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How to Create and Download Garmin Custom Maps

In This Guide	Creating a Custom Map To Fit Your Needs Downloading a Custom Map to Your Garmin GPS Using Basecamp to Programme With Custom Maps 3D Custom Map Viewing in Google Earth
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If you have a Garmin GPS unit of measurement, you lot tin create and download custom maps onto your unit. When yous use the CalTopo website, these custom maps can be nearly annihilation that you can imagine. It means that y'all don't necessarily need to buy a Garmin GPS with maps included, and it as well means that you can create highly customized maps based on your use scenario. Custom maps accept been available for Garmin GPS units for quite some time, but the procedure was clunky and tech-heavy. Today, using CalTopo, creating custom maps is expressionless easy. In this guide I'll show you lot how to create the maps, download them to your Garmin, and view them in Google Globe to visualize the topography.

Update: You lot now need a CalTopo Pro account to create custom maps this way. If you need custom maps, I consider it worth the subscription price. Additionally, CalTopo is a powerful tool that probably has many other potential uses for you. And so I'd strongly consider a subscription. If you want to exercise it for free, y'all can follow Garmin's instructions hither.

Garmin Custom Maps Video

Step one: Create the Map in CalTopo

First off, visit the complimentary CalTopo website and find the area that you'd similar to create a map for.

CalTopo has a powerful ready of mapping tools that you tin can use for free.

You can explore the tools and layers of CalTopo on their tutorial page.

You lot tin can choose from many map layers and also overlay maps on top of other maps.

There are hundreds of permutations of maps you can create in CalTopo. My favorites are:

• Base layer of MapBuilder Topo (with lots of trails) and overlay (40-fifty% opacity) of scanned topographic maps.
• Base layer of MapBuilder Topo and overlay (40-fifty% opacity) of Forest Service 2016
• NPS visitor map

One time you have the map you desire, get toPrint > Download KMZ

Choose the scale and bounds of the map to save.

After that, note where the KMZ file is saved. Y'all'll be transferring this to your Garmin.

The KMZ file is the format that a Garmin GPS unit reads as a custom map.

What is a KMZ file?

A KMZ file is a compressed KML file in a format specified by Google Earth. So what is a KML file? It's a collection of map presentation elements. In the case of these custom maps, information technology'southward a serial of JPEG image files that take a latitude and longitude associated with each corner. Those coordinates are used past your Garmin GPS to overlay the images when you look at it on the unit.

Here's a KMZ that I've cracked open up in Google Globe. The list on the left hand side is each JPEG image tile. I've switched 1 JPEG tile off, and you can see information technology disappears from the display.

If you lot run into problems with your custom map (KMZ file) non working on your Garmin GPS, make sure that you oasis't exceeded any of the limits plant here on Garmin's custom map guidelines page.

Step two: Download to Your Garmin GPS

The 2d stride is very easy. Y'all are going to only re-create the KMZ file from step 1 onto your device. So plug your Garmin GPS into your calculator, wait a few seconds, and it should appear as a disk drive chosen GARMIN.

Look for the three-pronged USB symbol on the screen that indicates the GPS is in USB mode.

If you tin can't become the Garmin to connect, brand certain it'due south in USB Mass Storage Mode.

Once yous've got the GPS plugged in, copy the KMZ file to the Garmin > CustomMaps binder.

And that's information technology; it's on your device!

Stride 3: View the Custom Map on Your GPS

So this stride might be a picayune different on every GPS depending on the interface. Go to your map or settings page, then bring up the Map Setup screen.

Choose the option to configure maps.

You should see "Custom Maps" listed with your other onboard maps. Select it.

Want to load general gratis maps for unabridged regions on your Garmin GPS? Cheque out this article about downloading free OSM maps for Garmin GPS.

Yous should run across the file nosotros created along with the map prototype.

Once you lot've confirmed that the custom map is downloaded to you lot device, you're all prepare. When you're in that area the custom map will supercede any born maps that y'all have on the device. If you don't want to see it, you just return to this screen and disable it. You can also plug in the device and delete the file when yous're done with it.

Viewing Custom Maps in Garmin Basecamp

One of the cool things almost these custom KMZ maps is that you lot can view them in the free Garmin Basecamp program. I'm not going to deep dive into the features of Basecamp, but you tin can bank check out my article "What is a GPX File?" if you want to learn more.

Simply drag the KMZ custom map file that yo created in Step ane into Garmin Basecamp to open up it. The map will overlay onto whatever other maps you have loaded.

Once your custom map is open in Garmin Basecamp you tin can marker waypoints and draw tracks using it. Note that custom maps are not routable (more on routes versus tracks hither).

You lot tin can also transfer the map to your device direct from Garmin Basecamp, assuasive you lot to skip the transmission file copy in Step 2.

Custom Map 3d Relief Viewing in Google World

When it comes to the cool factor, this is upwards at the superlative on my list. Because the custom map KMZ file that you lot created is the (gratis) Google Globe format, yous can also open it in that location. In one case you've opened the flat KMZ map tiles in Google World, it will "wrap" the flat tiles onto the 3D geographic relief model it has of the earth. It's easier to show you, so take a wait at the images below.

Here's my custom map overlaid onto Google Earth's 3D relief model. You tin see past the edge of the map how it'due south been overlaid onto the 3d topography.

One time you have the map in Google World you can utilise it's tools to pan and zoom around. The superlative changes on the trails come to life in this 3D view.

Whenever I'm planning a new hike and want to do some "armchair exploring," I'll e'er bring my custom map and GPX file into Google Globe and move around the area in 3D. It helps me bring the topographic contours to life.

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