📱 Looking to do this in the HiiKER app? See Plan a hike in the app.
The Hike Planner at hiiker.app/hike-planner is the most powerful way to plot a route — from a quick afternoon loop to a multi-week thru-hike. It’s built for desktop browsers, where a big screen and a mouse make route planning a joy.
In this article: Plotting a route · Routing modes · Route tools · Elevation profile
Plotting a route
- Open the planner from Plan a hike in the navigation bar, or from the map’s Options menu.
- Click the map where you want to start, then keep clicking to add points — HiiKER automatically routes between them along known paths.
- Your running total — distance, elevation, estimated time, and difficulty — updates live in the panel on the left.
- Made a mistake? Use Undo / Redo at the top of the Actions panel, or drag any control point to a new spot.
Routing modes
The Routing buttons in the Actions panel control how points are joined: hike (walking paths — the default), bike (cycle routes), car (roads — handy for transport legs), or free draw (straight lines, no snapping) for going off-path.
Route tools
- Loop route — automatically close your route back to the start via the shortest path.
- Out and back — return along your outbound route.
- Reverse — swap the start and end.
- Add trace — trace a line by hand.
- Add point by coordinate — drop a control point at exact GPS coordinates.
- 3D Flyover — preview your route as a 3D fly-through.
The elevation profile
The chart at the bottom shows the elevation along your whole route. Drag along it to inspect any point — distance, height, and expected terrain.
💡 Top tip: When you’re happy with the route, hit the yellow Save Plan button — you’ll need a free HiiKER account. See Saving & sharing your planned hikes.
