Most wilderness emergencies start with a wrong turn. What you do in the next hour matters more than any gear you carry. Search and rescue teams teach a simple plan: prepare before you go, stop moving once you are lost, stay warm, and make yourself easy to find.
Before you go: tell someone
The National Park Service says to tell someone where you are going and when to expect you back, and to check the park's website so you plan for its conditions. A trip plan is what starts a search on time.
Carry navigation as part of the Ten Essentials: a map, compass or GPS, plus a physical map as backup and an extra phone battery. Know how to use them before you leave.
Once you are lost: stay put
The heart of the San Diego Mountain Rescue Team's Hug-a-Tree program is staying in one place. Pick a fixed landmark, such as a tree or a large rock, and stay with it. A person who stays put is found far faster than one who keeps moving.
- Stop walking and pick a landmark.
- Keep warm and dry with layers and a simple shelter.
- Make noise; a whistle carries best.
- Answer searchers' calls and leave visible clues.
Help searchers find you
Rescuers ask lost people to make noise, ideally with a whistle, and to leave footprints and clues where searchers can see them. Ready.gov includes a whistle to signal for help in every basic emergency kit.
If storms build while you wait, the National Weather Service says to get off ridges and peaks, stay away from isolated trees, cliffs, overhangs and water, and wait 30 minutes after the last thunder.
Quick answers
Should you keep walking if you are lost?
No. Mountain rescue teams say to stay in one place; people who stay put are found faster.
What is the best signal if you are lost?
A whistle. Rescuers say it is the best way to make noise, and Ready.gov includes one in every basic kit.
What is Hug-a-Tree?
A search-and-rescue safety program teaching children to stay with a tree or landmark, stay warm and help searchers find them.
General education, not medical advice or a substitute for training. In an emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number. Updated 2026-10-26.