Wilderness Navigation

Important Notes

First, please expand page by clicking MORE+ to read the entire note to instructors and participants.

• Instructors: See Registration Note to Instructors.
• Participants: See Registration Process.

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Cancellation and Refund

Only register for this course if you can complete all activities on the dates offered. We are unable to provide make ups for any part of the course. Should you cancel mid-course, no credit will be given for completed activities. Our cancellation policy is strict:

• If you cancel on or before Thursday, 01/01/2026: You will receive a 100% refund minus the standard Mountaineers cancellation fee of $10.
• If you cancel on Friday, 01/02/2026, or later: You will NOT be refunded. There are no exceptions.

The Seattle Wilderness Navigation course will be offered monthly throughout most of the year. Please check back for future dates if this course schedule does not work for you.

Wilderness Navigation Course

The Wilderness Navigation Course has three required activities. Each activity must be completed in order:

• Activity 1: Online - Available for one week, this self-paced activity covers the core principles of wilderness navigation, including map and compass use, understanding declination and coordinate systems, measuring and plotting bearings, utilizing altimeter and GPS technology, and effective trip planning.
• Activity 2: In-Person Workshop - Building on Activity 1, the workshop offers hands-on experience combining various navigation tools. This includes practical outdoor exercises with your map, compass, and GPS, along with an indoor lecture and problem-solving session.
• Activity 3: In-Person Field Trip - The field trip is held at Discovery Park and reinforces the core principles. You will practice situational awareness, develop a strong ethic of self-reliance, and gain more experience utilizing and combining your navigation tools. A skills assessment is required for successful completion.

The Core Principles of Wilderness Navigation

The three activities of the Wilderness Navigation course build upon each other and are based on the following core principles of wilderness navigation:

• Measuring and Plotting a Bearing - Learn to read topographic maps and use a compass for orientation, route planning, and navigation. Measuring and plotting a bearing are two halves of one unified process. Learn these techniques and apply in combination on the map and in the field.
• Map Basics - Learn to create, read, and use topographic maps, both paper and digital.
• Declination - Learn about magnetic declination and how to compensate for the difference between true and magnetic north in different locations.
• Ethic of Self-Reliance - Group reliance is not self-reliance. Each member of the group must know how to use GPS devices, digital mapping apps, and emergency communication tools in additional to their paper map, compass and altimeter.
• Situational Awareness - Foster the ability to assess surroundings, adapt to changing conditions, and make sound decisions. Everyone must know where they are, where they’re going, how they will get there, how long it will take, and what to expect along the way. Promote Leave No Trace and responsible behavior to minimize environmental impact.

The Wilderness Navigation Course prepares you for on- and off-trail backcountry travel. While suitable for those with little or no experience, beginners might benefit from starting with an introductory course like "Introduction to Map and Compass" (Seattle Branch) or "Staying Found" (Foothills Branch). These introductory courses focus on navigation principles and hands-on practice, and they do not satisfy the navigation requirements for climbing, scrambling or snowshoeing. 

Required Equipment

See the Required Equipment and Course Materials tabs on this course page for details and links. These required items must be obtained before the start of Activity 1:

• Compass with Adjustable Declination - only specific compasses are acceptable, be sure to read our compass specs on the Course Materials tab
• Downloaded Caltopo Baring Map
• Barometric Altimeter
• Cell phone with Caltopo or GaiaGPS apps installed - create an account, a free subscription is acceptable

Registration Acknowledgment and Promo Code for Recommended Books

You will be required to send an email to Wilderness Nav Leader at registration with the following in the Subject line: Wilderness Nav: I understand the cancellation and refund policy, and will obtain the required equipment before the start of Activity 1. After receiving your registration acknowledgment email, we will forward a 50% off promo code for one of the recommended books for this course.

Registration Process

1. Register
   1. Register for this Wilderness Navigation Course.
   2. Pay the course fee.
2. Upon registration, you will automatically be signed up for the activities on the dates listed.
3. Click on Wilderness Nav Leader to send an email with the following in the Subject line:  Wilderness Nav: I understand the cancellation and refund policy, and will obtain the required equipment before the start of Activity 1. Use the promo code you receive in response to your email to get a 50% discount on one of the recommended books for this course. These books are excellent, but it's your call if you want to get one. 
4. Make a note of the activity dates on your calendar. Ensure you have no conflict. Our cancellation and refund policy is strict.
5. Buy your approved compass, download the Caltopo Baring map, get a barometric altimeter or app if using, create a free account for Caltopo and GaiaGPS and download either or both apps to your phone. Do all of this before the start of Activity 1. Please see the Required Equipment and Course Materials tabs on this course page for details.

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Registration Note to Instructors

• Due to the small group format of our in-person events, instructors must register for Instructor Training - Discovery Park, Activity 2 (In-Person Workshop), and Activity 3 (In-Person Field Trip). If you've volunteered as an instructor at Discovery Park in the last 12 months, you're welcome to email Wilderness Nav Leader for an exception to the Instructor Training requirement (you only need to do this once for this course). Please indicate the dates you last instructed.
• Your Basic Navigation Badge expires after three years. Please refer to the Wilderness Navigation Rebadge page on the Mountaineers website for information on how to renew your badge.

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