2026 Girdled Road Classic | Lake County | Saturday, April 4

Join the Northeastern Ohio Orienteering Club and Lake County Metroparks for a special orienteering event featuring six classic-style courses, from beginner to advanced. Whether you’re a casual walker, competitive runner, or seasoned orienteer, you can take part solo or in a group (2–6). Dress for the weather and get ready for adventure!

Location:

Girdled Road Reservation, South Entrance
12926 Radcliffe Rd, Chardon, OH 440024

Note that parking may be limited – please carpool if possible!

Course Details:

Six classic, point-to-point style orienteering courses will be offered for all levels and abilities. A course can be done either solo or as a team. All controls must be visited in order to be recognized as a finisher.

White: Suitable for first time orienteers of all ages – no experience necessary. All controls are directly on a park trail or in an open area with clearly defined features. Perfect for families with kids looking for a fun outing in the woods! Estimated distance of 2-3 km and up to 8-12 controls.

Yellow: Also suitable for beginners of all ages, but a few controls will be a short distance off trail. Technical skills are not required but participants may encounter some brush or uneven terrain in spots. Estimated distance of 2-3 km and 8-15 controls.

Orange: Intermediate level. Most controls will be off trail and an understanding of orienteering maps and use of a compass will be needed to complete the course. Controls will be in more difficult to reach locations but navigation to them is less difficult than advanced level courses. Estimated distance of 4-5 km and 10-15 controls.

Brown: Advanced level, short distance. Emphasis is on using map and compass skills to reach more remote, off trail locations. An advanced course will require a good technical understanding of orienteering maps and how to use a compass to be successful. Brown courses are typically geared towards older participants and the optimal route should not pass through extreme or steep terrain. Estimated distance of 4-5 km and 10-15 controls.

Green: Advanced level, medium distance. Emphasis is on using map and compass skills to reach more remote, off trail locations. An advanced course will require a good technical understanding of orienteering maps and how to use a compass to be successful. A green course is likely to include difficult and sometimes steep terrain with route choices to make. Estimated distance of 5-6 km and 10-18 controls.

Red: Advanced level, long distance. Emphasis is on using map and compass skills to reach more remote, off trail locations. An advanced course will require a good technical understanding of orienteering maps and how to use a compass to be successful. A red course is likely to include difficult and sometimes steep terrain with route choices to make. Estimated distance of 6-7 km and 12-20 controls.

Maps:

  • 1:10,000 scale
  • 5 meter contours

Schedule

  • Check-in beginning at 9:30am
  • Start window is from 10:00am – 12:00pm. Starts will be staggered during this time frame
  • Course closes at 3:00pm

Event Personnel

Registration and Cost:

  • $10 with preregistration for NEOOC or affiliated O-USA club members, $15 for non-members. Preregistration deadline: Thursday, April 2nd, 9pm
  • Cost includes 1 map per team, and up to 6 people may be included in a team.
  • Timing devices and compasses are available on loan for those who need them, subject to availability. Additional maps, up to 2 per team, are available at $3 each.
  • To preregister, please use the button below. Payment is via PayPal.
  • Registrations may be limited due to capacity limitations for parking. Preregister early to reserve a space!

PLEASE REVIEW THE WAIVER OF LIABILITY AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK BEFORE PREREGISTERING.  BY PREREGISTERING, YOU ARE AGREEING TO THE TERMS OF THIS WAIVER AND ARE ABSOLVING NEOOC AND ORIENTEERING USA , ET AL OF LIABILITY RESULTING FROM YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE ASSOCIATED ORIENTEERING ACTIVITY.

For any questions, email us at: registrar@neooc.com

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SPORTident Punching:

  • New for 2026! This event will support mixed punching, meaning participants may use either standard SI-card punching or SIAC touch-free punching.
  • SIAC touch-free punching requires an SIAC Air+ device which is available for purchase online https://www.sportident.us/product-page/siac
  • Standard SI-cards are available on loan at check-in

Results:

  • Will be posted to the NEOOC website soon after the event
  • Livelox tracking will also be enabled for those who wish to view a replay of the event! (Make sure to carry a GPS enabled watch or phone and record your route!)

Map Notes:

This was an all new map in 2025 and it is up to the most recent IOF mapping standards. There are two dominant features of the park – the first being the large and often steep erosion gullies and valleys feeding into Big Creek. These are passable in places but challenging in others; a good read of contour lines should help distinguish.

The map is clear about hazardous sections – these are mapped with thick black lines (impassable cliff symbol) for especially steep or rocky cliffs or hillsides that represent a danger. Extra care should be taken when near these areas, especially if approaching from above. Steep but passable sections between 2-5 meters are marked with thick brown erosion gully or earth bank symbols – these will pose a physical challenge but are climbable.

The second major park feature is Big Creek, which follows a winding path flowing from South to North. On most days the creek is shallow and passable with water depth between ankle and knee high. However depending on snow melt or rainfall this may rapidly change to fast moving and deeper water and present a hazard. The Event Director will indicate the creek conditions before the event and if Big Creek is out of bounds to cross. There is one safe way to cross Big Creek in almost any condition, which is a large swinging bridge connecting the main trails to Skok Meadows. The bridge itself is a mini-adventure and worth checking out!

The main trails through the park are multi-purpose including horseback riding. Please use courtesy and give right away to horses.

Mapped vegetation has been calibrated to leaf-out seasons April to October and visibility will be better than indicated on the map during any other month. A green “X” symbol indicates a large rootstock at least 6 feet in height. The forest contains a fair amount of deadfall throughout the park, and this is mapped only in limited instances where runnability is significantly reduced. There are several varieties of thorny plants and some are razor sharp. Dense thickets are usually indicated as dark green (“vegetation, fight”) and are areas to avoid especially late-Spring through fall.

New to Orienteering?

Check out any of the following resources to help know what to expect:

Additional Information:

  • Make sure to dress for the weather. Long pants and trail running shoes or hiking boots are recommended as a minimum for any weather conditions.
  • Sunny Lake itself may be frozen over but will be forbidden to cross to due to the potential for thin ice.
  • NEOOC volunteers will be on standby at registration to assist beginners and provide some basic instruction.
  • Teams must stay together at all times. Please do not split up while on a course.
  • Please carry a whistle. Three (3) short blasts from a whistle indicates an emergency.
  • All participants must check out at the finish area to ensure everyone is safe and accounted for. This applies even if the course is not fully completed.

About NEOOC:

The Northeastern Ohio Orienteering Club (NEOOC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the sport of orienteering. It is run entirely by volunteers. Typical volunteer roles in need include course setting, control collection, marketing, and event welcome and registration. If you are interested in helping with this event, or any events in the future, please connect with the event director or send an email to volunteer@neooc.com. Thank you in advance!