The Youth Hostel Association – YHA
Client | The Youth Hostel Association (YHA)
Objective | Inspire and enable more walking, directly from hostel doorsteps
Our role | Cartography | Icon creation | Design | Artworking
150+ Custom Maps for Safer, Accessible Exploration
The Youth Hostel Association (YHA) operates a network of over 100 hostels across some of the most stunning and iconic landscapes in England and Wales. Each year, thousands of guests – of all ages and abilities – use YHA as a base to explore the outdoors.
To deepen that connection with nature, YHA runs an annual Festival of Walking each autumn. As part of this initiative, they wanted to create a suite of walking maps that would help visitors discover lesser-known paths and routes, right from the hostel doorstep.
We collaborated closely with the YHA team to create over 150 bespoke maps, each one tailored to its local landscape. From initial concept to finished artwork, we focused on clarity, accessibility, and celebration of place – ensuring every map would empower more people to step outside with confidence.
“The meticulous attention to detail and creativity HeylinSmith brought to the project transformed a vision into a reality. Jon worked with us to create self-led walking route maps that are both functional and innovative in design. He has been committed and attentive to the project throughout, putting the needs of the YHA team, hostel network, and the end user front and centre of thinking.”
The result is a beautiful and practical collection of walking guides that will be used by thousands of visitors for years to come – helping people discover the magic of walking, one step at a time.