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

• Oct. 17 (Thu.) - Mapping Plan 2025 - Video Conference
  Google Meet discussion to determine what mapping projects should be budgeted for 2025
• Oct. 27 (Sun.) - Public Event at Scout-O Championships - Briones Regional Park
  B; DATE CHANGED! Open Event for non-Scouts — Regular 7-course BAOC event in conjunction with the Scout-O Championships; everyone is welcome, including beginners — free, brief, beginner instruction will be available (pending park approval)
• Oct. 27 (Sun.) - Scout Orienteering Championships - Briones Regional Park
  B; DATE CHANGED! 30th annual Scout-O and Championships for all scout levels (pending park approval)
• Nov. 3 (Sun.) - Camp Tamarancho - CANCELED
  This event has been canceled, please check its page for details.
• Nov. 17 (Sun.) - Shell Ridge Open Space
  B; Standard 7-course event for beginners through advanced; everyone is welcome, including beginners, with free, brief, beginner instruction available (pending park approval)

Other Upcoming Events

• Jul. 25 - 28, 2025 - Tahoe 4-Day - Lake Tahoe Area
  A; Events at various parks around the Lake Tahoe are; at least one NRE; four days of fun events (details TBD)

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

• Sep. 29 - Huddart Park
  C; Score-O event: Find as many checkpoints you can within the time limit, individually or as a team; beginners are welcome (free beginner instruction will be provided)
• Sep. 15 - Lake Herman Recreation Area
  B; Event for beginners through advanced; free, brief, beginner instruction will be available
• Aug. 4 - Little Truckee Summit
  A; Full-featured National Ranking Event for beginner through advanced orienteers; beginners are welcome, with free, short introduction-to-orienteering sessions; BAOC membership is not required
• Aug. 3 - Summer Series Event #5: Burton Creek State Park - Burton Creek State Park
  C; This is the fifth event of the 2024 Summer Series. Everyone is welcome, including beginners, with free short clinics to explain orienteering.

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:

• 2024 OUSA Annual General Meeting (7/31/24)
• BAOC Website Updates and Call for Photos (6/27/24)
• 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)

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.