by Tristan Gooley

From the New York Times-bestselling author of How to Read a Tree and The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs, rediscover nature by noticing the hidden clues all around you

“A truly vital book for any outdoor adventurer.”—Cabin Life

Before GPS, before the compass, and even before cartography, humankind was navigating. A windswept tree, the depth of a puddle, or a trill of birdsong could point the way home, and they still do—if you know how to look.

With The Natural Navigator, his first book, Tristan Gooley invited us to notice the directional clues hidden all around: in the sun, moon, stars, clouds, weather patterns, lengthening shadows, changing tides, growing plants, and habits of wildlife. A decade after publication, this modern classic still reminds us that we can find south by joining the horns of the crescent moon—and find adventure in our own backyards.

“Eagle Scouts don’t hold a candle or compass to Gooley, a professional outdoorsman if there ever was one and an engaging proponent of navigation au naturale in this compelling guide. Readers will learn how to evaluate clues in nature—from stars in the night sky to evaporating puddles underfoot—to discover where they are and how to get where they need to go. Gooley’s particular spin is that this subject is not just about survival skills; it’s an art form that can reveal to anyone willing to look hard enough the beauty and utility of nature’s patterns. It is, he writes, “about reintroducing a childlike curiosity to the journey.” But it is also about applying discipline and scientific rigor to how we move through the world. Chockfull of incredibly useful information ranging from the simple (e.g., how to make a sun dial) to the more complex (e.g., how to outline the sun’s arc based on latitude), this book will appeal to veteran trailblazers and cautious nature-lovers alike. Indeed, for those prone to stick to the Discovery Channel rather than venture afoot, Gooley’s personal travel anecdotes alone are enough to make this worth a read. Inexperienced hikers will nevertheless want to keep a compass handy on their next outing, but with Gooley’s tome in tow, the journey will be all the more rewarding.”—Publishers Weekly

“[A] deeply poetic book . . . Mr. Gooley provides ample instructions, complete with diagrams of wind patterns and tide heights, for living and traveling like a natural navigator.”—The Wall Street Journal

“Tristan Gooley blends natural science, myth, folklore and the history of travel to introduce you to the rare and ancient art of finding your way using nature’s own sign-posts, from the feel of a rock to a glance at the moon.”—Canadian Geographic

“A Must-Have Gift for Seasoned Explorers and Cautious Nature-Lovers Alike.”—Mountain Life

“This in-depth book gives us the tools to reengage with our natural world in a clear and understandable way. I love it!”—Bear Grylls, author of The Kid Who Climbed Everest and Man vs. Wild

“The perfect book for getting you started on your own adventure.”—Sir Ranulph Fiennes, adventurer and author of Race to the Pole

“The Natural Navigator is a wonderfully stimulating book. Tristan Gooley sidesteps technology to celebrate our own powers of observation, and suggests that the art of natural navigation is something we should never have forgotten.”—Michael Palin

“Before GPSes, people navigated by the stars, the wind and shadows on the ground. Tristan Gooley, an English adventurer, shows how it’s done in The Natural Navigator . . . This fascinating book is filled with surprising facts.”—Washington Post

“His know-how won’t only lead you home, but help you find yourself.”—Red Bulletin

“Gooley, a longtime adventurer who teaches what he calls ‘natural navigation,’ has compiled an intriguing trove of tips and tricks from cultures such as the Inuit and Aborigines . . . Even for readers who never intend to rely on these tips to find their way through the wilderness, The Natural Navigator is a great primer on how the forces of nature affect the landscapes and seascapes that everyone travels through.”—Science News

“Provides a delightful refresher course . . . His enthusiasm for the basic facts of earth science and astronomy are part of the charm of The Natural Navigator.”—The Providence Journal

“Packed with helpful illustrations, Gooley opens your eyes to the clues that the natural world happily shares with all of us, if we just take the time to look. . . . A truly vital book for any outdoor adventurer.”—Cabin Life

“As Gooley reminds us, navigation is, first of all, about understanding where you are. His marvelous book is a good starting point.”—Mick Herron, Geographical Magazine

“This wonderful book takes the skill set back several generations further, to the vanishing (but often surprisingly simple) arts of navigating by sun, moon, stars and natural phenomena. If this sounds arcane and unlikely, it’s not: armchair readers will revel in the beautifully written material on myth, science, folklore and history, and the fascinating details and tips . . . This is the sort of charming and inspiring book you want to recommend and buy for others. A must for any lover of the outdoors.”—Tim Jepson, The Telegraph

“The best nature writing changes the way you experience the world. Tristan Gooley’s The Natural Navigator will teach you how to find your way using not just the moon, sun and stars but spider’s webs, tennis courts and even ruts on a track. He throws in entertaining anecdotes from the history of navigation and from his own impressive Atlantic journeys, but really he’s giving you an addictive hobby, and a newly refined sense of time and place.”—James McConnachie, The Sunday Times (London)

“Gooley’s calm, contemplative authority on matters solar, lunar and celestial establishes his guru credentials—but it’s his revelations about the clues that lie scattered about the natural environment that really entrance: how puddles drying on paths, the shapes of sand dunes, the graininess of scree on the lee of a slope can all be enlisted to summon compass points to your horizon.”—Chris Born, Time Out London

“Gooley is a fine writer with a philosophical passion for the subject, and he occasionally veers into areas that are perhaps not strictly within the remit of the book, but these are effortlessly pleasant diversions that add to the whole. His timing is strong, with anecdotes dropped in at just the right intervals to keep you turning the pages. His advice is at times glorious in its simplicity and fascinating in its execution.”—Laurence Mackin, The Irish Times

“In a sat-nav dominated world, where GPS and a host of other acronyms designed to get us from A to B have overtaken paper maps, it is refreshing to meet someone who understands technology, but prefers to find his way by practicing the rare and ancient art of using nature’s signposts, from puddle patterns to shadow lengths . . . I’m hooked. Back at the beech, I make a mental note of emerging bluebell patches, forming an internal map that I’ll use to find my way around the wood.”—Paul Evans, BBC Wildlife Magazine

“Gooley artfully covers all a natural navigator would need to know for any situation he or she may find themselves in, be it a wilderness trek, a jaunt through the local woods, or just the walk to work.”—The Englewood Review of Books