Desert Hiking - What to do if you get lost

It is important to stay oriented to your surroundings at all times. If a predicted landmark doesn't appear when you expected it, check your map before you get lost.

Don't hesitate to ask another hiker for directions, even in heavily used areas. The moment you become unsure of your position, stop. Take a rest break, have some water and food, and make a conscious effort to relax. Panic causes people to become seriously lost; continuing blindly on only makes the situation worse.

Evaluate your situation. If on a day hike, is it close to sunset? If so, do you have extra clothing, food, and water? If on a backpack trip, can you camp where you are? Does bad weather threaten? Is there a group member who's exhausted or has an injury or a medical problem? Take care of the most important things one at a time.

Use your stopping point as a base to search for the route.

If you're following a faint trail or cairned route, look around for signs of the trail or the next cairn. The trail may have taken an unexpected sharp turn. If you can't locate the trail, then, if possible, backtrack to your last known point—a cairn, section of trail that's distinct, or a tree blaze.

Climb to a nearby hill or ridge and look for familiar landmarks. Look for unique landmarks, and use those to locate yourself on your map.

As a last resort, walk to your predetermined baseline. If you chose a good baseline, you'll eventually arrive at it, though at the cost of being hours or days late. Carefully consider the terrain you'll have to traverse to reach your baseline.

Should I walk downstream? The classic advice to follow a drainage river downstream to civilization may not always work in desert wilderness. In certain places, roads are built along ridgelines above canyon wilderness areas, and the best tactic is to follow ridges uphill. For example, the Canyonlands country of southeastern Utah is broken by narrow canyons that are often extremely deep and impossible to enter without technical climbing gear. In the central mountains of Arizona, dry waterfalls and deep pools often block canyon bottoms. These obstacles make travel rough and slow, or even impossible without special equipment. In such areas, ridges usually offer the easiest traveling. In the desert ranges of Nevada, southeastern California, and western Arizona, traveling downhill will take you to a highway or well-traveled dirt road, but you will be descending into hotter, drier country. Be sure you have enough water and endurance before attempting such a walk. When in doubt, stay put.