Why a GPX file does not prove legal access

Geometry, not permission

GPX describes where points were placed and how they are ordered.

The GPX 1.1 schema provides waypoints, routes and tracks. Those elements can carry coordinates, elevation, time, names, descriptions and links. They can describe a planned journey or a recording made by someone who travelled through the area.

The format has no standard field that turns a line into a legal right of access. A track can come from a private event, a landowner's permission, an old recording, a mapping error or a journey made contrary to a restriction. Copying, downloading or importing it does not change that status.

One line, different users

Permission to walk does not automatically permit cycling, riding or driving.

In England and Wales, GOV.UK distinguishes footpaths, bridleways, restricted byways and byways open to all traffic. Everyone can walk public rights of way, while cycling is included on bridleways and the byway categories, not ordinary public footpaths. Open access land in England normally supports access on foot; cycling needs another right, a suitable public route or the landowner's permission. Natural Resources Wales likewise describes statutory open access land in Wales as a right of access on foot.

A GPX created by a walker can therefore be unsuitable for a cyclist even when every coordinate is correct. The same applies to horses, motor vehicles, organised events and commercial activity, each of which may engage different rules or permissions.

The UK is not one access system

Check the official framework for the country containing the route.

• EnglandPublic-rights categories define permitted users, and mapped open access land generally provides access on foot. Councils and access authorities publish route and restriction information.
• WalesPublic rights of way use the established categories, while mapped open access land under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act provides access on foot. Natural Resources Wales and local authorities publish official information.
• ScotlandStatutory rights of responsible non-motorised access apply to most land and inland water, including walking and cycling, subject to excluded places and responsible behaviour under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
• Northern IrelandPublic rights of way are legally protected highways, but the recorded type determines who may use them. Local councils keep maps and records and can provide route-specific information.

Before relying on the line

Verify the activity, authority and date.

1. Source

   Identify who published the route.

   An official land manager or event organiser can explain permissions and conditions. An anonymous file offers no such assurance.

2. Status

   Check the official map or record.

   Use the relevant council, access authority, national body or land manager, especially where the route category determines permitted users.

3. Activity

   Confirm that your intended use is covered.

   Do not infer cycling access from a walking route or motor access from a cycle route.

4. Current

   Look for closures, diversions and seasonal controls.

   Check current notices for forestry, fire, conservation, livestock, events, path work or another temporary condition.

5. Conduct

   Follow the applicable outdoor code.

   Legal access still carries responsibilities towards land management, other people, animals and the environment.

At the point of doubt

Do not use the screen to overrule a current closure or unclear boundary.

Stop if a gate, sign, barrier, diversion or land use conflicts with the downloaded route. Recheck the official source and choose a clearly permitted alternative. Do not climb a barrier or continue through crops, works, private gardens or another excluded area because the line carries on.

Signs can be wrong or misleading, and rights of way can be obstructed. That does not make a confrontation the right field response. Record the location from a safe place and contact the relevant council, access authority or land manager for route-specific guidance.

The GPX can show where somebody intended to go. Only the applicable access framework and current local information can answer whether you may go there.