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 Dec 2025 - Mount Whitney hiker missing for 3 weeks feared dead

04 Dec 2025 - Sitka Search and Rescue assists lost hiker in early hours of the morning

03 Dec 2025 - Lost Tahoe hiker, dog hide in bathroom after seeing bear tracks, rescuers say

05 Dec 2025 - Heartbreak as search for missing Brit hiker, 18, who vanished near Dracula’s Castle is CALLED OFF in snowstorm

01 Dec 2025 - Missing Hiker

30 Oct 2025 - Returning to the Appalachian Trail After the Murder That Changed It

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