Points of Interest (POI)

Add Points of Interest (POI) to your route map to make note of any locations nearby your route, but not necessarily along your route. You can also add POI while recording a ride to make note of anything worth saving along the way!

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Download the Ride with GPS mobile app

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Premium subscribers are able to place Points of Interest (POI) throughout planned routes to provide additional layers of detailed information within Ride with GPS map displays. POI markers will be visible during navigation via the Ride with GPS mobile app and can be expanded to reveal additional information, detailed descriptions, and photos contained within. POI can also easily be added while navigating routes and will be embedded within your recorded activity. Flag a particular feature, identify intersections, or simply drop a pin anywhere along your trip to mark the exact location with a POI marker.

Curious about the difference between Highlights, Points of Interest, and Waypoints? Check out our help article that breaks down all three of these map elements.

Add POI to Routes

• Select the Custom POI button in the Edit Route menu to the right.
• Click anywhere on the map to Add POI. Placement is not required to be along route lines. Any POI can easily be relocated after it is created.
  • Note: If you click along the route line, your POI will be saved as a Waypoint instead.
• Add details such as the icon type, name, detailed description, and photos. 
• Save to create POI. 
• Click and Drag POI into the desired position if necessary.
• Pro Tip: You can also right-click anywhere on the map to select Add POI from the right-click menu.

Once saved, your POI will be visible on the map, but will not factor into navigation or trigger turn-by-turn voice navigation. 

If you want your POI to appear on your cuesheet, you'll want to convert it to a Waypoint.

Editing POI

To edit a POI in the Route Planner, click the desired POI and select the Edit icon located in the upper left corner. This will expand the POI and display the form where you can change the POI Type, Name, Description, and URL fields or add Photos. To remove the POI from the route, click the desired POI and select the Delete icon located in the upper left corner. 

The POI Type dropdown menu contains 40 common, activity-specific POI Icons such as Camping, Aid Station, Lodging, General Info, and more. These icons let users know, quickly at a glance, what type of features to expect within a route and where they are located in context. 

Viewing POI

On The Ride with GPS Website

On the web, POI icons are shown in their respective positions within a route's display page. Each icon can be expanded by clicking to reveal the detailed information, nested notes, URL links, and photos contained within. 

Embedded Maps

POI help bring maps embedded within your website, blog, or journal to life. When routes are published on your website as embeds, they are fully interactive. Viewers are able to click on each POI for more information, zoom and pan within the map display, access the original route page, or send the route straight to a device.

Hover or click on the POI icons below for expanded details.

Learn more about embedding a map on your website or embedding multiple routes.

View POI on a Map PDF

Basic and Premium subscribers have the ability to create PDF maps and cue sheets. When the PDF is generated, POI markers are listed on the cuesheet in the order they appear in the route, however by using the orange Rearrange button under the Map Options, they can be rearranged within the list by dragging and dropping into the desired order.

To learn more about creating and customizing Route PDFs, visit our help page. 

POI on Mobile

Within the mobile app, interactive POI markers will appear in their respective locations along the route. To expand, simply tap the POI icon. POI will also display within the app when navigating a route.

Additionally, if your POI includes a phone number, you can tap on it to call. 

FAQ

Will POI show up on my cuesheet?

Simply adding the POI to the map will not add it to the cuesheet. If you'd like to add your POI to your cuesheet, you can make it into a Waypoint.

Is there a limit to the number of POI I can include in a map?

There is no hard limit to the number of POIs that you can include in a map, but at some point, too many POIs can clutter the map and obscure the roads.

What kind of information should I put in a POI?

This is up to you. We usually recommend putting in places of business or information about rest stops. Including a photo to help you find the place is a good idea as well, but this can only be referenced on the website and mobile app. The POI photo will not show up in a PDF or on any Garmin device. 

I have maps from Adventure Cycling Association, how can I import all the POI? 

If working with ACA files purchased before January 31, 2025, check out this detailed article on Working with Adventure Cycling Association Files.