A neutron detector that indicates the direction toward a neutron source. The detector is a proton-recoil type of detector, in which two different scintillators are positioned on both sides of a hydrogenous target. Proton recoil signals from the two scintillators indicate whether neutrons arrive from the left, right, or center relative to the detector alignment. Surprisingly high precision can be obtained by orienting the detector so that the counting rates in the two scintillators are equal, at which point the target layer is directly aligned with the source. Disclosed are thick and thin target configurations, versions for discriminating pulses from the two scintillators, options for assembling a multi-detector stack and array, and multiple analysis procedures for optimally locating the neutron source.