How do you get help if you get hurt while hiking alone?
If you get hurt hiking alone, call 911 as soon as you have any signal and describe the trail, the last junction sign you passed and roughly how far you've come from the trailhead. Then stay put in the safest, warmest spot nearby, because moving on an injury usually makes rescue slower. Tap SOS or message a Guardian so they have your location. Before the hike, leave a trip plan and set a return time, so a missed check-in starts the search even if your phone can't connect.
What to do if you're hurt on the trail
01Stop, sit down and take stock
Most hiking injuries are ankles, knees and wrists from a slip, plus cuts and head knocks from a fall on rock. Get off the trail edge, sit down and check yourself slowly. An ankle at an odd angle, a bone showing, severe pain or toes that are numb or blue are signs of a fracture that needs emergency care.
02Call 911 with trail landmarks
Give the park or forest name, the trailhead you started from, the trail name and the last signed junction. Add what you can see: a creek crossing, a switchback, a viewpoint, a trail marker or blaze color. If you can open a map app, read out your coordinates. Example: "I'm on the Ridge Trail about two miles past the Lake junction, with a hurt ankle, and I can't walk out."
03Stay where searchers can find you
The National Park Service advises staying in one place once you're in trouble, because moving makes you harder to find. Pick a spot near the trail that's out of the wind, put on every layer you carry and sit on your pack. Use a whistle to signal rather than shouting, which saves your energy.
04Send your location to a Guardian
Tap SOS in Holler after the 911 call. Your Guardians get your location by email and push and can see the route you hiked on the live link. If signal drops, they keep your last known location and can pass it to the rescue team. Holler never contacts 911 itself, so the call is yours or your Guardian's.
05Set up the backstop at the trailhead
Before you leave the car, leave a trip plan with your trail, parking spot and turnaround time, then start a live link and set a return time with a generous buffer. If you haven't checked in five minutes after it, your Guardians get an overdue alert from Holler's server, even if your phone is out of signal in a valley.
Related questions
What if I have no signal where I got hurt?
Try 911 anyway, since phones can sometimes reach emergency services on another carrier's network. If that fails and you can move safely, a short climb to open ground may find a bar. Otherwise stay put and let your trip plan and missed return time bring help. Our answer on whether live location works without signal explains what your Guardians see.
Should I try to walk out on a sprained ankle?
Only if you can bear weight, the way out is short and mostly downhill, and daylight is on your side. Wrap it, use poles or a stick, and tell your Guardian you're moving and which way. If it's getting dark or the pain is severe, stay, keep warm and wait.
What does this look like in practice?
Say you slip on wet rock at 3 p.m., two miles past a junction on a ridge, and can't put weight on your ankle. You call 911 from the ridge where you have one bar, then tap SOS. You move ten yards off the trail into shelter, put on your jacket and wait. Your Guardian sees the SOS, acknowledges it and stays by the phone for the rescue team.
What should I carry in case I'm hurt?
The NPS Ten Essentials cover it: navigation, a headlamp, sun protection, first aid, a knife, fire, shelter such as an emergency blanket, extra food, extra water and extra clothes. The hiking alone safety guide explains how to pack them for a day hike.
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Sources, checked September 2026: National Park Service: Make an emergency plan, National Park Service: The 10 Essentials, NHS: Broken ankle, Apple Support: Contact emergency services on iPhone.
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