Waypoint Name Format
(See Links Below)
The length of a waypoint name is usually limited and varies from model to model.  Many early Garmin receivers and some other manufacturers were limited to six characters.  Many Magellan receivers are limited to eight characters and many current Garmin receivers are limited to 10 characters.  Some models have larger limits and lower case letters may not be supported.  Another item to consider is the small screen size on handheld receivers.  Long names cover up whatever information is "under" them (and very near them too) so names as short as possible make for less screen clutter.

Usually the name of the place the waypoint marks will be used as the name of the waypoint.  Since many names are longer than the space allowed for a waypoint name, the place name probably has to be abbreviated.  This is often done by eliminating silent letters, double letters, vowels, etc., doing as much as possible to keep the name recognizable until it is down to the allowed length.

Users of primitive roads, trails, rivers, backcountry, etc. may be interested in features that don't often have names or be interested in their progress along a road, trail, or river.  In this case it would be desirable to give the waypoint a name reflecting the type of feature such as where a trail crosses a stream.  Since there may be many such points along a route, they need a method to distinguish between them.  We just append a number to separate one from another.  No other significance is placed on the number so that management of them is easy.  Note that "Blue Lake Trail" could cross "Bear Creek" eight times on the way to Blue Lake.  Marking the crossings with reduced names could be something like:  BLUL-BERCK,  BLU-BEARCK, BLULK-BEAR, BLUL-BEAR, BLUE-BEAR, or BLU-BEAR1, BLU-BEAR2, BLU-BEAR3, etc.  This can get cumbersome.

So we name waypoints in a defined way to identify locations. We might have "stream crossing # 1" (ST1) and "stream crossing # 2"  (ST2), etc. for waypoints along a trail or road.  This gives the traveler useful information such as there probably is water available 1.55 miles ahead (distance to ST1 from the GPSR) or "that location is a trail junction" (JC3). We put the names, if available, or other pertinent information in the comment field of the waypoint.  If available the comment field has a longer length for names.

These codes are useful for travel by foot, horse, car, jeep, or boat, etc. in the country, wilderness, or down a river.  For organizing waypoints we use a structure outside of the waypoint name to group them according to regions pertinent to the kind of travel for which they will be used.

The codes are divided into two basic groups based on the source of the information.  One source is map based, which implies the map determines the waypoint’s accuracy.  The other source is a single GPS field mark whose accuracy is determined by the GPS receiver and satellite constellation at the time the mark was taken.  The map-based codes are also divided into 2 subgroups.  One subgroup is "strictly" map based and the other is a map based or a processed (averaged) GPS mark combination.  The files we have provided use the GPS mark coded waypoints even though they are an average of a number of marks.  In the future we may provide waypoints with the "Processed" codes.

In the field we mark locations with the "GPS" codes followed by a number.  For example the stream crossing will be given a name something like ST12 then ST-12 on the way back and maybe ST012 for a third mark.  The next stream crossing will be given the name ST13 and ST-13 on the way back.  A program to average waypoints that represent the same location uses the codes to process multiple GPS marks of the same location.  The program writes out the averaged waypoints into two types of files, one with "GPS" codes and the other with "Processed" codes.  So ST12 and ST13 will be found in the "GPS" coded file and STR12 and STR13 will be found in the "Processed" coded file.  We can then load STR12 and STR13 into our GPSRs, return to the same location, and mark ST12 and ST13 another time for more averaging. Other users probably don't need to concern themselves with these aspects but might find it useful when adding additional waypoints based on a map.  In other words the map shows the trail crossing a stream and there's no waypoint.  Mark a waypoint and call it S6834 or STR98.  When you are in the field you will know that point was marked based on the map and not a GPS based field mark.

If you download the waypoints we have made available on this site or from www.gpsmap.net, you might find these documents useful.  Looking through the waypoint name format specification will help in understanding what the waypoints represent that we have posted.

Also included below are some documents specifying which Garmin waypoint icons are used with which waypoint codes.  Since the number of icons useful for wilderness, park, trail, and rafting type activities is limited; you may have to use your imagination.

The following are links to the HTML pages:

      Waypoint Name Format Specification

      Cut down version of format specification with only GPS marks

      Waypoint Codes to Icons Cross-Reference

      Waypoint Icons to Codes Cross-Reference


The following are links to download RTF format files:

      Waypoint Name Format Specification

      Cut down version of format specification with only GPS marks

      Waypoint Codes to Icons Cross-Reference

      Waypoint Icons to Codes Cross-Reference
Caveats:
  • Waypoint classification may be in error due to incomplete knowledge or changes by man and/or nature.
  • Sometimes waypoint classification is subjective so don't be surprised if the trail looks like a road to you.
  • Not all geographical or man made features will be marked so don't be surprised that there is a stream to cross where there is no waypoint.
  • Do not count on water being in a "stream" because it wasn't classified as an intermittent stream.
  • A stream that is thought to run all year may be dry because of drought conditions or some other reason.
  • Sometimes it is difficult to decide whether a road is a trail (double track) or a trail is a road.  We try to label a double track a road if it looks like it is often used by cars or truck type vehicles (non-ATV's). It may be closed to the public and only used by park maintenance or water district personnel, etc.  However a road that is closed to the public but used by official vehicles and that is also officially part of a trail may be marked as a "trail".
  • A "road" may be temporarily closed to "regular" vehicles because of landslides, washouts, tunnel cave-ins, etc.  It may not be known whether a "road" is temporarily closed  to "regular" vehicles.  If it becomes permanently closed then it would become a "trail".  So a trail (double track) may be a road that is old and no longer used by "regular" vehicles.
  • The "Old Trail Junction", "Old Road Junction", "Spur", and "Cross-country junction" classifications don't imply the type of track of the other branch.  The other branch may be a trail or road. The "Cross-country junction" may be off of another "cross-country" route.
  • An "Old Road Junction" is likely not to fit the definition of a road above.  "OJR" is used when an old road branches off of the main trail (which was probably part of the old road system).  The old road probably hasn't been used in many years.
  • Narrow trails (single track) may be open to and used by motorized vehicles such as "dirt bikes" and ATV's.
  • "Cross-country" routes may be "minor" trails because enough people use the same route.  A "cross-country" route may really be a "game" (dear, elk, cow, etc.) trail or the remnant of an old trail.
  • A "cross-country" route is very likely not to have any sign of travel by people.  That means finding your way is up to you and the skills you have.
  • You must know your ability and the hazards of wilderness travel.  Know how to find your way without a GPS.
  • Weather can be hazardous in many ways.  Lightning claims many lives especially in Florida and Colorado. You must understand that streams and rivers won't have bridges across them in the wilderness (there are exceptions).  A stream that is easy to cross at one time of day may be impossible to cross at another time because of rain, snow melt, or dam release, etc.  The rain doesn't necessarily have to be coming down where you are located.
  • Snow melt generally results in higher water later in the day but not always.  We have seen water higher in the morning than the evening before it.
  • Snow and ice can cause you to fall or can fall on top of you.
  • Some routes up mountains are technical, meaning you might need ropes, harness, carabiners, etc.
  • Just because a pass has a name doesn't mean that there is a trail over it or that it is easy to cross.
  • There are always exceptions.
  • This is by no means a complete or thorough list.
 
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