How to Share Your Location on the Trail

Before every hike, tell someone who isn’t going with you two things.

1. Where you’re hiking. Name the trailhead where you’re parking and the route or trails you plan to take. Not everyone knows our trailhead names, so include the trailhead’s street address. Our trailhead map lists the address for most trailheads, along with a Google Plus Code.
2. When you’ll be back. Give a time you expect to be done, and agree on what they should do if they haven’t heard from you by then.

A quick text is enough. If your plans change on the trail, send an update. Then let them know when you’re back at your car.

Even better than telling someone your plan is letting them see where you are the whole time. Several free options do this, and the one to use depends on your phone and the phone of the person you’re sharing with.

• Find My on iPhone. If you and your contact both have iPhones, the built-in Find My app lets you share your location with them. Look for the option to share your location in the app.
• Google Maps on Android or iPhone. Google Maps has a location sharing feature that works across both kinds of phones. Look for location sharing in the app’s menu, then choose a contact and how long to share.
• Life360. This free app works on iPhone and Android. Everyone in your group installs it and joins the same circle, and you can all see each other on a map.

Set sharing up at home, where you have a good signal and time to test it, and have your contact confirm they can see you. Location sharing uses battery, so start with a fully charged phone. Out on the trail, your position only updates when your phone has a signal, so your contact may see the last place you had service rather than where you are right now.

In an emergency, “somewhere on the trail past the bridge” is hard for anyone to find. Your GPS coordinates point to the exact spot, and your phone can find them even when you can’t tell where you are. Here is how to get them.

1. Open a map app. Use Google Maps or Apple Maps.
2. Press and hold on the blue dot. The blue dot is you. Keep your finger on it until a map pin appears.
3. Find your coordinates. Your GPS coordinates should appear in the information panel at the bottom of the screen. You may need to swipe the panel up to see them.
4. Share them. Tap the Share button on that panel and send your location by text.

Map apps change their look from time to time, so the buttons may move. The idea stays the same. Drop a pin where you are, then share it. Try it once on your next hike so you already know the steps if you ever need them.

Call 911 if someone is badly hurt, can’t walk out on their own, or shows signs of a medical emergency, or if you are lost and can’t find your way back. Don’t wait until things get worse.

When you call, give the dispatcher the following.

• Your GPS coordinates. Read them off your map app exactly as they appear.
• The trailhead address and trail name. Tell them where you parked and which trail you’re on, if you know. Give a street address rather than a Plus Code, since not every dispatcher uses them.
• What happened. Describe the problem and how many people are with you.

After the call, stay where you are unless you are in danger, so responders find you at the spot you gave them. Keep your phone on and save its battery for calls. If a call won’t go through, move to higher ground and try again, and text your coordinates to your contact, since a text can sometimes get out when a call can’t. The Hiking Safety guide covers what else to carry so a bad moment stays manageable.

• Trailhead Map—look up your trailhead’s address before you go.
• Getting Started on the Trails—everything a new hiker needs in one place.
• Route Library—go find a hike.

This guide is general information from a volunteer trail organization, not medical or emergency-response advice. App features change, so check your app’s own help pages. In an emergency, call 911. See our Terms of Use and Trail Safety Disclaimer.