Poster for Bayfront Park event
Bayfront Park Event Poster
(click on it to enlarge)

Bedwell Bayfront Park

Date: (Sun.) Jan. 11, 2026
Location: Menlo Park, CA
Event Director: - 415.309.1853
Course Setters: Derek Maclean, Matthias Kohler
Type: C; A chance to see one of our popular parks in a different (cooler) season; beginners and non-members are welcome, with free beginner instruction available; kickoff event for the 2026 BAOC Youth Program; presentation of the 2025 BAOC Service Award

Related Event Information

Event Results Course Setters' Notes Last Year’s Event

Please note that fees and time limits apply. Events are typically not canceled due to bad weather.


We return to Bedwell Bayfront Park in Menlo Park, but in the winter this time instead if in the summer. Bedwell Bayfront is a fairly small, open, flattish park near the western end of the Dumbarton Bridge — easy to get to, with fun orienteering and great views.

This park is a great place to try orienteering for those new to the sport — beginners new to orienteering are encouraged to attend. There will be a course intended for beginners, with easier navigation to give an introduction to the sport. (Beginners are welcome to try a more challenging second course.)

For experienced orienteers, there will be an Intermediate/Advanced 3-loop Motala course with "special twists" to make the navigation more challenging. For example, the park's extensive trail network will not be shown on the maps for the Intermediate/Advanced course. Runners can choose to complete one, two, or all three loops. (See the Course Setters' Notes for details.)

We look forward to seeing everyone at what should be a fun event!

The 2025 BAOC Service Award will be presented at this event at 11:45 AM. It would be nice if club members could arrange their schedule in order to attend that presentation.

Note: If you're planning to bring a group larger than 10, please reach out to Steve Haas, the Event Director (), so we can plan accordingly (e.g., print enough maps).

Beginners

Beginner clinics will be available to introduce orienteering. They are short, repeating sessions that explain orienteering maps and the process for completing a course. Of course, it's up to the participants to be able to read their map and navigate to the controls on their course. That should not be too difficult at this feature-rich venue.

"Advanced" Beginners

If you are in the early stages of learning orienteering, Bedwell Bayfront Park is a great venue to try a more-advanced course. The park is very open, so features are easy to see, and it's confined to a small area, so you cannot get far from the event center. However, to artificially make navigation harder, the maps for the Intermediate/Advanced course will have "special twists" (e.g., trails and roads could be omitted). Thus, that course will give you a chance to practice more-advanced skills such as following a bearing, using attack points, and reading contour lines and vegetation features.

2026 BAOC Youth Program Kick-Off

We will be having the kick-off of the 2026 BAOC Youth Program at this event. The Youth Program is free (except for the normal, junior course fees), and is open to all juniors (age 20 and under).

Here is the schedule for the Youth Program component of the Bedwell Bayfront Park event:

   10:00 AM: Juniors meet at the Youth Program table for an introductory activity (after registering for the event).
~10:30 AM: After the introductory activity, everyone can go complete their course
After your course: Come back to the Youth Program table for course reviews, games, and snacks.
Note: If you can't make it to the 10 AM introduction, please still come by the Youth Program table and introduce yourself whenever you get there!

We will have our next Youth Program event in February, so don't worry if you can't make the January 11 date! In January, we will send out the Youth Program event schedule for the first half of 2026. If you missed our initial announcement of the Youth Program, please see the BAOC Juniors page (and please submit an interest form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdMxRd8vd7dx4ZHqHVP0dYtJRJyRvI2kOvADITvKrFG0o6VNA/viewform)).

If you have any questions, please email Julia Doubson () and Petra Sundstrom () (or , which goes to both of them).

Event Schedule

The following event schedule will be followed (i.e., for those not participating in the Youth Program):

  9:00 AM – 11:45 AM: Registration open (note early closing time!)
  9:30 AM – 10:30 AM: Beginner-clinic instruction is available (free)
10:00 AM – 12:30 PM: Starts are open for all courses
                 11:45 AM: Presentation of the 2025 BAOC Service Award
                  2:00 PM: Everyone must have returned to the Finish
Note: At registration, all juniors under age 18 must be accompanied by parents or legal guardians, or bring with them a waiver signed by their parent or legal guardian. (The registration form is available here [12KB PDF].)

Note that you can register and start on the courses anytime during the open times above. Thus, for example, you do not need to be "punctual" at 9:00. (You can if you want, but please don't show up earlier and expect to be served.) However, be sure to plan your schedule with enough course time to be able to finish by 2:00.

Beginner clinics are 15–20 minute, repeating sessions that introduce the sport of orienteering, and provide enough instruction to be able to complete the Beginner course.

Note that everyone must return to the Finish by 2:00 PM, and then promptly go to the download tent, even if they have not completed their course. Please do not leave without checking in! If there are unaccounted people after 2:00, we must initiate a search for them.

Costs & Registration

The following fees apply for this event:

  $3 for each junior on the Beginner course
  $8 for each adult on the Beginner course
  $5 for each junior on the Intermediate/Advanced course  
$15 for each adult member on the Intermediate/Advanced course
$20 for each adult non-member on the Intermediate/Advanced course
  $1 for a compass rental (optional)  
  $5 for an electronic fingerstick rental (if you don't own one; each group will need one to complete their course)
$15 for the lowest-cost individual one-year BAOC membership (optional)  
Notes:
  • You can register at the event or online before the event (see below).
  • Juniors are age 8 through 20 (under age 8 is free).
  • At the event, we can accept payment by cash, check, or credit/debit card (but no electronic payments — e.g., PayPal, Venmo).
  • There is no charge for a second course (but you must end up paying for the more expensive course — i.e., the Intermediate/Advanced course after the Beginner course).
  • Members of other orienteering clubs can pay the "member" fee. (We hope your club would do the same for our members. 🙂)

More information about event pricing is available in the club FAQ. All the prices are also shown on the standard entry form (12KB PDF), which you can print and fill out in advance to save some time at the event. (You will need one entry form for each group of people going on a course together.)

