SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/hike-hug-a-tree-kids

A child gets lost on a hike. What does the Park Service teach kids to do?

Hug a tree and stay put, so searchers can find you faster.

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  1. Hug a tree and stay put ✔
  2. Walk until you find a road
  3. Hide so no stranger sees you

Why: Moving around makes a lost person harder to find. Kids learn to pick one tree, hug it and stay there. If there is no tree, a park bench or big rock works too.

Huh, didn't know that: The Hug-a-Tree and Survive program was inspired by the 1981 search for a nine-year-old boy in southern California.

The dad joke
Why did the tree like the lost kid so much? Because she was a real hugger.
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References

Answer: Hug a tree and stay put. Moving around makes a lost person harder to find. Kids learn to pick one tree, hug it and stay there. If there is no tree, a park bench or big rock works too.

  1. NPS: Outdoor Emergency Plan www.nps.gov/articles/gtgemergencyplan.htm
    Find a tree, hug it, and stay put.
    Checked 2026-10-12.
  2. NPS Shiloh: Hug a Tree and Survive Kids Program www.nps.gov/shil/learn/news/hug-a-tree-and-survive-kids-program.htm
    Inspired by the search for nine-year-old Jimmy Beveridge in 1981 in southern California
    Checked 2026-10-12.

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Test yourself in the game

Outdoors & CampingIn the STOP plan for when you are lost, what does the S tell you to do?Outdoors & CampingWhich group first came up with the Ten Essentials packing system for hikers?Outdoors & CampingWhy does the Park Service recommend a headlamp over a regular flashlight for hiking?

That's stuff everyone should know.