How to Plan a Bikepacking Route Using Free Apps

Route planning is half the fun of bikepacking, and you do not need to pay for expensive software or services to do it well. Free tools have become so capable that you can plan a detailed multi-day route from your couch, complete with elevation profiles, surface types, water sources, and campsite options.

Here is a step-by-step workflow using free tools.

Step 1: Get Inspired

Before you draw a route, figure out where you want to go.

Bikepacking.com has a curated database of routes with detailed descriptions, GPS files, and rider reports. The subreddit r/bikepacking regularly features trip reports with route information. Local cycling clubs and Facebook groups for your region often have route suggestions.

Start with established routes if this is your first trip. Someone has already figured out the logistics, and their experience helps you avoid dead ends, private property, and roads that are terrible for cycling.

Step 2: Map the Route

Komoot

Komoot is the best free route planning tool for cycling.

The free tier gives you one region's worth of detailed maps, and additional regions can be unlocked for a few dollars each. The route planner lets you draw a path and automatically snaps to roads and trails. It shows surface types (paved, gravel, dirt, single-track) so you know what to expect.

The elevation profile updates in real time as you draw, showing total climbing, grade percentages, and the steepest sections.

This is invaluable for estimating daily effort and planning where to stop for the night.

Ride with GPS (Free Tier)

Ride with GPS is another excellent planning tool. The free tier lets you create routes, view elevation profiles, and export GPX files. The route builder auto-routes on roads and lets you manually draw off-road sections. It also shows user-submitted photos along routes, which helps you visualize conditions.

Google Earth

Google Earth is not a route planning tool, but it is invaluable for scouting specific sections.

Fly along your planned route in 3D to see what the terrain actually looks like. Zoom in on potential campsites to check for flat ground. Look at river crossings to see if there is a bridge. Check if a trail that looks great on a 2D map is actually a cliff face in reality.

Step 3: Analyze the Elevation

Elevation is the single biggest factor in how hard a bikepacking day feels. A flat 60-mile day is vastly different from a 60-mile day with 5,000 feet of climbing. Use the elevation profile from Komoot or Ride with GPS to break your route into manageable daily segments.

As a rough guide for loaded bikepacking on mixed terrain, plan for 30 to 50 miles per day on flat to rolling routes and 20 to 40 miles per day on hilly or mountainous routes.

Add 10 to 15 percent to your time estimate for the first trip because everything takes longer than you expect.

Step 4: Find Water and Resupply

Mark water sources on your route. Streams, rivers, lakes, campground spigots, gas stations, and towns with stores. On remote routes, water availability dictates your carrying capacity and may determine where you camp.

Use Google Maps to check operating hours for stores and restaurants along the route.

A gas station marked on the map might be closed or abandoned. Satellite view can reveal the current state of a location.

iOverlander and FarOut (formerly Guthook) have user-submitted water sources and campsite information for many popular routes. These apps are free to download with some content behind a paywall.

Step 5: Plan Camping

For each night, identify a primary campsite and a backup option in case the primary does not work out.

Options include established campgrounds (reservable or first-come), dispersed camping on public land (free in most national forests and BLM land), and wild camping (legal in many rural areas but check local laws).

Freecampsites.net and iOverlander show free and low-cost camping options. National forest maps (available free from the USDA website) show boundaries and roads where dispersed camping is allowed.

Step 6: Export and Navigate

Export your route as a GPX file and load it onto your GPS device or phone.

Komoot and Ride with GPS both export GPX files from their free tiers. A dedicated cycling GPS (like a Wahoo or Garmin) provides turn-by-turn navigation from a GPX file. Phone apps like OsmAnd and Organic Maps provide offline map navigation for free.

Always carry a paper backup. Print or hand-draw a simplified version of your route with key waypoints, turn information, and emergency contacts. If your electronics fail, a paper map gets you to the next town.

Step 7: Share Your Plan

Tell someone where you are going, your expected route, and when you plan to finish. Share your GPX file with a friend or family member. Check in daily if you have cell service. This is basic safety that too many bikepackers skip.

Route planning with free tools produces results that are as good as any paid service. The information is out there. The tools are capable and accessible. The only investment required is time, and the time you spend planning at home pays off enormously in smoother, safer, and more enjoyable riding on the trail.