GPS track map

Map your complete GPS track archive.

Put thousands of your tracks on one map, on your own computer. Then narrow it down by activity, year, or your own filter.

MTL Explorer map showing many imported GPS tracks and filter controls
Imported tracks shown together on one map.

Put several GPX files on one map.

Start with a few files and check the result before importing your whole history. Each activity keeps its own date and details.

Start your installation

Follow the Docker guide and open MTL Explorer in your browser. Use your own installation for this; the public demo is for browsing.

Import the example files

Download twelve synthetic GPX tracks, extract the ZIP, and copy the .gpx files into ./data/gpx/ beside your Compose file. Alternatively, open Settings → Import & sync and upload the extracted files.

Wait for processing

Open Settings → Processing and wait until the import is done. Then go back to the map and choose a filter that includes all years.

Inspect and narrow the selection

Open the track browser, select a track named Synthetic loop, and look at its date, map, and graphs. Select 2025 in a year filter to focus on the four example activities from that year. See year filters in the public demo.

Fictional data for exploring the interface.The example has eight activities from 2024 and four from 2025, with coordinates near latitude/longitude 0,0 in the ocean. Use the track browser to locate them. The loops are mathematical examples and must not be used for navigation. Example details.

Keep different file types in one archive.

MTL Explorer accepts common GPS and activity formats, including GPX, FIT, TCX, KML/KMZ, IGC, NMEA, GeoJSON, and GDB. You can also download activities from Garmin Connect.

Local storage

Your files, tracks, photos, and database stay on your own computer.

Background processing

Files are imported in the background. Duplicates are detected and GPS errors cleaned up.

Track details

Select a track to inspect its date, distance, time, moving speed, elevation, estimated calories, mechanical work, and other available measurements.

Photographs

Photos appear on the map next to the matching tracks, without uploading them anywhere.

Filters

Change what the map and statistics include.

Filters decide which tracks you see. Group them by activity or year, or write your own rules in SQL.

Use year filters and map colors to compare different periods.

  • Color tracks by activity type or year.
  • Use the same selected subset in map and statistics views.
  • Save focused filters for repeated use.
MTL Explorer SQL filter editor and grouped map tracks
A saved filter used to group tracks on the map.

Show useful places on the map.

Open map settings and select Points of interest. Choose among 21 categories, including peaks, viewpoints, drinking water, huts, food, and transport. Your choices are remembered in this browser.

More places appear as you zoom in; tap a marker for details. This layer requires available vector map data. To save your own named places and notes, use points of interest in a plan.

Check estimated calories for a track.

Open Track details → Overview → Energy to see the estimated active calories and work. Expand Energy details for total calories, how much of the track is covered, and Adjust body weight.

A body weight you set applies only to that track. Calories are shown per track; the statistics charts show work instead. See energy estimates for how to read them.

MTL Explorer statistics trend charts for imported activities
Trend charts for the currently selected tracks.

Statistics

Review totals and changes over time.

Statistics use the tracks in your current filter. Compare distance, moving time, estimated work, and number of activities by year, quarter, month, or week.

The exploration score reports how much new territory an activity added to the existing archive.

Use the archive from a mobile browser.

On your phone you get the map, statistics, segments, and your current position. Tracks and maps you have already opened stay available offline.

If an imported track is missing.

Check the file, the import progress, and your filter before importing it again.

Nothing is imported

Check that the files are in the GPS folder MTL Explorer uses. On some network drives new files aren't noticed; use Settings → Maintenance → Rescan GPS.

Processing reports a failure

Open Settings → Processing → Review GPS findings. Review shows what's wrong with each file and lets you download it to fix it in another tool. See the data and format limitations.

Import succeeds but the map is empty

Check your filter: year, activity, and area. Find the activity in the track list and use it to jump to its location on the map.

The browser shows an older selection

When processing is done, use Settings → Maintenance → Reload tracks to load the latest data. A second copy of the same activity is marked as a duplicate and doesn't appear twice.