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.

What About COVID-19?

There is information on this page regarding what BAOC is doing to protect event participants from exposure to COVID-19. Please help us achieve that goal by following the guidelines.

News and Notes

A welcome page for runners has been added to the website. Also, a Google calendar has been added to the Schedule page​—​if you have a personal Google calendar, you can subscribe to this one to have the events displayed on your calendar.

Various "news" items are posted on this page. Recent items:

• CalOFest is moved to 2023 (4/22/21)
• Update from BAOC President (3/31/21)
• Use AmazonSmile and support BAOC! (12/11/20)

Current and Upcoming Events

• May. 1 - 31 - “Corona” Training Courses - San Francisco Bay Area
  Training; Streamered courses at various locations for practice/exercise during the shutdown/restrictions (Note: The start & end dates shown are artificial, forced by a website limit; the actual start [for the 1st course] was March 23, 2020; end dates are TBD.)
• May. 25 (Tue.) - BAOC Annual General Meeting - Video Conference Call
  Annual membership meeting and election of officers

Other Significant Upcoming Events

• Aug. 6 - 15 - Tahoe 2021 - Truckee, CA
  A; Two weekends of events including the 2021 United States Orienteering Championships (Sprint, Middle, & Long) and 2021 North American Rogaining Championships (24-hour competition & 4-hour "recreational") (entry details TBD) (pending park approval)
• Aug. 1 - 14, 2023 - California Orienteering Festival; San Francisco Bay Area & Lake Tahoe Area -
  A; ACTUAL DATES TBD. Many days of activities including the North American Championships (NAOC) and the World Rogaining Championships (WRC) — see (future) separate Schedule entries for each event (entry deadline: TBD) (pending park approval)

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

• May. 1 - 31 - “Corona” Training Courses - San Francisco Bay Area
  Training; Streamered courses at various locations for practice/exercise during the shutdown/restrictions (Note: The start & end dates shown are artificial, forced by a website limit; the actual start [for the 1st course] was March 23, 2020; end dates are TBD.)
• Apr. 15 - Special BAOC Board Meeting - Video Conference Call
  A special (mid-quarter) Board meeting will be held at 8:00 PM to discuss the status of CalOFest
• Apr. 1 - 30 - Bon Tempe Reservoir
  Training; Unofficial, self-serve Brown, Green, and Red courses; download PDFs of the maps from the BAOC website; the courses are also available through the MapRun6 app on your smartphone or tablet, and the MapRunG app on a Garmin watch capable of running apps
• Apr. 1 - 30 - Coyote Hills Regional Park
  Training; Unofficial, self-serve courses; download PDFs of the maps from the BAOC website; the courses are also available through the MapRun6 app on your smartphone or tablet, and the MapRunG app on a Garmin watch capable of running apps
• Dec. 5 - 6, 2020 - Bon Tempe Reservoir
  C; Greg Ehrensing Memorial Volunteer Event; NO BEGINNER COURSES; LIMITED ATTENDANCE; RESERVATIONS REQUIRED