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Spring Lake Regional Park

Date: (Sun.) Sep. 20, 2009
Location: Santa Rosa, CA
Event Director: Judy Koehler - 707.778.1604
Course Setter: Scott Aster
Type: C; One of our National Orienteering Day (NOD) "Come and Try It!" events

Please note that fees and time limits apply, unless otherwise mentioned below. Events are typically not canceled due to bad weather.


Come out to scenic Spring Lake Regional Park in Santa Rosa for an orienteering event especially for those new to the sport of orienteering. The terrain is gently rolling, with some forest cover, a beautiful lake, and many bike paths and trails to help you find your way. The area is relatively flat, so it is suitable for children.

There will be a short course suitable for true novices and those with small children. A longer, slightly more difficult course will challenge those who have orienteered before or are familiar with reading a map. This course will require some off-trail orienteering. For those really looking for a challenge, take in both courses (but be sure to plan ample time)!

There will also be two Sprint courses to test high-speed decision making and precise map reading. One will start near the Oak Knolls Picnic Area, and the other will be as close a re-creation as possible of the U.S. Men's Championship Sprint run last May.

Free Beginner Clinics will start at 9:30 AM and continue through the morning at about 20-minute intervals as needed. These will provide you with the basics of orienteering and map reading—enough information to complete your first course.

Pre-registration is not necessary. Registration and clinics will be held at the Oak Knolls Picnic Area (see directions below—note that there are two park entrances, on opposite sides of the park). Standard event fees starting at $6 will apply. A complete breakdown on costs is available here. In addition, the park charges a $5 entrance fee per vehicle.

Registration will begin at 9:00 AM and close at 12:00 noon. You can show up anytime during that period. The courses will be open for starts from 10:00 AM until 12:30 PM, and all participants must check in at the Finish by 2:00 PM. Please honor the course closing time by coming to the Finish even if you have not completed your course by 2:00 PM. Most people take between one and two hours to take in a clinic and complete a course.

If you are bringing a group of 8 or more people, please call in advance if possible, so that we can be sure to have enough maps for everyone. A compass is not necessary to complete these courses. Wear clothing and shoes suitable for a walk in the woods.

Picnic tables, piped water, and flush toilets are available, so please feel free to bring along a picnic lunch to enjoy after you finish your course.

The following four courses will be available:

  Course        Length   Climb
  White         2.1 km    35 m
  Yellow        2.8 km    60 m
  Oak Sprint    2.2 km    35 m
  USTT Sprint   2.9 km    50 m

More information is available in the Course Setter's Notes.

Driving Directions

Take Highway 101 north toward Santa Rosa. Once in Santa Rosa, exit onto Highway 12 going east. Follow Highway 12 for 1.5 miles to where Highway 12 makes a left turn at Farmer's Lane. Do not take this turn, but instead, continue onto Hoen Avenue. Go 1.5 miles to the traffic light at Hoen and Summerfield. Continue straight on Hoen, then take an immediate left onto Newanga Avenue. Newanga leads into Spring Lake Regional Park. At the ranger's kiosk, make a right turn and go up the hill to the Oak Knolls Picnic Area.

Note: There is a $5 park entrance fee.

There's a map here that shows the location of the event. You can drag the map to center the "pin"; for more detail, you can zoom in and select Satellite view.

Public Transit

The nearest bus route to this entrance of Spring Lake Park is Santa Rosa City Bus #2, which has a stop at the intersection of Summerfield and Hoen. Please check for times on event day, as the City of Santa Rosa is in the process of eliminating some times, particularly on the weekend, in an effort to reduce costs.