Key takeaways
- A waypoint is a specific location stored by its coordinates for navigation.
- Common waypoints: trailheads, junctions, water sources, campsites, and summits.
- A GPS can guide you toward a waypoint (direction and distance) and chain them into a route.
- Set key waypoints before a trip and back them up on a paper map in case devices fail.
What a waypoint is
A waypoint is a specific location stored by its coordinates so a navigation device or app can reference it. It might mark a trailhead, a trail junction, a water source, a campsite, or a summit. Once saved, a GPS can tell you the direction and distance to that point from wherever you are.
How waypoints are used
- Navigate to a point — head toward a saved water source or your car.
- Build a route — chain waypoints in order to follow a planned path.
- Mark on the fly — drop a waypoint at a key junction so you can find it again.
Before a trip, a hiker loads waypoints for the trailhead, a reliable spring, two confusing junctions, and the summit. In fog, they navigate junction-to-junction by following the bearing and distance their GPS shows to the next waypoint.
Waypoint vs route vs track
A waypoint is one point; a route is an ordered chain of waypoints forming a planned path; a track is the breadcrumb record of where you actually traveled. Back up critical waypoints with coordinates on a paper map so a dead battery doesn’t leave you lost.
The bottom line
A waypoint is the basic unit of digital navigation — a saved point you can steer toward and chain into routes. Pre-load the key waypoints for your trip (trailhead, water, camp, summit, junctions), keep them backed up on a paper map, and you have a reliable framework for finding your way and retracing your steps.
Frequently asked questions
What is a waypoint in navigation?
A waypoint is a single location stored by its coordinates — like a trailhead, trail junction, water source, or summit. In a GPS unit or app, saving a place as a waypoint lets you navigate back to it later and see your direction and distance from it.
How do you use waypoints?
Mark important spots as waypoints before or during a trip — your car, camp, water, and key junctions. Then your GPS can point you toward any of them, and you can link several waypoints in order to form a route to follow. Many people pre-load waypoints from a planned route at home.
What's the difference between a waypoint and a route?
A waypoint is a single saved location; a route is an ordered series of waypoints connected together to describe a path from start to finish. You navigate from waypoint to waypoint along a route, while a recorded 'track' is the breadcrumb trail of where you actually went.
Sources
- GPS & coordinates — USGS
- Wilderness navigation — The Mountaineers