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.

Upcoming BAOC Events

• Aug. 12 (Wed.) - BAOC Board Meeting - Video Conference
  Meeting of the Board of Directors; 7:00 PM; all club members are welcome
• Aug. 16 (Sun.) - University of California
  C; 2026 Summer Series event #5: beginner course and two Summer Series courses; beginners and non-members are welcome; free beginner instruction available; participation in other Summer Series events is not required
• Aug. 30 (Sun.) - Bedwell Bayfront Park
  C; 2026 Summer Series event #6: beginner course and two Summer Series courses; beginners and non-members are welcome; free beginner instruction available; participation in other Summer Series events is not required

Other Future BAOC Events

• Sep. 20 (Sun.) - Joaquin Miller Park
  C; Event format to be determined; beginners and non-members are welcome; free beginner instruction available; AN EVENT DIRECTOR IS NEEDED!

Recent BAOC Results

• Aug. 3 - Donner Memorial State Park
  C; Day 4 of the Tahoe 4-Day events will provide a multiple-course Sprint event. Beginners and non-members are welcome; beginner instruction will be offered. Attendance at other Tahoe 4-Day events is not required.
• Aug. 2 - Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point State Park
  C; Day 3 of the Tahoe 4-Day events will provide a Summe Series event with Beginner, Short, & Long courses. Beginners & non-members are welcome; beginner instruction will be offered. Attendance at other Tahoe 4-Day or Summer Series events not required.
• Aug. 1 - Lake Tahoe Community College - South Lake Tahoe
  B; Day 2 of the Tahoe 4-Day events will provide a standard, 7-course, point-to-point event. Beginners and non-members are welcome; beginner instruction will be offered. Attendance at other Tahoe 4-Day events is not required.
• Jul. 31 - Aug. 3 - Tahoe 4-Day 2026 - Lake Tahoe Area
  B; Four days of fun in the Tahoe area with forest-Sprint, Classic, Summer Series, & Sprint events; with new maps! Beginners & non-members are welcome. Entry in all events or other Summer Series events is not required. Entry open at all events.
• Jul. 31 - Sierra College Tahoe-Truckee - Truckee, CA
  B; Day 1 of the Tahoe 4-Day events will provide a forest Sprint event. Beginners and non-members are welcome; beginner instruction will be offered. Attendance at other Tahoe 4-Day events is not required.
• Jul. 11 - Evergreen Valley College
  C; 2026 Summer Series event #3: beginner course and two Summer Series courses; beginners and non-members welcome; free beginner instruction available; participation in other Summer Series events is not required (DATE CHANGED FROM JUNE 27!)
• Jun. 27 - Diablo Valley College
  C; 2026 Summer Series event #2: beginner course and two Summer Series courses; beginners and non-members welcome; free beginner instruction available; participation in other Summer Series events is not required (DATE CHANGED FROM JULY 11!)
• May. 31 - Presidio of San Francisco
  C; 2026 Summer Series event #1: beginner course and two Summer Series courses; beginners and non-members are welcome; free beginner instruction available; participation in other Summer Series events is not required

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 (https://www.navxchallenge.com) – Organizes map-trekking events in Northern California
• terraloco (https://go-terraloco.blogspot.com) – Organizes urban and wilderness map adventures
• Truckee Orienteering Club (https://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 will host the 2027 U.S. Masters Nationals (3/24/26)
• BAOC Performance Grant Program (2/17/26)
• 2025 BAOC Service Award Recipient (1/13/26)
• Scam Email From BAOC Officers (10/3/25)
• Tentative 2026 Event Calendar (9/7/25)

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.