Confusingly, there are three different variations of north to take into account when navigating. Here’s what they are:

True north: This is the direction of the earth’s geographic north pole and the axis on which the planet spins.

Magnetic north: This is the direction in which the red end of the compass needle points. The difference, an angle (in degrees east or west) between geographic and magnetic north, is known as magnetic declination. This changes over time, which is why declination adjustments are needed when a bearing is taken. The angle is different for all locations in the world, so check your topo map for the local declination angle and rate of change.    

Grid north: Topo maps are aligned to grid north, which is expressed by the vertical (longitude) lines on the map. Grid north is required for the translation of the spherical surface of earth to the flat plane of a map.