Map Skills

A compass without a map for reference is only half the challenge. Keeping a detailed map in your side pocket and knowing how to read it correctly will complete your wilderness navigation toolkit.

As kids, my friends and I hid treasure in the woods and then made maps and used compasses to find it. It was great fun to walk to the big apple tree, walk 50 steps east, then 125 steps south to the big rock, then 25 steps west and look for an X on the ground. Of course, we need a bit more detail than that out in the real world, but much of the skills are the same.

Map reading is a satisfying experience. When you use your imagination to picture what the map is representing, the mountains and rivers can come alive even before you actually walk them. Once you understand a compass and can read a map, you can then use a map and compass together efficiently.

These map information pages include:

• Read a Map - a picture worth 1,000 words
• Map Scales - it doesn't look that far on the map
• Map Symbols - see what's blue, brown, green, and red
• Topo Maps - what are all those lines for?
• Contour Map Quiz - check your topo reading skills

Why did the polar bear go to the south pole?   To visit his Aunt Arctica!

Search Google News for more 'Lost Hiker' news items.

05 Mar 2026 - Forest Rangers find hiker who died by suicide, rescue lost hiker in the High Peaks

10 Feb 2026 - How an Ultrarunner Saved a Lost Hiker's Life

03 Mar 2026 - Lost, hypothermic hiker airlifted from Adirondack backcountry (video)

04 Mar 2026 - Snowmobile rescues on Raquette Lake, Forked Lake

04 Mar 2026 - Crook County search and rescue team helps find lost hiker

03 Mar 2026 - Hiker rescued after getting lost in the Sepulveda Pass

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