOffGrid]

Awesome to hear! Yes always great to have backups! I do this and offline maps on my phone and it works out great!

[@isthi000ify]

Brilliant vid thanks mate. But I think this watch does have ABC function (Alto/Baro/compass) it's it's fantastic survival watch

[@DaveOffGrid]

Thanks so much for watching! I def know about the alto and compass (compass is great too!) I'll have to find the barometer. I also know the weather works with the inreach systems as well so that would be cooler to have on board. Cheers!! 👍

[@anza77]

That watch has barometer and thermometer

[@jeffreytruong8918]

Didnt work for me

[@dannylopez3714]

Can't we just download the All trails map trails onto our phone so that way we'll have it saved with no service? I'm trying to justify the price of the watch if this hiking is my primary focus. Thx.

[@DaveOffGrid]

Hi Danny! Thanks for watching! Yes, with the pro membership you sure can download to your phone and I'd recommend that as a back up to a print out or paper map. The watch is not a necessity, but rather a nice thing to have for quick turn by turn directions at a glance.

[@joshuaforbus5853]

Absolutely you can. Lightweight Battery banks make it practical....just bring a physical compass also. Semper Fi 1997-2006 Marine infantryman

[@hikingadventureswithshanba1365]

Yay thanks. My Gaia worked better for me but your detail info was spot on

[@DaveOffGrid]

Thanks so much for watching! So glad it was helpful!

[@dannyleonidas4328]

You never showed us what it looked like on your watch lol

[@DaveOffGrid]

If you scrub through the video I show how to navigate to it on your smart watch. The video is how to load it on your watch, not how to use it while navigating.

[@ExploringwithJoseCalifornia]

I’m about to purchase that watch and I’m worried about getting lost on hikes , thanks for the great video

[@DaveOffGrid]

Glad it helped! Thanks for watching! It's a solid purchase 👍

[@shivaslindsay7207]

Thank you!! All Trails app was driving me nuts as wouldn't let me get the necessary file to get onto my Garmin. Ended up deleting the Alltrails app to stop it automatically opening so I could get the GPX file.

[@DaveOffGrid]

No problem! Glad this helped out! Yeah the app isn't the best and the functionality is still limited. It's good for offline maps for your phone but not for transferring to your watch.

[@onpointmotorworks7485]

The all trails online just sent me directly to the app once I selected the saved map. There was no option to download from the web. It goes directly to app and has no option to download as GPX. Lame. This did not work.

[@DaveOffGrid]

Did you try deleting the app? If that doesn't work get on a computer and download the .gpx from there and open it up on your phone.

[@onpointmotorworks7485]

@@DaveOffGrid I was able to download the map file to my computer. I attached it in a Gmail to myself. From my phone, I selected the attachment from the email, and it was automatically uploaded into the Garmin app on my phone. The Garmin app synced it to my watch.

[@carpeflorida5289]

Thanks for the video! I can't wait to try it out.

[@DaveOffGrid]

Thanks so much for watching! Just used this method on the trail yesterday, it hasn't let me down yet!!

[@agostinocoppola4619]

Can you download a gpx file from the free version ?

[@DaveOffGrid]

Thanks for watching and for the question! Not that I'm aware of, I had to get the Pro version to get them, otherwise I would do the same and stick with free.

[@GreggObst]

Very helpful video but the background music is maddening. Please consider dropping that because it's hugely distracting.

[@carlmcdonald2735]

can you use the GPS for long distance travel cross country

[@DaveOffGrid]

Thanks for watching! As long as you can map out your route or there's already a trail for it on All Trails you're good to go!

[@koolcorner7397]

gps is free in germin watch and its work with setlite with out phon ?

[@DaveOffGrid]

Hi and thanks for watching! Yes if you get the watch the gps tracking is free. If you have a way to get .gpx files you're all good 👍

[@jerseyltd]

Oh I'd have to buy the trial to download the map?

[@DaveOffGrid]

Yes you need the pro version in order to download offline maps.

[@jerseyltd]

@@DaveOffGrid ok thank you!

[@dariuszdomeradzki5869]

I first time found information about All trails. Thanks for your video it gives the inspiration to hike .

[@DaveOffGrid]

Thanks so much for watching! And thanks for the kind words!! That's why I do it! Hope your time on trail is a blast!

[@swelteringg]

nice video, but what does it look like after you have loaded the map to the watch?

[@DaveOffGrid]

Thanks for watching! It loads the map route and starts showing you directions on where to hike. I have a basic model so it doesn't show anything more than that. A higher end model will show you elevation changes on a topo map visual👍

[@swelteringg]

@@DaveOffGridI appreciate it. I have my first Instinct on the way, mostly for the connected watch with insane battery life, but the GPS is going to be sweet. Glad to hear it also gives directions, I was trying to understand how it worked without displaying the map.

[@DaveOffGrid]

@@swelteringg nice! I think you're going to like it 👍 you can do a blown out view but it doesn't show much. If the route is loaded up it'll tell you left/right/straight and in so many feet.

[@kakegarcia8056]

Thanks for the effort on the video! Just two things: 1.- there was no maps and 2.- the Instinct do has Barometer and other sensors

[@DaveOffGrid]

Thanks for watching! Not sure what you mean by no maps? I noticed the barometer! It's a cool feature but not default on the device. Thinking about doing another video on it!

[@kakegarcia8056]

@@DaveOffGrid what I mean is that as you showed you can download courses but not maps. Thanks so much for answering and please make videos about the sensors, I am on the fence to get an Instinct. Thanks and bests regards from a Venezuelan viewer!