Optional Online Registration

Online registration has closed. You can register at the event.

Notes:
  • Online registration is not required — you can register at the event.
  • If you want to see who your competition will be, you can see who is registered for this event here (https://eventreg.orienteeringusa.org/eventregister/reglist/home/bayfront2026) (but keep in mind that others will register at the event).

Venue Facilities

Water and restrooms are available near the Assembly Area.

Some interesting information about this fun orienteering venue:

What to Bring

Bring your own water for the course(s). There will be no drinking water on the courses. There is a drinking-water fountain near the restrooms close to the Assembly Area (which is near the Start and Finish).

For people on the Beginner course, comfortable outdoors attire and walking shoes are fine.

For people on the Intermediate/Advanced course, hiking shoes or running shoes, with good traction, are recommended. The courses will include some pavement, but mostly off-trail legs. You might want shoes with cleats or spikes for the off-trail legs.

You might encounter some annoying grass depending on your route choice (and the condition of the fields), so you might consider wearing gaiters, long socks, or long pants.

It is sometimes quite windy at Bedwell Bayfront Park, so consider bringing a windbreaker​—​at least for before and after your course.

A compass is not necessary, but can be helpful — and can improve safety — so is recommended. We have compasses available for a $1 rental fee.

We time the courses with the SPORTident system, so each entry/team needs to have a SPORTident E-punch fingerstick. If you don't have your own, you can rent one at registration for $5 (note that there's a significant charge for a lost rental). (Use of the "E-punch" system is easy. You can learn how at the event, or read about it here.)

Courses

Here are the course details: 

    Course         Distance   Climb  Controls
    Beginner        2.6 km     75 m     16  
    Motala  
      One loop      3.4 km     75 m     16  
      Two loops     4.8 km    100 m     23  
      Three loops   7.6 km    160 m     39  

Beginners should be aware that the course length given is the cumulative straight-line distances between controls. Your actual distance could be significantly longer (although, going straight [off-trail] is often possible at this park). The climb numbers represent the amount of ascending that would be done on the "optimum route" (in the Course Setters' opinion), without regard for any descending.
Note: The full, three-loop Motala requires an E-stick with more capacity than the (ancient) SI-Card5 (ID < 500000) and the (old) SI-Card8 (ID 2xxxxxx). (The rental E-sticks have adequate capacity.)

The Beginner course gives a "grand tour" of the multiple small hills in the park. All the controls are on, or quite close to, one of the many trails that criss-cross the area. This course is for beginners and young children. This is a great warmup if you're trying orienteering for the first time. You get to see the map before the start and experience how everything works. After the Beginner course, if you want some more, you can do one or more loops of the Intermediate/Advanced course (as long as you pay the difference in fees, start before 12:30, and finish by 2:00).

The Intermediate/Advanced course is a Motala, with up to three loops. Runners can decide if they wish to do 1, 2, or 3 loops, effectively comprising Short, Middle, and Long course options.

Be sure to read the Course Setters' Notes for more information about the courses and the map.

Water

Water will not be provided on the courses. There are fountains at the Assembly Area.

We expect that most people will complete their course quickly enough to not need water while on the course.

However, you should consider carrying some water if you expect to be slow, or if it's a hot day.

Hazards

There is essentially no poison oak, although there might be a few small spots.

The open fields have ground-squirrel burrows — be mindful of your footing to avoid twisting an ankle.

Volunteers

As always, this event can't happen without volunteers. You can look at this spreadsheet (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VTQNUJpt-bVE-bqR5bsZskQ1Ov7HV2r2Dn6A0HLCk8E/edit?usp=sharing) to see what tasks are available, and to sign up for your favorite one.

As of January 2nd, we are looking for the following volunteers:

It's very easy to help, and it helps us to have an event for everyone to enjoy. Of course, you get to do your course, too!

If we get enough volunteers it'd be great to have extra people to hang out either at registration or the Finish to encourage our participants. Nothing makes you want to come back more than a new friend with a smiling face!

Not sure what to help with? Just want to help with something? Just contact me, and I can help you find a helpful role.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Thank you, Stephanie Maclean, Event Director ()

Driving Directions

The approximate coordinates for the event are 37.4909,-122.1773.

From the Peninsula, North, and South, take Highway 101 to the exit for Marsh Rd/CA-84E (#406). Head east on Marsh Rd (toward Dumbarton Bridge or the Bay). Stay to the far left so you can drive straight ahead into the park at the traffic signal where Marsh turns right onto Bayfront Expressway.

From the East Bay, cross the Dumbarton Bridge (Hwy 84). Go to the seventh traffic light after the bridge (at Marsh Rd), and turn right into the park.

Parking

There are two small parking lots near the Assembly Area — one before you reach the restrooms, and one beyond the Assembly Area. If the lots are full (which is likely to happen), you can park along the park road. (If you park along the road, please do not "waste space".)