Map & Compass Navigation Class

Are you prepared?

What happens if your navigation app or GPS becomes lost or damaged while you are in the wilderness? Do you know how to use a map or a compass? Get peace-of-mind by taking the same map and compass training class provided to search and rescue personnel throughout the state.

This fast-paced, yet comprehensive one-day program will teach you how to navigate in the backcountry. Put your classroom knowledge to the test on our outdoor training course with hands-on activities.

You will learn how to:

• Read a topographic map
• Orient a map to your surroundings
• Find your location on a map
• Confidently determine your route and direction of travel
• Differentiate True North, Magnetic North, and Grid North
• Compensate for magnetic declination and deviations
• Calculate your pace count

…and many other potentially life-saving skills!

Tuition includes: ​

• Map tool for plotting coordinates and measuring distance
• Pace beads for determining your distance traveled

Please Bring:

• Compass with:

-Bezel marking in 2 degree increments​

-360 degree bezel markings (not quadrant markings)

-Folding mirror

-Baseplate of 3 inches or longer

-Examples include: Silva Ranger 2.0 or the Suunto MC-2 (USGS model)

-A good compass such as examples above will last for many years.  Lower quality compasses often have problems out of the               box or break easily with normal use.

• Pen and paper for notes during classroom session
• At least one fine-line permanent marker for marking on maps (maps are provided)
• Clothing appropriate for expected weather conditions
• Small backpack with hydration, snacks, and any other items you might want with you while outside

​PLEASE NOTE: You must have the physical capacity to walk off-trail, through varied terrain in a desert environment over a distance of approximately 2 miles for the field activities. Military personnel: while the fundamental skills taught in this class will apply to any land-based map and compass navigation, this class will not cover MGRS or lensatic compasses.

Location:

North Mountain Visitor Center
12950 N 7th St Phoenix, Arizona 85022

8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Go to www.mountainrescue.org under the “Classes & Outreach” tab to register for the next Class on Oct 24 2026