Switch map styles on routes and rides to take advantage of all the map options that we provide. Different maps provide slightly different location data, allowing you to gain additional information, or better tailor your route to your preferences.
Our default map style is our custom RWGPS map, which displays walking paths in green, cycling paths in blue, and driving roads/paved bike infrastructure in white.
Map Styles on the Web
Available Map Styles
Map
- Map displays the classic Google map style.
- With Map selected, you can enable Google's Bike Paths data. Click Bike Paths to display this information. You can view the bike path legend here. Note: this option is only visible with the "Map" and "Terrain" map styles.
Terrain
- Displays the Google Map view with map contours.
- Bike Paths can also be enabled in this map style.
Satellite and Hybrid
- Both Satellite and Hybrid map styles display Google satellite imagery which can be useful for determining the width of a road, further examining surface type, and infrastructure.
- The Hybrid map style displays satellite imagery as well as Google Map view data such as street names, businesses, and bike paths.
RWGPS
- The Ride with GPS map style is our signature map style and is based on Open Street Maps data.
- Below you can read the legend for each track color:
- Green: designates hiking or walking single track. Occasionally the green tracks can be routed on for mountain bike use depending on the rules in your region.
- Blue: designates cycling paths or mountain bike trails.
- White: designates paved areas, typically automobile roads or paved paths.
OSM
- Displays Open Street Maps data. OSM is an open source map that covers the entire world.
- Anyone can submit changes to OSM. Check out our help page on how to submit changes for mapping errors or add new, local trails to OSM maps.
- You can view the OSM map legend at openstreetmap.org/key.
OSM Cycle
- Displays variation of Open Street Maps focused on cycling specific data.
- View the legend for this map style here: opencyclemap.org/docs/.
OSM Outdoors:
- Displays the Open Street Maps data with elevation contours.
ESRI Topo:
- Displays ESRI Topographic map data.
USGS Topo:
- Displays United States Geological Survey Topographical map data.
USGS Scans:
- Displays scanned map data by the United States Geological Survey.
Utilize Google Street View
- With map styles containing Google Map data (Map, Terrain, Satellite, Hybrid), you can access Google Street View to drop into your route and see the street view. Note: Google Street View isn't available in all areas.
- Street View can be accessed in the Route Planner as well as from the Route and Ride Summary Pages.
To use Streetview:
- Open your Route in the Route Planner or in the Route Show Page.
- Select a Google Map Style.
- Click and drag the yellow person icon from the lower right corner of the map to a blue highlighted section on the map to view a street view perspective. You can also drop the icon onto a blue dot on the map to view a photosphere. These are 360-degree shots that allow you to see in places that roads may not normally go.
- Click and drag the image in Street View to rotate the view. Click the arrows within the view to travel along a road.
- To exit Street View, click the return arrow in the box just above the elevation profile.
Change Map Styles for Routing Issues
You can change the Map Style to leverage different map data. You may find that some trails and roads show up on certain map types, and not on others, or that some map styles wont allow you to route on a closed road, while others will. Each of our maps prioritizes different uses, for example, OSM Outdoor may be more likely to find gravel or trail routes.
If you ever come across a section of road that won’t route properly, change the map style to a different map style then retry your routing. You can always switch between a few of these during planning to see all your options.
Switch Map Styles on the App
Map styles on the app are sourced by Mapbox, which provides OSM map data. To switch your map style on the app, tap the map overlay icon in the lower left corner of your screen when viewing a map in the route/ride summary page or the Mobile Route Planner, then tap to select your preferred map style. More information can be found in our Mobile Route Planner help page.
