What to do if you get lost hiking
If you get lost hiking, stop moving the moment you realize it, sit down, drink some water and eat something, and think before you take another step. Try to retrace your steps only if you are sure of them; otherwise stay where you are, stay warm and dry, and signal with three whistle blasts or a bright item. Call 911 if you have signal, or send a text, which often gets through when calls do not.
About 15 minutes to learnTake care: injury or damage if careless
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How to do it
- Before any hike, tell someone your route and when you will be back, and carry water, a light, a whistle, a warm layer and a charged phone.
- When you realize you are lost, stop, sit, drink and eat something to calm down.
- Look around for landmarks and check your map and phone's map app.
- Go back only along a route you are sure of; if not, stay put, since searchers look along your planned route.
- Call 911, or text if calls fail, and give your phone's coordinates and a description of the area.
- Switch the phone to low power mode and save battery between checks.
- Stay warm and dry: put on layers, get out of wind and sit on your pack rather than the cold ground.
- Signal with three blasts on a whistle, a bright jacket in the open, or a flashlight at night.
Stop and call a professional if
- Call 911 as soon as you know you are lost, injured, or night is falling; do not wait until morning.
- Anyone is hurt, very cold, confused or out of water: tell the dispatcher.
Common mistakes
- Hurrying on in the hope of finding the trail, which usually gets you further from it.
- Following a stream downhill into steeper, harder ground.
- Draining the phone battery with constant checking.
- Not telling anyone where you were going.
Quick self-check
Three questions. Your last score is kept in this browser.
Teach this to someone
A one-page sheet for showing a friend, a roommate or a kid: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: What to do if you get lost hiking
What to say
If you get lost hiking, stop moving the moment you realize it, sit down, drink some water and eat something, and think before you take another step. Try to retrace your steps only if you are sure of them; otherwise stay where you are, stay warm and dry, and signal with three whistle blasts or a bright item. Call 911 if you have signal, or send a text, which often gets through when calls do not.
What to show, in order
- Before any hike, tell someone your route and when you will be back, and carry water, a light, a whistle, a warm layer and a charged phone.
- When you realize you are lost, stop, sit, drink and eat something to calm down.
- Look around for landmarks and check your map and phone's map app.
- Go back only along a route you are sure of; if not, stay put, since searchers look along your planned route.
- Call 911, or text if calls fail, and give your phone's coordinates and a description of the area.
- Switch the phone to low power mode and save battery between checks.
- Stay warm and dry: put on layers, get out of wind and sit on your pack rather than the cold ground.
- Signal with three blasts on a whistle, a bright jacket in the open, or a flashlight at night.
When to stop and call a professional
- Call 911 as soon as you know you are lost, injured, or night is falling; do not wait until morning.
- Anyone is hurt, very cold, confused or out of water: tell the dispatcher.
The check question
Ask: What is the first thing to do when you realize you are lost?
Related skills
- How to use a map and compass
- Signs of hypothermia and how to warm someone
- What to say when you call 911
- Every skill in Outdoors
Words on this page
Sources
- National park and forest service visitor safety guidance, current edition. Checked September 28, 2026.
Last reviewed . First published .