Draw Your Route. Get the Whole Plan.
Every other number on this site starts from two facts: how far, and how much climbing. Drop points on the map — or turn on Snap to trails and let each segment follow real mapped paths — and the planner calculates distance, elevation gain, grade, and the full profile as you draw, with a complete hike plan building itself below. Split it into days, export the GPX, or share the route as a link.
The drawing map requires a pointer or touch. If you navigate by keyboard, enter your route's distance and elevation directly into any calculator — every number the planner produces can also be typed in.
Trailomen — Full Hike Plan
Planning estimates, not guarantees — build in margin. trailomen.com/route-planner
How the measurements work
With Snap to trails on, segments are routed along mapped paths from OpenStreetMap by the open BRouter engine, and elevation comes straight from the routed geometry's SRTM data. In free-draw mode, distance is the sum of great-circle (haversine) segments between your points and elevation comes from the open Open-Elevation terrain service, sampled at up to 100 points along your line. Either way, ascent and descent are accumulated through a 5-meter deadband filter so terrain-data noise doesn't inflate the climbing figure — the same technique GPS apps apply to barometric tracks.
The Full Hike Plan feeds those measurements into the same formulas as the individual calculators — Naismith with terrain corrections for time, NPS hydration guidance for water, the Pandolf equation for energy — personalised by the fitness, temperature, and weights you set. Each number links to its calculator with your route pre-filled for fine-tuning.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate the elevation gain of a hike?
Draw your route on the map above — the planner samples the terrain along your line and totals every climb into cumulative elevation gain, filtering out sub-5-meter noise so the number stays honest. No GPX file or recorded track needed: it works before you ever set foot on the trail, and the result feeds straight into the time, water, and calorie calculators.
How does Snap to trails work?
Turn it on and each new segment is routed along real mapped paths from OpenStreetMap (via the open BRouter engine) instead of a straight line — distance, ascent, and the profile then describe the actual trail. If routing is briefly unreachable, the segment falls back to a straight line and the planner tells you; nothing blocks.
How accurate is the measured distance?
With Snap to trails on, distance follows the routed trail geometry itself. In free-draw mode the line is measured with the haversine formula — exact for the points you place, so zoom in and trace switchbacks faithfully and the result lands within a few percent of GPS-recorded tracks.
Can I share a route with someone?
Yes — Share link copies a URL that encodes your waypoints. Anyone opening it sees the same route load and zoom automatically, with trail snapping restored if you had it on. Routes also save to your own browser with Save route.
Where does the elevation data come from?
From the open Open-Elevation service, which serves global SRTM-derived terrain data. We sample about 100 points along your line and filter small fluctuations with a 5-meter deadband — the same approach GPS apps use to avoid inflating ascent with sensor noise.
Why does my ascent differ from a guidebook figure?
Ascent is the most method-sensitive number in hiking. Different smoothing filters, data resolutions, and route lines produce figures that vary by 10–20%. Our deadband method is deliberately conservative; treat guidebook numbers within that band as agreeing with it.
Can I save my routes?
Yes — Save route stores up to 20 routes in your browser (never on our servers), and they survive closing the tab. Because they live in local storage, clearing browser data removes them, and they do not sync between devices.
Does the planner work offline on the trail?
The measurements and plan you generate persist in the page after loading, and the printable Full Hike Plan is designed to be saved as a PDF or screenshot before you leave. Drawing new routes needs a connection for map tiles and elevation data.