Know Where You Are Going: How to Read Trail Markers
A few weeks ago, I went for a hike at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreational area. It was a beautiful day and I was expecting the park to be busier then it was. The trail that I was hiking was not long, about 1.5 miles when you would hit a junction with another trail that would lead you to the Appalachian Trail. It was not until I was just below the junction that I encountered my first fellow hikers.
The first couple that I passed were heading down the trail I just came up. I stepped off the trail to let them pass and they came across as experienced hikers. We said “hi” to each other and went on our ways. When I reached the top of the trail, I sat on a stump drinking some water when a woman with her child came up one of the other trails. They stopped and the woman pulled out her phone, I assume she was using her phone to navigate. Watching her, I can tell she could not get a signal, and she and her daughter kept looking at the different trails and spinning in circles. I asked them what trail they were looking for but got no response. At that point I was getting ready to head back down to my car, I quickly told them where the different trails headed to and set off.
As I started down the trail to the parking area, I quickly came upon the first couple that I passed. They were standing in the middle of the trail looking at their phone, from what I can tell, not having any success getting a signal. I asked where they were headed and all they responded with was, “ back to our car”. I told them where the trail we were on headed to and passed them. When I got back to my car, I was the only vehicle in the parking lot.
As I started to head out of the park, I started to think about both groups and how they were both relying on technology to navigate.
After being stuck at home for 3 months, more and more people are venturing out to our national parks and state parks. Hiking is a great way to see and to connect with nature but we need to be safe and smart about it. One of the most important skills is knowing how to navigate trails and how to understand the information you get from trail markers.
When it comes to trail markers, there are 6 common types, of these from my personal experience, 3 are very common. Here is the list of all 6 in the order that I have experienced.
An example of both paint trail marker and a wood sign mounted to a tree.
Paint- I will say on the east coast paint is the most common. You will see them in everything from a town park up to our national parks. Placement of paint trail markers tends to be on a natural object like rocks and trees and is almost always in the shape of a simple rectangle.
Posts- These are wood signs that are engraved with important information. You tend to see them at trailheads and other key points along the trail. Some trails will also use posts as mile markers along the trails. If you have a good set of trail maps, some posts markers will be noted on the maps. This can give you an accurate location.
Markers- Markers are affixed signs that will be mounted to trees and other natural elements on the trail. They tend to be made out of plastic or metal. You tend to see markers on trails that have a name like the Patriots Path and northern NJ.
This is a example of a Marker trail marker. A plastic tag nailed to a tree.
Now we are getting into the less common trail markers
Flags- Flags will be marker tape that is tied around trees and other objects. I have only ever seen flags on a new trail that has not had the final markers attached. In areas that are open to hunting, I have seen flags that hunters use to mark the path to their hunting stands.
Etching- Etching is when the trail marker is etched into a tree. I personally have never seen this marker used.
Cairns- These are stacks of rocks that will stand out against the landscape. This is another type of trail maker I have never seen used.
You will find that most trail will use a combination of these markers. The two most common, paint and post will give you the most information. Posts are very clear and easy to understand as all of the information is engraved into the wood.
Paint markers have their own language, it is not hard to understand but you do need to be a little more observant to the markers. Observing the placement and color of the rectangles will tell you where to go as well as where you are.
The first part is to understand the color or blaze that represents the different trails. One of the most famous is the Appalachian Trail (AT) which is always a simple white rectangle. When you are hiking in the Delaware Water Gap on the Mt. Tammany trail, you will see a white rectangle with a red dot in the center, this is known as the red dot trail. Both the AT and Mt. Tammany trail passes through the same parking lot so it is important to know the difference and what color represents your trail. I have been on the red dot trail and ran into hikers who thought they were on the AT.
Knowing what color marker to look for will help guide you, but now you need to know what the different marker configurations mean.
Trailhead or Start of the trail
Trails End
Stright
Turn Right
Turn Left
Intersection
Along with having an understanding of trail markers, there are a few other steps you can take to keep on track.
Get a set of quality trail maps that are up to date. If you are in the New York Tri-State area, the New York/ New Jersey Trail Conference is a great resource for maps and other trail information. Most parks will have a basic trail map available at the park office or at the trailhead. These maps tend to be extremely simple and basic. If you are going to use your phone to navigate, make sure you download the maps to your phone. In a lot of backcountry areas, you will not have cell phone reception. The Delaware Water Gap is located under 2 hours from New York City and in most of the park cell phones will not work.
Be sure you know what the markers look like for the trail you are hiking. I have seen trails where two trails come together so a tree might have a blue and red marker located on it. Be aware of this and if you come across this be extra aware of sighting markers.
I always look well ahead for the next marker so I have an idea as to where I am going. This is very important on trails that are not very clear in the landscape. One example is the red and white trail in the Delaware Water Gap. The trail goes through a very large boulder field and without the trail markers it is easy to get lost.
Markers are not always on trees, they can be a self-standing post, painted on rocks on the ground, or even attached to road signs at road crossings. Be aware and look around.
The last tip and sometimes this is very hard to do is if you have not seen a marker in a while, stop. Turn around and see if you see any markers for your trail going the other way. If you don’t, backtrack a little until you do come across a trail marker.
I love it when people get out to explore and to enjoy nature but we need to be safe about it. I have spent over 20 years working in the outdoor industry as an outfitter and as a guide. If you have any questions please reach out to me.
Added Note 10/13/2020
As I was looking at a trail map for a local State Park (Hacklebarney State Park) I was happy to see in the bottom right corner of the map, is a key to how to read trail markers.
