Maps, waymarks and staying safe

Official advice on maps, trail and rights-of-way waymarks, weather, tides, and who to call if you need help on a walk.

A long-distance walk is easier to enjoy if you can stay found, read the signs, and know what to do when the weather or the tide turns. The advice on this page is taken from official National Trails guidance, the Countryside Code and AdventureSmart. It is not a navigation course, and it is not a substitute for calling 999 in an emergency.

Take a map you can use offline

National Trails: prepare for your visit is blunt: download or get a map, guidebook or directions before you leave. You may not have internet access on the trail, so you should not rely on online resources alone.

For some routes you will need to pack a compass and map, and know how to use them. Official visitor pages also list the Ordnance Survey Explorer sheets that cover each trail, and point to maps and GPX data on the National Trails website.

AdventureSmart puts the same idea in its “plan for a great day” messages: know where you are and where you are going, and use an app and a paper map to stay on track. It also says not to rely on your phone for navigation and communication, even if you carry a charged mobile and a power bank.

Phone signal can be patchy along the trails, and in some areas there may be none. Charge devices before you leave.

Read the signs

All National Trails in England and Wales are marked with an acorn symbol or the trail name. You should also follow:

signposts showing diversions or alternative routes
danger or warning signs, for example about tides, rock falls or cliff edges
local information on signs and noticeboards
other signs, such as keeping dogs on a lead

If the trail has changed, official guidance is that the change will be clearly signposted, and that you should always follow local signs even if your map or guidebook shows a different line.

Public rights of way use coloured arrows, which also help if you leave the trail to complete a circular walk, reach accommodation, or find food:

yellow — footpath
blue — bridleway
purple — restricted byway
red — byway open to all traffic

Open access land uses a round brown symbol with a person walking over hills. Permissive paths are marked by a local sign on a post or gate; follow that sign, because the landowner chooses who can use the path.

Some trails have extra marks. The South West Coast Path has large markers at Minehead, Porthallow and South Haven Point, and waymarks showing how far you are from each end. The Coast to Coast Path uses “AW” on some wooden signs for Alfred Wainwright, and in the Lake District waymarking usually stops above the fell wall.

Weather, darkness and tides

Check the weather forecast before you set off. Official National Trails advice and the Countryside Code both say conditions can change quickly on mountains and along the coast, and that you should be prepared to turn back.

AdventureSmart adds: check the latest weather and ground conditions for the route, take advice, and only attempt a route if the conditions are within you and your companions’ capabilities. If they are not, it is acceptable to choose a more suitable route or to turn back. Carry insulating layers and waterproofs, and carry a torch in case you are caught out by the dark.

If your route is by the sea or near a tidal river, look up tide times before you leave, to reduce the risk of being cut off. The Countryside Code notes that some rivers are affected by tidal change, not just the sea, and to take care on slippery rocks and seaweed.

On the coast

The official National Trails guidance says that if you are at the coast, be aware of storms, cliff edges, slippery or unstable rocks, mud and quicksand, and tides. Follow guidance from HM Coastguard on how to stay safe by the coast.

AdventureSmart’s water-safety messages include: don’t get cut off by the tides; where possible choose a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags; and when seas are rough, watch waves from a respectful distance — 15 cm of water can knock you off your feet. This site is a walking guide, not a swimming guide; those points are included only because official safety advice puts them next to coastal visits.

If you need help

Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back, and let them know if your plans change.

If you are in an emergency, call 999.

The official National Trails guidance says:

on the coast, ask for the coastguard
in a remote place, ask for the police and then mountain rescue or lowland search and rescue

AdventureSmart gives the same split, and also says that for inland waters you should ask for the Fire & Rescue Service. If you find someone in trouble, call for help; do not put yourself at risk.

AdventureSmart also records the international distress signal: six short whistle blasts in short succession, repeated at one-minute intervals. You can flash a torch in the same pattern.

The official packing list for a longer or more remote walk includes a whistle, torch, first aid kit, survival bag and spare rations.

This page cannot talk you down off a hill. If you need rescue, make the 999 call.

Sources

Checked 14 November 2026.