diff --git a/day16/Cargo.toml b/day16/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b2016c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/day16/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+[package]
+name = "day16"
+version = "0.1.0"
+edition = "2021"
+
+[dependencies]
diff --git a/day16/src/main.rs b/day16/src/main.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..399c53a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/day16/src/main.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,249 @@
+use std::cmp::Ordering;
+use std::collections::HashMap;
+use std::collections::HashSet;
+use std::collections::BinaryHeap;
+
+use std::env;
+use std::fs;
+
+use crate::Dir::{North, South, East, West };
+
+type Coord = (i32, i32);
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Eq, PartialEq, Hash, Debug, PartialOrd, Ord)]
+enum Dir { North, South, East, West }
+
+#[derive(Copy, Clone, Eq, PartialEq)]
+struct State {
+    cost: i32,
+    position: Coord,
+    facing: Dir,
+}
+
+impl Ord for State {
+    fn cmp(&self, other: &Self) -> Ordering {
+        // flipped ordering on cost, so that it's a min-heap and not a max-heap
+        other.cost.cmp(&self.cost)
+            .then_with(|| self.position.cmp(&other.position))
+            .then_with(|| self.facing.cmp(&other.facing))
+    }
+}
+
+// `PartialOrd` needs to be implemented as well.
+impl PartialOrd for State {
+    fn partial_cmp(&self, other: &Self) -> Option<Ordering> {
+        Some(self.cmp(other))
+    }
+}
+
+fn step(start: &Coord, d: Dir, steps: i32) -> Coord {
+    match d {
+        North => (start.0, start.1 - steps),
+        South => (start.0, start.1 + steps),
+        East => (start.0 + steps, start.1),
+        West => (start.0 - steps, start.1),
+    }
+}
+
+fn main() {
+    println!("Hello, AoC day 13!");
+
+    let args: Vec<String> = env::args().collect();
+    if args.len() != 2 {
+        println!("wrong number of arguments!");
+        std::process::exit(1);
+    }
+
+    let file_path = &args[1];
+
+    let file = fs::read_to_string(file_path)
+        .expect("should be able to read the file");
+
+    let mut map = HashMap::new();
+
+    let mut start = (0,0);
+    let mut exit = (0,0);
+    let mut y = 0;
+    for line in file.lines() {
+        let mut x = 0;
+        for c in line.chars() {
+            match c {
+                'S' => { start = (x,y); map.insert((x,y), '.'); },
+                'E' => { exit = (x,y); map.insert((x,y), '.'); },
+                _ => { map.insert((x,y), c); }
+            };
+            x += 1;
+        }
+        y += 1;
+    }
+
+    let score = solve_maze(&map, start, exit);
+
+    println!("the score was {score:?}");
+
+    let distances = assign_distances(&map, start);
+    println!("found {} distances", distances.len());
+
+    let paths = find_paths(&map, &distances, start, exit);
+
+    let mut touched_squares: HashSet<Coord> = HashSet::new();
+
+    for path in paths {
+        for (location, _facing) in path {
+            touched_squares.insert(location);
+        }
+    }
+
+    println!("there were {} squares on the best paths", touched_squares.len());
+
+}
+
+fn solve_maze(map: &HashMap<Coord, char>, start: Coord, exit: Coord) -> Option<i32> {
+    let mut heap = BinaryHeap::new(); 
+    let mut distances: HashMap<(Coord, Dir), i32> = HashMap::new();
+
+    heap.push(State { position: start, facing: East, cost: 0});
+
+    while let Some(State { position, facing, cost}) = heap.pop() {
+        if position == exit { return Some(cost); }
+
+        if let Some(previous_cost) = distances.get(&(position, facing)) {
+            if *previous_cost < cost { continue; }
+        }
+
+        distances.insert((position, facing), cost);
+
+        for new_dir in [North, South, East, West] {
+            let new_spot = step(&position, new_dir, 1);
+            let mut new_cost = cost + 1;
+            if facing != new_dir { new_cost = new_cost + 1000}
+
+            if let Some(d) = distances.get(&(new_spot, new_dir)) {
+                if *d < new_cost { continue; }
