What is Orienteering?

Events

Maps

About Us

Western States Championships

Presidio of San Francisco (Friday)
Calero County Park (Saturday & Sunday)

This will be a three-day event, including a Friday afternoon Sprint event at San Francisco Presidio National Park, followed by a Middle event on Saturday and a Classic event on Sunday, both at Calero County Park in San Jose. Each day will offer the standard National Ranking Event (NRE) courses as well as White and Yellow recreational courses.

More event information is being added to this webpage, so please check back later for the whole story.

Regular pricing and online pre-registration end at 11:59 PM on February 16, so register online now here (https://eventreg.orienteeringusa.org/eventregister/register/start/wschamps2025). (You can see who has already registered here (https://eventreg.orienteeringusa.org/eventregister/reglist/home/wschamps2025).)

Everyone is welcome to participate at the events. For those who are interested, there will be four competitions:

• National Ranking Events

Each day will be a separate NRE, with ranking points for OUSA members in each OUSA Individual Championship Class (https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vRvedHbunw1ddb1Y151Xch0BhZDgptSkq5dG1xInPcUEGa9e5E_NkKJfVSB6P9-LvcEAPmOKBWUrNGd/pub#h.26in1rg).

• Western States Championships

A point system will be used to combine each person's best two results of the three days to determine the Western States Champions in each OUSA Individual Championship Class (https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vRvedHbunw1ddb1Y151Xch0BhZDgptSkq5dG1xInPcUEGa9e5E_NkKJfVSB6P9-LvcEAPmOKBWUrNGd/pub#h.26in1rg).

OUSA members from these states are eligible: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. (Those are the states with 10,000-foot mountains.)

• U.S. Junior Team Trials

This event (or petitioning) will determine who will represent the U.S. at the Junior World Orienteering Championships (JWOC (https://www.jwoc2025.it/)) in Italy in June. The OUSA selection rules for the JWOC team are here (https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/e/2PACX-1vR10QR5IcGoOmXhjiW4yUVv96lsMe3AoGQVq6MKYKNOVkm3tMFypIa8oI0m1ng3OA/pub#h.488uthg).

• U.S. Senior Team Trials

This event (or petitioning) will determine who will represent the U.S. at the World Orienteering Championships (WOC (https://www.woc2025.fi)) in Finland in July. The OUSA selection rules for the WOC team are here (https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/e/2PACX-1vR10QR5IcGoOmXhjiW4yUVv96lsMe3AoGQVq6MKYKNOVkm3tMFypIa8oI0m1ng3OA/pub#h.3utoxif).

Here are some notes for people who are not familiar with this type of event:

1. If you haven't attended a National Ranking Event before, do not be intimidated by the apparent competitive nature! Everyone is welcome to participate on "recreational" or "competitive" courses (and/or to volunteer 😊).
2. "Recreational" beginner (White and Yellow) courses will be available.
3. Anyone can participate on the "competitive" courses — you don't have to be aiming for a national team to join in the fun.
4. You can register at the event, but note that registration times will be limited.

Embargo Notice

Since these will be National Ranking Events (NREs), the Presidio of San Francisco and Calero County Park are closed to all NRE competitors before the respective events. At the events, everyone must stay in the Assembly Area prior to going to the Start and after returning from the Finish.

Anyone who visits an embargo area before the events (or during the events while not on a course) can still participate, but will not be eligible for NRE awards or OUSA rankings for the NRE course(s) in that area.

Event Schedules

Schedule for the Sprint Event on Friday, February 28

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM: NRE packet pickup open

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM: NRE registration open

               2:00 PM: Pre-assigned NRE starts begin (with 4 min. call-up)

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Recreational registration open

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Beginner clinics instruction (free)

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM: Starts are open for recreational courses

              4:00 PM: Participants on recreational courses must have returned to the Finish

Note that everyone must return to the Finish by their time limit (which for NRE competitors depends on their start time), and then promptly go to the download tent, even if they have not completed their course. Please do not leave without checking in! If there are people not accounted for, we must initiate a search for them.

