China Camp State Park
Date: (Sun.) Aug. 26, 2007
Location: San Rafael, CA
Event Director: 
- 415.482.9055
Course Setters: Mikkel Conradi, Lauren Knight
Type: B; Regular 7-course BAOC event
On Sunday, August 26, 2007 Bay Area Orienteering will return to China Camp State Park. This venue offers mixed oak forest (sometimes steep), rolling hills, open fields, salt marshes, ridges, creeks, shorelines, and tons of breathtaking views.
We will be offering the standard seven courses: (beginner) White and Yellow, (intermediate) Orange, and (advanced) Brown, Green, Red, and Blue. Lauren Knight will be setting the beginners courses, and Mikkel Conradi will set the advanced-level courses.
Here are the course stats:
Course Controls Distance Climb Relative Climb
White 10 2.2 km 70 m 3.2% Yellow 11 3.0 90 3.0 Orange 11 3.9 225 7.5 Brown 10 3.3 230 7.0 Green 12 3.9 280 7.2 Red 14 5.0 325 6.5 Blue 16 6.0 475 7.9
See the Course Setters' Notes for more information about the courses.
Registration and the Start/Finish areas will be at Miwok Meadows Picnic Area, which is shaded, with many picnic tables—perfect for lunch after your course. After your run, you can drive up the road to the China Camp Museum area, where the museum buildings display artifacts from the late 19th-century Chinese shrimp-fishing settlement.
For information about the park, check out this link (http://www.sfgate.com/getoutside/1997/may/), and this one (http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=466).
The weather could be hot, so we encourage you come early and bring plenty of liquids. Water will be available at selected sites, but many participants should carry their own. Of course, there is the usual Bay Area hazard: poison oak. We will be glad to point it out to you just in case, or keep in mind "leaves of three, beware of these." Tecnu is used to wash off the poison oak oils sticking to exposed skin. Many people bring a complete change of clothing to avoid contact with oils that may be on their competition outfits/shoes, and place the contaminated stuff in a plastic bag. See our FAQ for more information about poison oak.
E-punch will be used on all the courses. E-sticks will be available for rent at registration. First-time users can see our User's Guide to Electronic Punching.
Registration will be open from 9:00 A.M. to Noon. Short beginner's orientation discussions will be available from 9:30 to 10:30 A.M. Starts will be available between 10:00 A.M. and 12:30 P.M.—you can start anytime during that period.
All courses will close at 2:30 P.M. Please check in at the Finish by then, even if you do not complete your course. Otherwise we may need to form a search party to find you!
We can always use a few more volunteers to help out (hint, hint).
Driving Directions
China Camp State Park is located 15–20 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge, and a few miles northeast of San Rafael. Exit Highway 101 at the North San Pedro Road exit near the Marin County Civic Center. Travel east along North San Pedro Road for 3.5 miles to the Miwok Meadows Picnic Area.
A limited number of cars will be allowed to park at Miwok Meadows proper on a first-come first-served basis. The park management has asked that those parking along San Pedro Rd not block any gates, and to park well off the road. If you park along the road, you will need to walk a little over half mile along a dirt road to the picnic area itself, where the Registration and Start/Finish areas will be located.