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 beginners' 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.

What About COVID-19?

BAOC events follow the COVID-19 rules laid down by the Federal Government, the State of California, the County in which the event is being held, and the competition area landowners​—​whichever is more stringent. Please follow event guidelines to help us protect participants from exposure to COVID-19.

News and Notes

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

• Gavin Wyatt-Mair received 2023 OUSA President’s Award (9/20/23)
• New BAOC Mapping Director (9/13/23)
• More about the Condes Licenses (6/4/23)
• Please uninstall Condes 10 if you aren’t using it (6/3/23)

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.

Current and Upcoming Events

• Oct. 22 (Sun.) - Browns Valley Open Space Preserve
  B; New map of a “smaller Morgan Territory” with bigger rocks and fewer trees

2023 Summer Series

As in past years, there is a Summer Series of six events this year. A description of the series, which started May 28^th and ends August 27^th, is here.

Other Significant Upcoming Events

There are no upcoming events within the next 35 days.

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

Recent Results

• Sep. 24 - UC Berkeley (again) - University of California
  C; “Celebration” event open to everyone — created to help some club members celebrate their wedding!
• Sep. 12 - BAOC Board Meeting - Video Conference
  Quarterly meeting of the Board of Directors; 8:00 PM; all club members are welcome
• Aug. 27 - Summer Series Event #6: Bayfront Park - Bedwell Bayfront Park
  C; This is the final event of the 2023 Summer Series. Beginners are welcome!
• Jul. 19 - Morgan Territory Regional Preserve
  A; All are welcome, including beginners; NRE Long-distance forest event; California Orienteering Festival, Stage 3; Western States Orienteering Championships, Day 3
• Jul. 18 - Golden Gate Park
  A; All are welcome, including beginners; NRE Middle-distance event in urban park; California Orienteering Festival, Stage 2; Western States Orienteering Championships, Day 2
• Jul. 17 - 30 - California Orienteering Festival; San Francisco Bay Area & Lake Tahoe Area -
  A; All are welcome, including beginners. Many days of activities including multiple NRE events, Western States O’ Championships, North American O’ Championships (NAOC), and World Rogaining Championships (WRC) — see Schedule entries for individual event
• Jul. 17 - Presidio of San Francisco
  A; All are welcome, including beginners; NRE Sprint event in an urban park; California Orienteering Festival, Stage 1; Western States Orienteering Championships, Day 1