After you finish, stick around and socialize with other participants! Beginners should use this opportunity to ask any questions they have.

Schedule for the Middle Event on Saturday, March 1

  9:00 AM – 11:00 AM: NRE packet pickup open

  9:00 AM – 10:00 AM: NRE Registration open

                 10:00 AM: Pre-assigned NRE starts begin (with 4 min. call-up)

(Team Trial participants will start first)

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Recreational registration open

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Beginner clinics instruction (free)

     11:00 AM – 12:00: Starts are open for recreational courses

                  2:00 PM: Participants on recreational courses must have returned to the Finish

Schedule for the Classic Event on Sunday, March 2

  8:30 AM – 10:30 AM: NRE packet pickup open

   8:30 AM – 9:30 AM: NRE Registration open

                  9:30 AM: Pre-assigned NRE starts begin (with 4 min. call-up)

(Team Trial participants will start first)

                   TBD PM: Western States Championships awards

  9:30 AM – 10:30 AM: Recreational registration open

  9:30 AM – 10:30 AM: Beginner clinics instruction (free)

10:30 AM – 11:30 PM: Starts are open for recreational courses

                  2:30 PM: Participants on recreational courses must have returned to the Finish

Costs and Registration

Entry Fees for Competition Entries

Entry Fees for Recreational Entries

Fees for "Extras"

$24 for an event T-shirt — see below (optional)

  $1 for a compass rental (optional)

  $5 for an electronic fingerstick rental (if you don't own one; you'll need one to complete the course)

$15 for the lowest-cost individual one-year BAOC membership (optional)

Online Registration

Online registration has closed, but you can register at the event.

You can see who is registered here (https://eventreg.orienteeringusa.org/eventregister/reglist/home/wschamps2025).

Assembly Areas

Assembly Area for the Sprint Event on Friday, February 28

The Assembly Area will be at the Main Post Parade Ground of the Presidio of San Francisco. The approximate coordinates are 37.7995,-122.4586.

Water and restrooms will be nearby. Snacks will be provided for after finishing the courses.

Assembly Area for the Events on Saturday & Sunday, March 1 & 2

The Assembly Area will be at a large parking lot at the entrance to Calero County Park. The entrance is off McKean Rd, 1.5 miles past the boat-launch area and 0.7 miles south of the intersection with Bailey Rd. The approximate coordinates are 37.1749,-121.7611.

There is no mobile-phone coverage in the parking area for Calero.

Portable toilets will be near the Assembly Area. There is a water faucet in the parking lot.

Unfortunately, due to permit restrictions, BAOC cannot provide snacks or refreshments at the Calero Events. Please bring your own food.

Note: Please take your own water to the remote Starts if needed. You can leave water bottles in the clothing box near the Start.

Event T-shirt

Event T-shirt

T-shirts are available in unisex sizes S, M, L, XL, and 2XL. The shirt is "Classic Fit", pre-shrunk, 100% cotton.

An image of the T-shirt is at the right. (Click on the image for a larger one.)

Event Dinner

Unfortunately, we have not been able to arrange for a reasonably-costed, large, group dinner nearby on Saturday evening. However, small to medium groups should be able to find a wide range of options to make a reservation. Please invite fellow orienteers to join your group!

There are many restaurants to choose from in the San Jose, Almaden, and Los Gatos areas. Some possibilities include:

• The Lazy Dog Restaurant (https://lazydogrestaurants.com/locations/san-jose-ca), Almaden – close to Calero, fun restaurant with wide range of food options
• The Britannia Arms (https://britanniaarms.com/), San Jose – British pub food
• Aqui Blossom Valley (https://www.aquicalmex.com/blossom-valley-menu/), San Jose – Reasonably priced Cal-Mex food.
• Downtown Los Gatos (https://visitlosgatosca.com/eat/) – Fun downtown with medium to upmarket options
• San Pedro Square (https://www.sanjose.org/restaurants), San Jose – Historic downtown San Jose area with lots of food and drink options
• Downtown Campbell (https://www.downtowncampbell.com/dining-guide) – Nearby downtown with lots of restaurants

Start & Finish Procedures

Start Procedure

The start procedure will be the same each day.

