Want to go for a hike or a trail run? It helps to know how to stay on the trail. Many trails are marked with rectangles of paint, called blazes, to let you know where the trail goes. But following the blazes is sometimes harder than it looks. This quiz will teach you how.


The rules are simple: a single blaze means you’re on the right path, and you should keep going. Two same-color blazes on top of each other are a sign that the trail turns. If the top blaze is shifted to the right, you turn right. If it’s shifted to the left, you turn left. (Sometimes the blazes will be right on top of each other, and that just means the trail turns and you have to figure out which way.) A three-blaze sign can indicate the start or end of a trail, but many trails make do with just the single and double blazes.

So that’s all you need to know: singles for straight, doubles for turns. Different colors indicate different trails. Ready? Let’s take a hike.


(If it’s hard to view the quiz below, you can also take it here.)