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Amateur hikers will often reason that they can stick to well-travelled trails and forego the hard work needed to learn how to use maps. But, you really can get seriously lost, even near clearly marked trails. Even stepping a few yards off a trail into heavy forest has confused more than one beginner. In the absence of sun, stars or geographical markers it's easy to get turned around. You can wind up walking even farther from the trail.  A good map will help you easily get back to your starting point. First, have current map covering the area you intend to hike and study it at home. Almost all will have a legend. Get familiar with the symbols. Don't forget, though, that distance is only part of the story. One mile on level ground is one thing. But if 3/4 of that distance takes you from near sea level to 2,000 feet high by a steep, winding incline, that's quite another.

 

Then, look at the longitude and latitude lines. Longitude runs 'up and down', or north and south. Latitude runs 'right and left', or east and west. Those directions are put in quotes because they're all just conventions. In the daytime you can use the sun and natural features to orient yourself. The sun rises in the East and sets in the West. So early in the day, find the sun and you are facing mostly east. Late in the day, face the direction of the light and you are facing predominately west. There are variations because of coastlines, latitude, etc. It's just an approximate starting point.

At night, you can use the stars. You can often see the sky clearly because it is far from city lights. Look up about 8 p.m. at night. Look for the Big Dipper, the group of stars that looks like a cooking ladle. The two on the end of the 'scoop' form a line that points toward the North Star, away from the scoop. Even at night, then, if you have a flashlight to read your map by, you can get yourself back onto a trail to find your way back.