• Follow the directions of the Start volunteers.
• Please keep noise to a minimum while in the "Quiet Zone" waiting for your Start.
• Runners will called to the Start chute 4 minutes before their assigned start time.

• Loose control descriptions will be available.
• At the map boxes:
  • Write your name on the back of your map.
  • Ask a Start volunteer to verify the course is what you want. (They will not know your assigned course.)
• At the start signal, punch the START unit.

Finish Procedure

The finish procedure will be the same each day.

• After punching at the Finish, proceed directly to the download table.
• Maps will be collected until the last person has started.

Courses

Courses for the Sprint Event on Friday, February 28

The Course Setters’ Notes are in this PDF file (790KB). It is important that all competitors read the Course Setters’ Notes, because they present information about safety and the possibility of disqualification, as well as other useful information. (The primary safety and disqualification information is also available on the Course Setters’ Notes webpage, but please read the whole PDF file.)

Here are the final details for the Sprint courses.

    Course    Distance   Climb  Controls
    White      1.2 km     15 m     12  
    Yellow     1.4 km     15 m     12
    Orange     1.6 km     15 m     14  
    Brown      2.4 km     25 m     17  
    Green      2.8 km     30 m     19
    Red        3.4 km     40 m     24
    Blue       3.9 km     40 m     24

Courses for the Middle Event on Saturday, March 1

More information about the courses is in the Calero Course Setters’ Notes. Be sure to read them.

Here are the final details for the Middle courses:

    Course    Distance      Climb      Controls
    White      1.6 km     20 m (1.3%)     9  
    Yellow     1.9 km     60 m (3.2%)     9
    Orange     2.3 km     90 m (3.9%)    10  
    Brown-Y    1.9 km     40 m (2.1%)     8  
    Brown-X    2.2 km     65 m (3.0%)     9
    Green      3.4 km    110 m (3.2%)    13
    Red        3.8 km    145 m (3.8%)    14
    Blue       4.7 km    195 m (4.1%)    19

Courses for the Classic Event on Sunday, March 2

More information about the courses is in the Calero Course Setters’ Notes. Be sure to read them.

Here are the final details for the Classic courses:

    Course     Length       Climb      Controls
    White      2.7 km     25 m (0.9%)     8  
    Yellow     2.9 km     90 m (3.1%)    10
    Orange     3.5 km    140 m (4.0%)    10  
    Brown-Y    2.0 km    105 m (5.3%)     7  
    Brown-X    3.0 km    160 m (5.3%)     8
    Green      5.3 km    245 m (4.6%)    13
    Red        6.0 km    305 m (5.1%)    15
    Blue       8.2 km    420 m (5.1%)    22

Camping

The tent-camping closest to Calero County Park is at Uvas Canyon County Park (https://parks.santaclaracounty.gov/locations/uvas-canyon-county-park) near Morgan Hill, CA (6.4 miles south of Calero County Park).

A website with all the tent and RV camping in the area is here (https://parks.santaclaracounty.gov/things-do/camp/tent-campsites).

Request for Volunteers

As always, there will be many tasks for volunteers to do. Many people have stepped up already — thank-you!

Here are the areas where we still need help (as of Feb. 16):

• Course pickup: Help needed especially at the two Calero Days. The more the merrier. 😊
• Starts: Need help each of the three days. Please sign up for one or more days (e.g., shifts within the start windows).
• Flagged-Route Monitor: Saturday Middle — This will be in the Calero parking Lot, guiding orienteers to the flagged route to the Start.

All volunteers will be able to run their course each day. Start times for volunteers will be set around their shifts.

Driving Directions

For the Sprint Event on Friday, February 28:

Parking for the Assembly Area is located along the lawn of the Main Post Parade Ground. The approximate coordinates are 37.7995,-122.4586.

