Using Google Maps to create a route for the Zumo XT2
Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2025 1:17 pm
Here’s the process that I’ve been using to create maps in Google Maps, then transfer them to the XT2. I like using Google Maps for the “drag the path around on the map to customize it” functionality.
• First, DON’T go to the normal Google Maps page, it’s not possible to do it from there.
• Use the My Maps page. As near as I can tell, Google no longer offers a button for this page anywhere. You can use this link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/ Note that you need to be logged in to your Google account for this to work.
• Hit the Create a New Map button
• Change the map name to whatever you want to call it. Note that the Zumo can’t have two maps with the same name – it’ll ignore the second.
• Press the Add Directions button, which is the Y-shaped thing with an arrow on the right end. This will create a new Map layer and present Start and End fields.
• Enter your starting and ending destinations and Google will create a route.
• Now edit the map. Drag routes onto roads and do all the normal stuff to create a custom route. If you’re using an iPad you’ll have to have a mouse connected to do this – the touch screen interface doesn’t work.
• (Optional) When you created the new Directions layer, it left the original untitled layer in place. You need to delete it. Click the three vertical dots in the Untitled layer to get to the Delete command.
• To the right of the map title (not the layer title) is another three-dot menu. Open that and choose Export to KML/KMZ. From the pop-up menu select the layer with your driving directions. Click the “Export as KML instead of KMZ” button. Download the file.
That gives you a KML file of your custom route, now you need to convert it to a GPX. You can do that using a website or, on the iPad, the website or an app.
• Go to https://kml2gpx.com/
• Upload your KML file, convert it, and download the result.
iPAD NOTE:
On the iPad you must use Chrome for the klm2gpx step because Safari can’t download the resulting GPX. On the iPad you also have the option of the Geo Converter app. It generates smaller files than the kml2gpx site. In the GPX I just made we’re talking 4.3 mb using the web site vs 700k using Geo Converter.
You should now have a working GPX of your custom map.
To put it onto the XT2 using an iPhone (sorry Android users, you’ll have to figure out your own mechanism for this – the goal is to get the file into the Tread app on your phone):
• Airdrop the map to your phone.
• When the phone receives the map it’ll give you a page showing a placeholder document. Click the Share button at the bottom of the screen. Your goal is to share it to the Garmin Tread app. If the Tread app doesn’t appear in the horizontal list of icons then you need to click the more options button, or whatever it's called and find the Tread app. Once you do, the map will appear in the Tread app and automatically sync to your XT2, if the Zumo is on.
IF YOU DON’T HAVE AN INTERNET CONNECTION: Syncing from the Tread app to the Zumo requires an internet connection – it can’t go device-to-device. In that case you can skip the phone. Instead, transfer the GPX from your computer or iPad to a MicroSD card and then put that into the Zumo and import the map.
Converting the Track to a Route:
• The map imports into the Zumo from Tread as a Track. You can use tracks for navigation on the device, but you won’t get turn-by-turn instructions, lane assist, time to next waypoint, etc. To get that you must convert the track to a route. On the Zumo, go to the Tracks page and select the track you want to convert. When it comes up, click the wrench icon. From the resulting menu choose Convert to Route. Now you can go to the Routes page to select the route for navigation. You can also do this conversion in the Tread app.
You know how, in Star Trek, they fly up to aliens they’ve never met before and start sending rendezvous coordinates to each other, to meet in person? Their Federation is plainly NOT using Garmin stuff.
I’ve been riding across the country for the last few weeks and the technique I’ve described here has been very reliable. That said, the Route features on the XT2 are HORRIBLE. When I click the Route app it immediately starts syncing with the phone, which takes a bit. If I scroll down, it starts syncing again, which takes just as long. I often find myself racing to try to tap on the route that I need before it starts its sync again.
Overall, when working with routes on the XT2 performance is completely abysmal. Long waits between each button press, slow screen re-draw until I get started. A few times I’ve had to pull over to wait for the route to load and start up, because it’s so slow I was afraid I would miss some important navigation stuff.
The more Routes and Tracks you have on the device, the worse it gets, until eventually the XT2 starts crashing. So I would recommend keeping as few routes and tracks on-board as possible. If you’re hoping to keep a big library of useful routes that you’ve used, that’s not possible. Hopefully the eventual XT3 will have a useful level of processing power, because the XT2 simply doesn’t.
• First, DON’T go to the normal Google Maps page, it’s not possible to do it from there.
• Use the My Maps page. As near as I can tell, Google no longer offers a button for this page anywhere. You can use this link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/ Note that you need to be logged in to your Google account for this to work.
• Hit the Create a New Map button
• Change the map name to whatever you want to call it. Note that the Zumo can’t have two maps with the same name – it’ll ignore the second.
• Press the Add Directions button, which is the Y-shaped thing with an arrow on the right end. This will create a new Map layer and present Start and End fields.
• Enter your starting and ending destinations and Google will create a route.
• Now edit the map. Drag routes onto roads and do all the normal stuff to create a custom route. If you’re using an iPad you’ll have to have a mouse connected to do this – the touch screen interface doesn’t work.
• (Optional) When you created the new Directions layer, it left the original untitled layer in place. You need to delete it. Click the three vertical dots in the Untitled layer to get to the Delete command.
• To the right of the map title (not the layer title) is another three-dot menu. Open that and choose Export to KML/KMZ. From the pop-up menu select the layer with your driving directions. Click the “Export as KML instead of KMZ” button. Download the file.
That gives you a KML file of your custom route, now you need to convert it to a GPX. You can do that using a website or, on the iPad, the website or an app.
• Go to https://kml2gpx.com/
• Upload your KML file, convert it, and download the result.
iPAD NOTE:
On the iPad you must use Chrome for the klm2gpx step because Safari can’t download the resulting GPX. On the iPad you also have the option of the Geo Converter app. It generates smaller files than the kml2gpx site. In the GPX I just made we’re talking 4.3 mb using the web site vs 700k using Geo Converter.
You should now have a working GPX of your custom map.
To put it onto the XT2 using an iPhone (sorry Android users, you’ll have to figure out your own mechanism for this – the goal is to get the file into the Tread app on your phone):
• Airdrop the map to your phone.
• When the phone receives the map it’ll give you a page showing a placeholder document. Click the Share button at the bottom of the screen. Your goal is to share it to the Garmin Tread app. If the Tread app doesn’t appear in the horizontal list of icons then you need to click the more options button, or whatever it's called and find the Tread app. Once you do, the map will appear in the Tread app and automatically sync to your XT2, if the Zumo is on.
IF YOU DON’T HAVE AN INTERNET CONNECTION: Syncing from the Tread app to the Zumo requires an internet connection – it can’t go device-to-device. In that case you can skip the phone. Instead, transfer the GPX from your computer or iPad to a MicroSD card and then put that into the Zumo and import the map.
Converting the Track to a Route:
• The map imports into the Zumo from Tread as a Track. You can use tracks for navigation on the device, but you won’t get turn-by-turn instructions, lane assist, time to next waypoint, etc. To get that you must convert the track to a route. On the Zumo, go to the Tracks page and select the track you want to convert. When it comes up, click the wrench icon. From the resulting menu choose Convert to Route. Now you can go to the Routes page to select the route for navigation. You can also do this conversion in the Tread app.
You know how, in Star Trek, they fly up to aliens they’ve never met before and start sending rendezvous coordinates to each other, to meet in person? Their Federation is plainly NOT using Garmin stuff.
I’ve been riding across the country for the last few weeks and the technique I’ve described here has been very reliable. That said, the Route features on the XT2 are HORRIBLE. When I click the Route app it immediately starts syncing with the phone, which takes a bit. If I scroll down, it starts syncing again, which takes just as long. I often find myself racing to try to tap on the route that I need before it starts its sync again.
Overall, when working with routes on the XT2 performance is completely abysmal. Long waits between each button press, slow screen re-draw until I get started. A few times I’ve had to pull over to wait for the route to load and start up, because it’s so slow I was afraid I would miss some important navigation stuff.
The more Routes and Tracks you have on the device, the worse it gets, until eventually the XT2 starts crashing. So I would recommend keeping as few routes and tracks on-board as possible. If you’re hoping to keep a big library of useful routes that you’ve used, that’s not possible. Hopefully the eventual XT3 will have a useful level of processing power, because the XT2 simply doesn’t.