+            }
+
+            if map.get(&new_spot) == Some(&'.') {
+                heap.push(State { 
+                    position: new_spot, 
+                    facing: new_dir,
+                    cost: new_cost
+                });
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return None;
+}
+
+
+fn assign_distances(map: &HashMap<Coord, char>, start: Coord) -> HashMap<(Coord, Dir), i32> {
+    let mut heap = BinaryHeap::new(); 
+    let mut distances = HashMap::new();
+
+    heap.push(State { position: start, facing: East, cost: 0});
+
+    while let Some(State { position, facing, cost}) = heap.pop() {
+
+        if let Some(previous_cost) = distances.get(&(position, facing)) {
+            if *previous_cost < cost { continue; }
+        }
+
+        distances.insert((position, facing), cost);
+
+        // option to rotate in place! very expensive
+        for new_dir in [North, South, East, West] {
+            let new_cost = cost + 1000;
+            if let Some(d) = distances.get(&(position, new_dir)) {
+                if *d < new_cost { continue; }
+            }
+            heap.push(State { 
+                position: position, 
+                facing: new_dir,
+                cost: new_cost
+            });
+        }
+
+        let forward_position = step(&position, facing, 1);
+        if Some(&'.') == map.get(&forward_position) {
+            let new_cost = cost + 1;
+            if let Some(d) = distances.get(&(forward_position, facing)) {
+                if *d < new_cost { continue; }
+            }
+            heap.push(State {
+                position: forward_position,
+                facing: facing,
+                cost: new_cost,
+            })
+        }
+    }
+
+    return distances;
+}
+
+fn find_paths(
+    map: &HashMap<Coord, char>, 
+    distances: &HashMap<(Coord, Dir), i32>, 
+    start: Coord, 
+    end: Coord
+) -> Vec<Vec<((i32, i32), Dir)>> {
+    let mut paths: Vec<Vec<(Coord, Dir)>> = Vec::new();
+    let mut output: Vec<Vec<(Coord, Dir)>> = Vec::new();
+
+    let mut shortest_end_distance = distances.get(&(end, North)).expect("the end has to be reachable");
+    for dir in [North, South, East, West] {
+        if let Some(d) = distances.get(&(end, dir)) {
+            if d < shortest_end_distance {
+                shortest_end_distance = d;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    for dir in [North, South, East, West] {
+        if let Some(d) = distances.get(&(end, dir)) {
+            if d == shortest_end_distance {
+                paths.push(vec![(end, dir)]);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    while let Some(mut path) = paths.pop() {
+        // iterate through paths that lead to the end
+        // find all neighbors that can step to the current path head
+        // if the neighbor can step to the current path lead, 
+        if let Some(head) = path.pop() {
+            if head == (start, East) {
+                path.push(head);
+                output.push(path);
+                continue;
+            }
+            let potential_predecessors = state_predecessors(map, head);
+            let our_distance = distances.get(&head).unwrap();
+
+            for state in potential_predecessors {
+                let candidate_distance = distances.get(&state).unwrap();
+
+                if candidate_distance < our_distance {
+                    let mut this_path = path.clone();
+                    this_path.push(head);
+                    this_path.push(state);
+                    paths.push(this_path);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return output;
+}
+
+fn state_predecessors(map: &HashMap<Coord, char>, end: (Coord, Dir)) -> Vec<(Coord, Dir)> {
+    let mut output = Vec::new();
+    let walk = step(&end.0, end.1, -1); // include the possibility that we walked here.
+    if map.get(&walk) == Some(&'.') { output.push((walk, end.1)); }
+
+    for old_dir in [North, South, East, West] {
+        if old_dir == end.1 { continue; }
+
+        output.push((end.0, old_dir));
+    }
+
+    return output;
+}