From the Bay Bridge: Take exit 1B to merge onto US-101 N/Central Fwy toward Golden Gate Bridge. Continued on Central Fwy. Turn right onto Market St. Use the left two lanes to turn slightly left toward Franklin St. Turn left onto Pine St. Turn right onto Presidio Ave, which becomes Presidio Blvd when you enter the park, and later becomes Lincoln Blvd. Continue on Lincoln Boulevard at the traffic circle with Girard Road. Turn left onto Anza Avenue and drive south to the south end of the parking lot at the Main Post Parade Ground. The Assembly Area is nearby. Park there and be sure to purchase a parking sticker from a machine.

From the South: On I-280, use any of the three left lanes to take exit (#49B) for CA-1 N toward 19^th Avenue/Golden Gate Bridge. At the first traffic light, use any of the three left lanes to turn slightly left onto 19^th Ave. Stay on 19^th Ave through Golden Gate Park, beyond, and through the Presidio. Keep right and follow signs for US-101 S/Marina Blvd S, and merge onto US-101. Take the exit (#437) for Marina Blvd toward the Presidio. Turn right onto Girard Rd, then turn right onto Lincoln Blvd. Turn left onto Anza Avenue and drive south to the south end of the parking lot at the Main Post Parade Ground. The Assembly Area is nearby. Park there and be sure to purchase a parking sticker from a machine.

From the North: After crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, stay left to continue on US-101 (i.e., do not exit to Veterans Blvd). Take the exit (#437) for Marina Blvd toward the Presidio. Turn right onto Girard Rd, then turn right onto Lincoln Blvd. Turn left onto Anza Avenue and drive south to the south end of the parking lot at the Main Post Parade Ground. The Assembly Area is nearby. Park there and be sure to purchase a parking sticker from a machine.

Parking

You must pay for parking. Parking in the Main Post lots is $2.50 per hour or $12.50 for all day, and is enforced seven days per week. The parking machines accept credit and debit cards, and possibly coins. Be sure to display the parking permit on your dashboard. You might be able to pay by entering your license plate number into the PayByPhone app or website, or the on-site physical parking meters, in which case you will not need to display the parking permit. (The parking charge varies by location in the park. More information is here (http://www.presidio.gov/transportation/driving-and-parking).)

Public Transit

Information about public transportation options is available at the park website (https://www.presidio.gov)​—​notably, the PresidiGo shuttle is a free bus service from downtown San Francisco that runs every 30–60 minutes, and terminates convenient to the event center.

For the Middle Event on Saturday, March 1, and the Classic Event on Sunday, March 2:

The event Assembly Area is at the usual McKean Entrance picnic area in Calero County Park (i.e., not at the boat ramp). Because everyone uses GPS for driving directions these days, we will only have one orange/white orienteering directional sign at the junction of McKean Road and the park entrance, about a half mile SE of the Bailey Road junction and about 1.3 miles SE of the Calero Reservoir Boat Launch. For GPS navigation, the address is 23205 McKean Road, San Jose. (The approximate coordinates are 37.1749,-121.7611.)

From the Peninsula and North: Take Highway 101 or I-280 south to Highway 85, then take Highway 85 south to Almaden Expressway. Head south 5 miles to the end of the road. Turn right onto Harry, and then immediately left onto McKean. The main park entrance is 5 miles south on McKean. Go about 1.3 miles past the boat ramp, and turn in at the entrance (on your right) marked "Calero County Park; Park Office; Equestrian Center; All Trailheads".

From the East Bay: Take I-680 or I-880 south to Highway 101 in San Jose, then take Highway 101 south beyond Highway 85, and exit at Bailey Ave. After 3.2 miles west, Bailey ends at McKean. Turn left and go south 0.7 miles to the park entrance on your right.

Parking

There's a large parking lot next to registration. Please follow instructions from our parking volunteer to maximize space in the lot. Please do not park in the back of the lot​—​i.e., the part farthest from the road. Horse trailers park there, and we need to give them plenty of room to maneuver.