You step into the woods to lose yourself mentally, but nobody wants to get lost for real. Even on a marked trail, it can be easy to lose track of where you are as your mind releases its stress. But, with the right tools, you can get yourself back on the path. Our Get Oriented! program provides you with just those tools.
With a map and compass, the knowledge of how to use them, and a basic understanding of topography, you can easily find your way back. These navigating skills give you the confidence to venture off trail on purpose and discover the hidden wonders and solitude that can be hard to find on a well-trod trail.
In our three-hour GetOriented! Finding Your Way in the Woods class, we go over basic map and compass skills, then head down the trail, and off, to show you how to read the woods and know exactly where you are, even if there isn’t a trail in sight.
We start with a 45-minute map-and-compass introduction, then use that map and compass — and some Daniel Boone skills — to find our way in the woods. We’ll do some off-trail exploring, with the goal of purposefully venturing off the trail, then rejoining it again. Our goal is to make you a confident hiker.
For upcoming course offerings, visit your local GetHiking! Meetup site: