GpxTrace.com: Spot the Orange Trails, Connect the Paths
Published on May 30, 2026
A Frustration Born From My Own Walks
It all started with my walks around Toulouse. After writing about my long walk to Montastruc-la-Conseillère, I kept exploring the small trails in the area. Every time, the same question came back: how do I quickly find a good route that stays on real paths, without spending hours on asphalt roads?
I tried the usual tools. GPX Studio, Komoot, Strava, Organic Maps, Google Maps… They all have their strengths. But none of them really solved my core problem: seeing at a single glance where all the dirt trails and small paths actually are , and being able to connect them easily.
The Problem: The Trails Are Invisible
On most maps, roads dominate visually. The small paths show up as thin, pale lines, often lost in the noise. You have to zoom in a lot, toggle layers, and even then… you never get a clear, immediate picture of the real trail network that exists on the ground.
The result? You often end up drawing a route that looks fine on screen, only to discover halfway through that a big chunk of it is on a paved road. Or you waste a ridiculous amount of time zooming and panning just to "discover" the paths one by one.
My need was simple: a map where the trails are the main visual element , not the roads. A map that tells me instantly: "here's everything walkable near you."
The Solution: GpxTrace
That's how GpxTrace.com was born — a tool built for one single purpose: making trails visible and easy to connect.
The idea is almost childishly simple. On the map, every dirt path and trail lights up in bright orange . Not pale gray. Not thin dotted lines. Bright orange. So with one look, the entire network jumps out at you.
You "connect the orange lines." You stay on real paths. You avoid asphalt. And you build your itinerary in just a few quick moves.
The editor is already live.
You go to the map, dirt trails and paths light up in bright orange. You click to place points directly on the orange lines. GpxTrace follows the actual trails and calculates the route in real time.
You instantly see: - total distance - elevation gain and loss
Once you're happy with your route, you export it as a GPX file in one click. You can then load it into Organic Maps, OsmAnd, or any hiking app you prefer.
If you're logged in with Google, you can also save your routes and find them later in "My Account".
The Moment It Becomes Obvious
What struck me most during development was the first time the map rendered with the trails in bright orange. Suddenly, areas I had assumed were "empty" revealed dozens of small paths. Places right next to where I live that I had never explored became obvious at a glance.
It was the exact opposite of what I experienced during my walk toward Montastruc: that feeling of "I don't know where the paths are anymore," which pushes you onto the road by default. With GpxTrace, that information becomes visible immediately.
Why GpxTrace Is Different
Most route-building tools are general-purpose mapping software. GpxTrace is deliberately obsessed with one idea: making the trail network obvious.
No complicated overlays. No fifty buttons. Just the map, the orange lines, and the ability to connect them.
It's a tool built by someone who actually walks, for people who want to walk — on dirt, not on pavement.
What's Next?
The project is still young. The landing page and core architecture are solid. The full editor and GPX export are coming progressively. But the core idea is already there, and it works.
If, like me, you enjoy heading out near home without always needing to drive 50 km first… if you're looking for forgotten little trails rather than the big, heavily marked routes… then GpxTrace is for you.
Head over to gpxtrace.com and see the orange lines near you.
One glance. Paths appear. The route draws itself.