This is needed to avoid creating a separate waypoint at each point in the track. To use GPS Babel enter the input and output filenames and formats as shown here and click OK: I use the free Windows program GPSBabel for this. Convert your track to a format understood by Google Earth. IN the example which follows I started recording at the Wirepass parking area, and stopped recording after I returned to Page. I typically start recording my track at the trailhead, and stop recording at the end of the hike when I'm back at the trailhead. Waypoints can be invaluable when finding your way back to the car, or when reviewing your hike before sharing it with others. Oruxmaps and many GPS devices even allow you to create photo waypoints so you know exactly what is at the waypoint you just created. For example, you might create a waypoint at the trailhead, at your destination, at the point where you leave a wash or cross the ridge, at The Wave, at The Second Wave, etc. I suggest that as you record your track you also create occasional waypoints on your GPS.
will also record your tracks, as do Apple phones and some Apple tablets.
Oruxmaps is freely available in the android app store.
I use my android phone to record my tracks, using the excellent app Oruxmaps. Record your track as you are hiking and upload it to your PC. Would you like to create a video showing the terrain you traversed during a recent hike? Here's how.