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Most weekends, I go in search of new, exciting roads to ride, and I face problems each time: I get lost, the roads I hoped would be good aren’t, and sometimes I find myself on potentially dangerous roads where there’s no cell service. These are the risks you take in search of the perfect route, but off-road enthusiasts needn’t take them anymore.
onX’s Offroad, one of our favorite off-road mapping apps, launched a new in-app route-building feature that sure has me thinking hard about those risks. The update makes it simpler and faster to link off-road trails and create custom routes. Best of all, you’ll never miss a turn. This is how it works.
The onX app has over 650,000 miles of mapped trails and dirt roads for 4x4s, SxS, dirt bikes, and snowmobiles. The Route Builder feature enables you to link these trails and roads to create custom routes. There’s a new “snap-to-trail” functionality, which automatically traces the closest roads or trails to the one you’ve selected. You’ll then see visual options regarding potential routes, and you can choose how you want to progress.
So, instead of spending hours looking for paths that link up and wondering if you’ve chosen correctly, the whole process is finished in seconds. Hopefully, this will encourage off-roaders to explore new areas by taking the stress out of route planning.
onX Offroad’s General Manager, Roy Edwards, stated, “To date, onX’s geospatial team has made 1.6 million edits to its proprietary map content, evaluating trails and roads with an off-roader’s eye. For example, this team refines trail routes so they are navigable, edits the geometry of each to match satellite imagery, and works to ensure that the vehicle accessibility information on each trail is up-to-date.”
Anyone with an onX Offroad account can access the Route Builder feature in the Tools tab on desktop and mobile devices when online or within cell range. Here, you can see the trip’s elevation profile and distance totals. If you have a premium or elite membership, the new feature enables you to share your routes and save them for future adventures.