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Brecksville All Seasons Course

Attention! -The Brecksville All Seasons Permanent Course is under repair and redesign at this time. We have many alternatives in the NE Ohio area:

Brecksville Reservation  has been doing upgrade work in the park.  As a result, Markers #1, #6, #11, #13, and #14 are now missing because of trail post replacements and entire trail removal due to park land reclamation.  As we work with the park system to redesign this permanent course, we recommend using the Lake County, Richfield or Tuscazoar courses mentioned above for the time being.

Alternately, you can use the UsynligO phone app to STILL run the entire 14 control course without the need for markers at all.  See the section and instructions below.

We have an anytime permanent course at Brecksville Reservation.

Here’s more about it, including maps, instructions, and a bit about orienteering. If you enjoyed the course, let us know. If you had problems because of something that we could correct, let us know that too! – contact@neooc.com

The orienteering course you are about to follow is mostly on interconnecting trails that will bring you back to the general area of the Nature Center and its parking lot.

There are, however, some short forays off of the trail included to make the course a bit more interesting, so you should be prepared for that. Consider skipping the off trail parts at your option.

The course is approx. (6.1 km or 3.7 miles) in its entirety. This is rather long as well as hilly for a beginner level course of its type, so feel free to attempt just a portion of it if your time or fitness level will not allow you to complete it all today. (See the hints below for a way to shorten the course.)

The object of orienteering is to navigate efficiently to a series of land features that are represented on a detailed topographic map.

The land features that you will seek are described for you on a clue sheet, which are included in the downloadable instructions below.

The clue sheet contains both symbols and a narrative description of the feature, but typically it only provides symbols. A land feature can be any reasonably permanent, clear and distinct object identifiable on the land or that identifies the type of landscape – a bridge, boulder, gully, stream, field, building, etc.

The map shows the place at which each land feature can be found.

A numbered circle marks the place with connecting lines to indicate the progression of the course. A triangle marks the start of the course and a double circle marks the finish.

In this case the Start and Finish are at the same spot, at the Brecksville Nature Center.

To confirm that you have found the correct feature you will find an orienteering control marker at that feature. For this course, the control marker is a 4×4 inch square plate that contains an opposing orange and white triangle on it.

In one corner it also contains a two letter code that coordinates to an identical code on your clue sheet. This confirms that you are at the land feature that you sought. Some are on posts. Others are above head height on trees.  They look like this:

Marker #1 has been temporarily removed:  For example, the first marker (#1 – YA) is mounted on a trail post located very close to the South side of Building (see clue sheet in the instructions), directly across the road from the Nature center parking area. Also see a picture of the first marker, mounted on the post, just south of the building, in the Photos section below.

Instead, for example, Control marker 4 (FA) is on small Suspension Bridge.  See a picture of Suspension Bridge and marker in the Photos section below.

It is helpful to orienteer with a compass, use it to orient (turn and rotate) your map to magnetic north as you plan your next move.

In general, maps contain more than enough information that allows you to navigate successfully from point to point, even without a compass.

Keeping in touch with your map – meaning, frequently examining the area of the map as you move along and seeing those features on the landscape around you – will typically keep you found.  And that is always a good thing.

👇 Download the course map and instruction below 👇

This map is for recreational use only and is intended for use with adult supervision.

The park contains dangers, both obvious and hidden – share all of the details of what you are planning and when you expect to return with someone before heading out.

Most of the markers are on trail, but some are a short distance away from the path. Consider skipping the off trail markers as needed, then proceeding to the next marker instead. 

Watch for poison ivy if you do decide to take on the challenge of the off trail markers!

Maps & Instructions

The Start and Finish for this course is the area immediately in front of the Brecksville Nature Center.

Downloads:
Hints:
  • A re-entrant is a place where water flows. It is larger than a ditch or gully
  • Control marker 2 (XA) is mounted on the side, near the ground, of a low, small, pallet-like BRIDGE with no handrails.
  • Control marker 4 (FA) is on small Suspension Bridge.  See a picture of Suspension Bridge and marker in the Photos section below.
  • Going from 11 to 12 (LA to VA), use the Bridle Path to the NW and up the hill, then at the top, use the small trail to travel to the west along the top of the ravine. Avoid the very dense field to the north of 12 (VA).
  • If crossing the very dense field to the North of 12 (VA), use the mowed paths.
  • The course can be easily shorten by crossing the road after 4 (FA) and taking the Bridle path directly to 11 (LA).

Consider joining our Hall of Fame of top results on the permanent courses at Brecksville and Camp Tuscazoar by reporting your results here.  You may need to scroll down to view the results for the course that you’re intereseted in.

Want to try the course again?  Do it in reverse (Find Control marker 14 first, then proceed down the line until you reach 1!).

Phone App – UsynligO

If you want to try some Orienteering Tech on your phone, register for an account at UsynligO.

Then, check out the “All events” page and look at Ohio to find the Brecksville courses (Normal and Reverse).  Or use this link to find all of the active UsynligO course in NE Ohio.  You can get the map from there. Next, load the App (iPhone or Android) on your phone.

Enable your GPS and select the course when you are near the Start. Run the course and the App uses your phone’s GPS to confirm you are at the correct spot.

You can also run the course in SCORE mode and start anywhere within the park.  After pressing the START, select “SWITCH TO SCOREO” button and then select your own order for finding the controls you want to visit.

We suggest once you see the marker that you wait a couple of seconds for the GPS stabilize. Then you should hear the “punch” tone!

If you want, send us your splits times and GPS track via the phone app’s sharing functions: contact@neooc.com.

Location

  • The Brecksville Nature center is south of Rt. 82 and east of Rt. 21, less than a mile from the center of Brecksville.
  • Google Earth coordinates: 41.319,-81.616 / https://goo.gl/maps/Mfg79
  • The Nature Center is only five hundred feet south of the parking lot.

Photos

Nature Center – Start triangle and Finish
Fourth marker/control on suspension bridge (click for HD)