garmin maps

[robert warga]

  Just got  a Garmin Etrex 20 for Christmas--trying to find trail maps for north jersey hikes--Stokes-DWG--High point etc. that I can load into it--something to supplement my paper maps-can't seem to find any on the web thanks-- Bob

[njHiking.com]

Robert -

A good site for free topos is GPS File Depot. We like the "Boyds Map of New Jersey 2012" topo. It has a handful of trails. Most files are going to contain TOPOs with just some major trails in them.

You can use Garmin BaseCamp (free) to load and view the topo files as well keep manage all the tracks and waypoints you generate. We also have many of our GPS files posted on hikes on njhiking.com that you can download and use.

There's also Garmin mapsets. We have their National Parks West and that contains trails but we don't have the Northeast set so I don't know if it has trails for DWG etc.

--Dawn

[robert warga]

  i have been on file depot--i cant seem to upload Boyds--where can i find your gps files on this site--thanks

[njHiking.com]

GPX files are listed in the "hike info" section for many of the hikes on njHiking.com, such as on the Mt. Tammany page. They contain tracks and waypoints, but are not topos.

--Dawn

[robert warga]

 thanks for the reply--very frustrating couple of days with my gps--was able to download a nj topo map to the sd --but when i tried to add maps to it something now is wrong with the card and i can't run the gps with it in--so now i am back to the default street map--was hoping to test run it on some trails today but am going to buy a new card and see if i can at least get the topo back on--do you know anywhere to purchase a nj trail map to load onto my gps?--two days of trying to get them off the web for free has me giving up--thanks

[njHiking.com]

GPS software can be rather unintuitive to get the hang of. The file depot site has some great stuff but it can be fussy to figure out how to implement.

I don't know of anything to buy that contains trails for this area, it's actually not that common to have trails on a GPS map. A GPS is geared toward providing a topo map, setting waypoints, recording your tracks, and getting you back.

The only mapsets we have with actual trails on them are in the Garmin National Parks series, where the trails don't change as often. It's possible there is a set that contains trails for DWG area because it is a National Rec site - I am just not certain on it cause we don't have it. You could check specs online or hit up a local gear shop like Campmor, EMS, REI - they should carry software for GPS.

The Trail Conference has a smartphone app with the trails but it's not for GPS units (it's basically a PDF of their map that shows your location on it).

-Dawn

[robert warga]

  thanks again--i am not computer literate at all so a lot of this is new to me--however i did install a new sd and took a short hike in Stokes--i was able to save that trail on my new topo and will probably keep doing this to fill in as many trails as we can--our idea is to combine different trails to create as many loop trails as possible and would like to find our way thru unmarked areas to reach known trails and was hoping the gps could be loaded with a trail map--that being said i did wander off trail towards the end near the car and followed my gps right back so i am sure we will be loving this new edition to our gear---thanks again for the replies

[Paul]

Hi Robert,

Did you get any further with your GPS issues? I have an etrex20 also, so maybe we can trade tips.

Paul