Get your Google Maps list into OnX

Convert to GPX or KML here, then import into whichever OnX app you're running.

Sample Exports

Free up to 25 waypoints per list. No account needed.

Overlanders, hunters, and backcountry travelers often build a working list of trailheads, dispersed campsites, or stand locations right inside Google Maps, then need that list inside OnX before heading somewhere OnX's offline maps actually matter. OnX runs three separate apps, Offroad, Hunt, and Backcountry, each with its own account content and its own import flow, so which steps apply depends on which one you're using.

Whichever app you're headed for, the first step is the same. Paste your list's share link into the converter above and download the file. All three OnX apps read GPX; the web versions of Hunt and Backcountry also take KML directly. Every place on the original Google Maps list becomes a waypoint, same name, same position. What happens after the download is covered below, one section per app.

GPX is the safer default across all three apps, since it's the one format every mobile client accepts without complaint. KML is useful if you're working purely on the web version of Hunt or Backcountry and want a format that also opens cleanly in Google Earth for a quick double-check before importing. If you're not sure which app you'll end up using, or you're switching between your phone and a computer depending on where you are, grab the GPX file and skip the question entirely.

OnX Offroad:

Mobile app (iOS and Android):

  1. Open the Offroad app and go to My Content.
  2. Tap Import.
  3. Pick the GPX file from your phone's storage. The mobile app only reads GPX, not KML, so use the GPX download here.
  4. Files import one at a time on mobile, so if you're loading more than one list, repeat the Import step for each.

Web (onxmaps.com):

  1. Log into your account on the OnX website and go to My Content.
  2. Click Import.
  3. Choose Select from computer, then pick either the GPX or the KML file, both work here.
  4. There's an optional checkbox to drop the import into a new folder, worth using if you're keeping this list separate from other markups.
  5. Click Import to finish.

Offroad caps a single import at 3,000 markups and a 4MB file. MapsLinkQuest's own free tier tops out at 25 waypoints per list, so this only comes up if you're converting a large list on a paid tier, see the troubleshooting note below.

OnX Hunt:

Mobile app (iOS and Android):

  1. Open the Hunt app and go to My Content.
  2. Tap Import.
  3. Select the GPX file from your device storage. KML isn't supported on Hunt's mobile app, GPX only.

Web (webmap.onxmaps.com/hunt):

  1. Log in at webmap.onxmaps.com/hunt/login.
  2. Go to My Content, then click Import.
  3. Choose Select from computer and pick the GPX or KML file, both formats work on the web version.
  4. Click Import to finish.

Same 4MB and 3,000-markup caps as Offroad, plus KMZ and shapefiles aren't accepted, so stick to the GPX or KML this tool produces. One thing to flag plainly since OnX's own documentation states it directly: Hunt requires a paid membership to import markups at all, not just to view offline maps. A free Hunt account won't get a GPX file in.

OnX Backcountry:

Mobile app (iOS and Android):

  1. Open the Backcountry app and go to My Content.
  2. Tap Import.
  3. Select the GPX file from your device. Like Hunt, KML isn't supported on Backcountry's mobile app.
  4. Files import one at a time here too.

Web (onxmaps.com):

  1. Log into your account and go to My Content.
  2. Click Import.
  3. Choose Select from computer, then pick the KML or GPX file.
  4. Optionally check the box to import into a new folder.
  5. Click Import to finish.

Same 4MB, 3,000-markup limits as the other two apps. Backcountry states the same requirement as Hunt: a Premium or Elite membership is required to import markups, free accounts can't complete this step.

If you also plan routes in CalTopo, the same GPX file imports there. The CalTopo page has the steps.

