How to Make Your Own Route on Garmin GPS
By Fred Decker
Helping you navigate from Point A to Point B is the core function of a GPS device, and modern models from Garmin and other major manufacturers make it easy. Most are equipped with large, easily-readable touch screens, and use simple icon-driven menus to guide you through every step of the process. Models in the nuvi series and most other Garmins follow a similar procedure.
Step 1
Touch "Where To?" on your main menu or "Tools" on some models. Select "Custom Routes" and then "New."
Step 2
Press "Add New Start Point." Navigate through your map and touch the location you're starting from. Touch "Select."
Step 3
Touch "Add New End Point" and repeat the process of finding and selecting your chosen location.
Step 4
Look for a green wedge to the right of your chosen beginning and end points, with a plus sign superimposed on it. Touch that icon to add locations or waypoints to your route, tapping each location on the map and then the "Select" button to choose it. To delete locations, touch the red square icon.
Step 5
Tap "Next," once you've selected all your locations. The GPS will create your route and display it on your map.
Step 6
Touch "Done" to save your route and exit.
References
Tips
- Once you've created a route, you can edit it by touching "Where To?," then "Custom Routes" and then "Edit." You can rename the route, manually or automatically change the order of your waypoints, add and remove waypoints or have your Garmin calculate an alternative route based on different criteria.
- You can also create routes on your computer using Garmin's BaseCamp or older MapSource software, and transfer them to your GPS using a USB cable.
Writer Bio
Fred Decker is a trained chef and certified food-safety trainer. Decker wrote for the Saint John, New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal, and has been published in Canada's Hospitality and Foodservice magazine. He's held positions selling computers, insurance and mutual funds, and was educated at Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.