[@DaveOffGrid]

@@kakegarcia8056 ah gotcha. Yes, thanks for the clarification. Courses is a more appropriate term! Thanks again for watching! I'll try to think of more vids to do on the watch!! Thanks for watching from Venezuela!!! That's awesome!!

[@hellomyfriends9740]

Just because I cannot download my maps I will not sub to all trails

[@philippeiiauguste1101]

Awesome video! Is there anywhere else where you can get gpx files?

[@DaveOffGrid]

Thanks so much! You could also try other apps like Gaia and Guthooks

[@christopherbrinegar4122]

When I try to open the GPX file in Garmin Connect on my phone, it says" Oops there has been a problem loading." and then it freezes. I've closed everything and tried several times, same result. Any ideas?

[@DaveOffGrid]

Thanks for watching! Hmm, that sounds weird. Did you try uninstalling the app and reinstalling? Did you sign up for an account with Garmin? Only other thing I can think of is the age of your phone.

[@christopherbrinegar4122]

@@DaveOffGrid yea i tried all of that (except getting a new phone...i have an iphone x)...but i watched another video and that way worked so im good ! thanks for the response!!!

[@DaveOffGrid]

@@christopherbrinegar4122 oh nice! Was there a different way to import it through the Connect app?

[@reedabuke9205]

Hello this is Jason from tech support. Have you turned your device off and back on?

[@datraucous3351]

Once that is done you’ll be at the gates with St. Peter.

[@rinzler9171]

This is cool

[@DaveOffGrid]

Thanks for watching!

[@johnnycash7803]

Can you use the GPS to do like a snowmobile trail tracking?

[@DaveOffGrid]

Thanks for watching! As long as you can either find the route or create it then you'll be able to load it to the watch!

[@johnnycash7803]

@@DaveOffGrid thanks for the response. But do you think it would be accurate enough to show me I gotta take this next right hand turn at at 4 way intersection or fork in the road? Or is it like a general direction gps ?

[@DaveOffGrid]

@@johnnycash7803 As long as you have your route mapped out accurately before hand the GPS on the watch has pinpoint accuracy if it has a direct line to the sky. I can personally attest that it is like having turn by turn directions when out on trail. It's amazing!

[@johnnycash7803]

@@DaveOffGrid shot man you sold me on it bro gonna buy it today you are the man thanks for the response

[@DaveOffGrid]

@@johnnycash7803 Awesome! Have fun snowmobiling! You can also check out the Solar model if your funds allow and you want the watch to charge during the day. I think the battery power of the normal Instinct is amazing though!

[@milesprotter]

Clear instruction. Superb!

[@DaveOffGrid]

Thanks for watching! Appreciate it!

[@jeffraymma2]

No footage of a live map on the INSTINCT watch?

[@microsnook3]

what i was waiting to see wtf

[@sevenrats]

The live map doesn't have any basemap information . All you see is the course line. I find that the watch works great for following the course but I would always bring a paper map as well. Then you can cross reference where you are on the map.

[@JamieMcCalman]

Hi, would this work on Forerunners also?

[@wancaweyaka6881]

Thanks!

[@DaveOffGrid]

Thank you SO much! Hope it helped! You’re my first ever super chat!

[@skaz1504]

Awesome instruction, brother! Can't wait to get my watch, upgrade the all trails app to pro, and do some downloads, and hit the trails. Thank you for this video.

[@DaveOffGrid]

Glad to hear it! If you enjoy All Trails and get your watch let me know how it works out for you! I just used mine again this week and it was awesome!

[@rajeshrathi4270]

Also useful if you showed us what it's like navigating with this watch on the trail

[@DaveOffGrid]

Check out my wills rice canyon loop video

[@najebie14]

This is great! Thanks

[@DaveOffGrid]

Glad you found it useful! Thanks so much for watching!!

[@brendan31415]

Thanks for the great video. I have been looking at getting at Garmin Instinct Solar for a thru hike that has the entire trail available for download in gpx format. I wanted to check what happens when on the Instinct when you join a course part way through (such as on day 2 or day 100 of a long course). Does is send you in the correct direction of the trail, or does it want to send you back to the start first? I have tried this on my Garmin Edge 530 cycle computer, and the navigation options on the device to allow you to join a course part way through, but just wanted to check that the Instinct behaved the same way.

[@DaveOffGrid]

Thanks so much for watching!! If you start in the middle of the route GPS should pick up your location relative to the trail you're on and direct you in the direction of the saved route.

[@DaveOffGrid]

Lmk how it worked out for you!

[@brendan31415]

@@DaveOffGrid Thanks. That is what is hoped. Just wanted to confirm before spending the money.

[@PuffyTacos]

Thanks helped a lot

[@DaveOffGrid]

That's awesome! Glad to help! Thanks for watching!

[@beemrdon52]

My Alltrails does not start where yours does. Mine starts with "Ready to do this Donald? I don't see the page that you show...

[@DaveOffGrid]

Thanks for watching! Do you see the search box where you can search for your trail(s)? That's where you start in order to favorite your trails.

[@AlfonsoSprohnle]

Great video, great sync with all trails. Keep the good work !

[@DaveOffGrid]

Thanks so much for watching! Appreciate the comment! Happy Holidays!!!!

[@jamesjw41]

have to buy a Pro membership, bummer. kinda just blows past that point

[@DaveOffGrid]

If you have another way to download gpx files for free then go with that method. For All Trails you need a Pro Membership.