Import paths, at a glance:

  • Offroad mobile: My Content → Import → GPX only, one file at a time
  • Offroad web: My Content → Import → Select from computer, GPX or KML
  • Hunt mobile: My Content → Import → GPX only, paid membership required
  • Hunt web: webmap.onxmaps.com/hunt → My Content → Import, GPX or KML, paid membership required
  • Backcountry mobile: My Content → Import → GPX only, Premium or Elite required
  • Backcountry web: My Content → Import → Select from computer, KML or GPX, Premium or Elite required

Troubleshooting:

  • "Unsupported file format" on import. Almost always means a KML file hit a mobile app. All three OnX mobile apps take GPX only, KML is web-only. Download GPX from the converter above if you're importing from your phone.
  • Import says the file is too large. OnX caps a single import at 4MB. A waypoints-only file, which is all MapsLinkQuest produces, almost never gets near that limit even at a few thousand points, so double-check you downloaded the right file if this happens. If you've genuinely got an oversized file from somewhere else, running it through a tool like Garmin BaseCamp to re-export a slimmer GPX is OnX's own suggested workaround.
  • More than 3,000 markups won't import. That's OnX's hard cap per import. MapsLinkQuest's free tier stays at 25 waypoints per list, so this only turns up on an Explorer Pass conversion of an unusually large list. Split it into more than one file if you hit the ceiling.
  • Hunt or Backcountry won't let the import through at all. Both require a paid membership to import markups, not just for offline maps. Check your subscription status before assuming the file itself is the problem.
  • A KML file imports but some points look wrong or don't display. KML files carrying extra data beyond basic points can behave oddly in OnX. OnX's own support docs point to a site called GPS Visualizer for cleaning up a problem KML before re-importing, but the simpler fix is usually to just switch to the GPX download from the converter above, which is the more reliable format across all three apps anyway.
  • Waypoints imported but I can't find them on the map. Check My Content for the folder the import created rather than the main map view, then confirm that folder's visibility is toggled on.
  • Imports don't show up in a different OnX app. Offroad, Hunt, and Backcountry don't sync markups between each other automatically, each is a separate account content library. Import the file again into whichever specific app you actually plan to use it in.

Common questions

Which OnX app should I use, Offroad, Hunt, or Backcountry?

Whichever one matches what you're doing. All three read the GPX file this tool produces, and Hunt and Backcountry's web versions also take KML directly, so the file works regardless of which app you pick.

Do I need a paid OnX plan to import waypoints?

Depends which app. OnX Hunt and OnX Backcountry both require a paid membership to import markups at all. OnX Offroad's own import documentation doesn't state that requirement, so a free Offroad account should be able to import without upgrading.

Will waypoint names transfer over correctly?

Yes, each imported waypoint keeps the name it had on the original Google Maps list, across all three apps.

Can I convert a really long list, say 100+ trailheads?

Yes. It's built to handle lists with hundreds of places in a single conversion. Just watch OnX's own 3,000-markup import cap if you're pushing into that range on a paid MapsLinkQuest tier.

Do waypoints sync across OnX Offroad, Hunt, and Backcountry automatically?

No, each app has its own separate account content and its own import flow. Import the file into whichever specific app you actually plan to use it in, and repeat the import in any other app you also want it in.

Should I download GPX or KML for OnX?

GPX if you're importing on a phone, it's the only format all three mobile apps accept. KML works too, but only through the web versions of Hunt and Backcountry, not Offroad's web import and not any mobile app.

How big a file can OnX import?

4MB per import, with a 3,000-markup ceiling, the same limits across Offroad, Hunt, and Backcountry. A waypoints-only file from MapsLinkQuest stays well under the size cap even with a large list.

My import failed with an unsupported file format error, what happened?

That almost always means a KML file was used on a mobile app, which only reads GPX. Download the GPX version from the converter above and try again from your phone.

Does MapsLinkQuest's free waypoint limit affect what I can put into OnX?

Yes, indirectly. Free converts up to 25 waypoints per list. The Trip Pack ($4.99, one list up to 1,000 waypoints) and Explorer Pass ($19/year, unlimited) remove that cap if your Google Maps list runs longer.

Can I import a Google Maps list that isn't mine, one a friend shared with me?

Yes, any public Google Maps list share link works, regardless of who created it.

Why would I pick GPX over KML if both work on the web versions of Hunt and Backcountry?

GPX is the one format that works everywhere, mobile and web, across all three apps, so it's the safer default if you might end up importing from your phone later. KML is fine if you're staying on the web and want a file that also opens cleanly in Google Earth.

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