For hiking enthusiasts savvy with mobile devices and offline hiking apps. This repository hosts a complete set of unofficial high quality GPS coordinates (GPX and KML) for the 4 major hiking trails in Hong Kong SAR (MacLehose Trail 麥理浩徑 98 km, Hong Kong Trail 港島徑 45 km, Wilson Trail 衛奕信徑 77 km and Lantau Trail 鳳凰徑 67 km for a total of 287 km with over 24,000 route points). Use these files at your own risks.
Due to the length of trails, Hong Kong hiking trails are divided into sections. Consult Wikipedia or Enjoy Hiking website for various trail heads and how to get there.
Alltrails.com also has many fragments of Hong Kong hiking trails in GPX and KML formats.
Use Overpass query wizard to extract trails and export as GeoJSON file to JOSM - Java OpenStreetMap Editor to manually correct data inconsistencies and other errors. The cleaned up data is then converted to GPX tracks, GPX routes and KML using Python codes from GeoJSON-to-gpx repository. The elevation of the trails is derived from NASA's Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model GDEM V3 GeoTIFF geospatial metadata, using Python codes from SRTM-GeoTIFF repository. For more detailed steps, see this page.
Download the GPX or KML files and drop it in geojson.io. GPX track and GPX route are commonly used by mobile apps. KML are for use with Google Earth and Google My Maps as well as mobile apps.
For Google My Maps, sign in first, "Create A New Map", import (upload) a KML file. The map is stored in your Google Account's Google Drive.
There are many outdoor/hiking mobile phone apps such as Locus Map, Komoot, Avenza Maps, Garmin Explore, GPX Viewer 2 for iOS, etc. The last 3 apps are free and ads free.
For Garmin handheld GPS device such as eTrex SE, use a USB cable to copy GPX files of interests to the device.
Some apps prefer GPX tracks, some prefer GPX routes. Experiment to find which flavour (track or route) works best.
To merge tracks and waypoints into one file, use geojson.io to load the tracks and waypoints and copy/save the combined features as a GeoJSON file, then convert to GPX using code from GeoJSON-to-gpx or convert to KML using code from KML-to-GeoJSON
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department AFCD 漁農自然護理署 of Hong Kong SAR's Enjoy Hiking website is an excellent starting point for planning a hike. The Country and Marine Parks Authority CMPA 郊野公園及海岸公園管理局 of Hong Kong SAR operates and maintains the trails.
The Office of the Communications Authority OFCA 通訊事務管理局辦公室 of Hong Kong SAR publishes PDF trail maps including estimated mobile phone signal coverage.