More Digital Data Released For Western Express And Pacific Coast Routes

September 15, 2016 - Jennifer Milyko is Adventure Cycling's Routes & Mapping Assistant Director

Adventure Cycling is excited to announce the release of enhanced GPX data for the Pacific Coast and Western Express routes! The Pacific Coast is our most popular route, taking in the majestic vistas only found on the western coast of North America. While the Western Express is the short cut to crossing the country beginning in San Francisco, CA and joining the TransAmerica Trail in Pueblo, CO. This data may be purchased by individual map section or the entire route.

We have long been on the road to offering a way for traveling cyclists to navigate our route network via electronic devices, as a supplement to our top-notch paper maps. In May 2015, after a round of testing with users, we released our first GPX data for devices: Bicycle Route 66 (BR66) and Idaho Hot Springs Mountain Bike Route (IHSMBR), followed by the TransAmerica Trail (TA) in April 2016.

Like our other data launches, the Pacific Coast and Western Express route data include high-resolution GPX tracks of the main route, and any alternates or options shown on the printed map, which can be displayed and followed on your GPS or mobile device.

The data also includes a GPX file of all the services shown on the map including our “Cyclists Only Camping and Lodging” listings found on no other maps.

Support for our digital offerings is available in the enhanced GPX data Tracks and Service Points section of our website. This includes directions on what to do with the data once you've downloaded it, how to set up some of the more common Garmin devices, and how to use it on both iOS and Android operating systems.

With this development and the momentum building, it is an exciting time in the Routes & Mapping Department. We will continue to roll out GPX data tracks for the rest of our Adventure Cycling Route Network, a few routes at a time and as new routes are published. Watch for the next launch, the Southern Tier Route, to arrive in early October.

Device screenshot images courtesy of Rami Haddad.

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