A method for navigating a robot from a current pose to a goal pose. A map represents obstacles and free space within an area for robot navigation. A matching map pyramid and an exclusion map pyramid are constructed based on the map and decimations from a highest resolution to successively lower resolutions of the map pyramids. Current pose for navigating from a current location to a goal pose along a goal path includes determining a search area and creating a search heap. Scoring of search tasks on the search heap determines a best candidate pose at a highest resolution matching map, or expands the search heap with search tasks at the next higher resolution matching map. Expanding the search heap at the next higher resolution matching map avoids search tasks that would localize the robot in an exclusion zone.