Two July rescues tied to Google Maps sent teenage hikers into trouble in British Columbia and Colorado after they relied on route guidance that understated backcountry difficulty.
A 17-year-old group on British Columbia’s Howe Sound Crest Trail packed for a little over 5 hours, but rescuers said the route is realistically a 12-14 hour alpine objective; one injured hiker was helicoptered out.
A 15-year-old in Colorado then fell about 200 feet in Outward Bound Couloir near 14,165-foot Kit Carson Peak and was evacuated after telling rescuers he had used Google Maps on a planned three-day trip.
Rescuers and mapping experts said Google’s backcountry data can include outdated government trail records, while its time estimates appear to weigh distance and elevation but miss terrain hazards such as scrambling, loose rock and steep grades.
The incidents add to earlier cases in British Columbia and Scotland, reinforcing advice to use hiking-specific apps, topo or satellite maps, and local route information instead of Google Maps alone.