What is Orienteering?

Events

Maps

About Us

Welcome

In orienteering, “the thinking sport”, you use a map and compass to navigate a course through unfamiliar terrain. People of all ages enjoy orienteering as a leisurely walk in the woods or as a competitive cross-country race.

Newcomers are welcome at BAOC events, which are held throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. We offer beginner courses suitable for both individuals and families, as well as advanced courses that challenge the technical and physical capabilities of individuals and small teams. Learn more here.

We encourage all runners to try orienteering. A runners’ welcome page is here.

Current and Upcoming Events

• Jun. 2 (Sun.) - Summer Series Event #1: Presidio of San Francisco - Presidio of San Francisco
  C; This is the first event of the 2024 Summer Series. Beginners are welcome, with free short clinics to explain orienteering (pending park approval)
• Jun. 15 (Sat.) - Summer Series Event #2: Evergreen Valley College - Evergreen Valley College
  C; This is the second event of the 2024 Summer Series. Beginners are welcome, with free short clinics to explain orienteering

Other Upcoming Events

• Aug. 3 (Sat.) - Summer Series Event #5: Tahoe Basin Sprint - Location to be Announced
  C; This is the fifth event of the 2024 Summer Series. Beginners are welcome, with free short clinics to explain orienteering (pending park approval)
• Aug. 3 (Sat.) - Tahoe Basin Night-O - Location to be Announced
  C; Possible fun event for beginner through advanced orienteers (pending park approval)
• Aug. 4 (Sun.) - Tahoe Basin NRE - Location to be Announced
  A; Full-featured National Ranking Event (pending sanctioning) for beginner through advanced orienteers (pending park approval)

2024 Summer Series

As in past years, there is a six-event Summer Series this year. A description of the series, which starts June 2^nd and ends August 25^th, is here.

Everyone (including beginners) is welcome to attend one or more of the Summer Series events. There is no requirement to attend all of the events.

Recent Results

• May. 5 - Indian Valley College
  B; Orienteering returns to the verdant hills around the Indian Valley College campus after a 7-year hiatus, with a new map; there will be the standard 7 courses (White through Blue); free introductory instruction for beginners, who are very welcome
• Apr. 28 - Point Pinole Regional Shoreline
  C; Five courses for beginners through advanced; free introductory instruction for beginners, who are very welcome; the BAOC 2024 AGM will be held at this event
• Apr. 28 - BAOC Annual General Meeting - Point Pinole Regional Shoreline
  Annual membership meeting and election of officers

Other Northern California Orienteering Opportunities

The organizations listed below put on events in Northern California and nearby. Their events are listed on the Schedule page (i.e., when "All Clubs" is selected).

• Gold Country Orienteers (GCO) (http://www.goldcountryorienteers.org) – Organizes orienteering events in the Sacramento area
• Nav-X (http://www.navxchallenge.com) – Organizes map-trekking events in Northern California
• terraloco (http://go-terraloco.blogspot.com) – Organizes urban and wilderness map adventures
• Truckee Orienteering Club (http://www.truckeeorienteering.org) – Organizes orienteering events in the Lake Tahoe area

News and Notes

Various “news” items are posted on this page. Recent items:

• BAOC & CalOFest Uniforms Available (12/17/23)
• New Revision of the IOF Specification for Control Descriptions (11/22/23)
• Call for 2024 Event Volunteers/Mentors/Mentees (11/7/23)
• Gavin Wyatt-Mair received 2023 OUSA President’s Award (9/20/23)
• New BAOC Mapping Director (9/13/23)

A Google calendar of Bay Area events is on the Schedule page. If you have a personal Google calendar, you can subscribe to this one to have the events displayed on your calendar.