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 beginner 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.

Upcoming BAOC Events

• Jan. 25 (Sun.) - Coyote Lake–Harvey Bear Ranch County Park
  B; At the Coyote Lake side of the park: Standard 7-course event for beginners through advanced orienteers; beginners and non-members are welcome; free beginner instruction will be available
• Feb. 8 (Sun.) - Point Pinole Regional Shoreline
  C; Event for beginners through advanced; beginners and non-members are welcome; free beginner instruction will be available

Other Future BAOC Events

• Feb. 28 (Sat.) - Lake Herman Recreation Area
  C; TENTATIVE EVENT — Event for beginners through advanced; beginners and non-members are welcome; free beginner instruction will be available (pending park approval)
• Mar. 8 (Sun.) - Morgan Territory Regional Preserve
  B; TENTATIVE EVENT — Standard 7-course event for beginners through advanced orienteers; beginners and non-members are welcome; free beginner instruction will be available (pending park approval)
• Mar. 29 (Sun.) - Calero County Park
  B; Standard 7-course event for beginners through advanced orienteers; beginners and non-members are welcome; free beginner instruction will be available (pending park approval)

Recent BAOC Results

• Jan. 11 - Bedwell Bayfront Park
  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
• Dec. 20 - Willow Glen Holiday Lights "Light-O" & Potluck Social - Willow Glen Neighborhood
  C; Evening Score-O course to enjoy the neighborhood holiday lights, followed by a potluck social
• Dec. 6 - Bon Tempe Reservoir
  C; Volunteer appreciation event; as in the past, PARTICIPATION IS LIMITED to club members who have volunteered this year; PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED (but has closed); NO BEGINNER OR INTERMEDIATE COURSES
• Nov. 16 - Shell Ridge Open Space
  B; Standard 7-course event for beginners through advanced; everyone is welcome, including beginners and non-members, with free beginner instruction available
• Nov. 2 - 2025 Golden Goat & Golden Kid - Pacheco State Park
  C; Extra-long "Goat" course, and a long "Kid" course, with a shared mass start; and a regular beginner course with separated starts
• Oct. 26 - Public Event at Scout-O Championships - Briones Regional Park
  B; Open Event for non-Scouts; Regular 7-course BAOC event in conjunction with the Scout-O Championships; everyone is welcome, including beginners; free beginner instruction will be available
• Oct. 26 - Scout Orienteering Championships - Briones Regional Park
  B; 31st annual Scout-O and Championships for all scout levels; pre-registration is required
• Oct. 26 - NJROTC – Area 22 Orienteering Qualifier - Briones Regional Park
  B; Point-to-point courses for Intermediate, JV, and Varsity cadets

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 (https://www.navxchallenge.com) – Organizes map-trekking events in Northern California
• terraloco (https://go-terraloco.blogspot.com) – Organizes urban and wilderness map adventures
• Truckee Orienteering Club (https://www.truckeeorienteering.org) – Organizes orienteering events in the Lake Tahoe area

News and Notes

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

• 2025 BAOC Service Award Nominations (11/6/25)
• Request for Website Development Volunteers (10/10/25)
• Scam Email From BAOC Officers (10/3/25)
• Tentative 2026 Event Calendar (9/7/25)

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.