September 25-27, 2026

Registration Schedule

• May 3 – June 28 | Early registration period
• June 29 – August 30 | Regular registration
• August 31 – September 18 | Last-minute registration

Same-day registration will be available for the Friday Corn Maze, and for Saturday and Sunday on White, Yellow, and Orange courses only. Availability is limited and subject to the number of maps on hand.

Online Event Registration is CLOSED – See walk-up registration for Rec courses below

OUSA – Who is Registered List

Fees and Registration

Corn Maze – Friday the 25th

Corn maze pricing is per individual. A $2.00 e-punch rental fee may apply. Teams of 2-3 may participate – pricing will apply for each individual member of the team. Teams will not be eligible for the championship or for corny awards.

NRE Courses – Saturday 26th/Sunday 27th

For the Saturday / Sunday events, recreational participants may form teams of 2-5 on the white and yellow courses only at a fixed rate of $30/team.

Adults accompanying a junior participant (under 21) for safety purposes will not be charged an entry fee at the Saturday / Sunday event.

Adults (21+)

Junior (Under 21)

Junior rates apply to orienteers under the age of 21 as of December 31, 2025.

OUSA Member Discount

Members of Orienteering USA, COF, or IOF federations will receive a discount off the published rates of $4 per race for adults and $2 for juniors for the Saturday/Sunday events.

E-Punch Rentals

SportIdent cards are available to rent for $2.00 per race and can be added during registration. Participants are responsible for the replacement cost of any lost or damaged cards. Please note that AIR+ SportIdent cards are not available for rental.

Recreational Courses

Cancellation Policy

Refunds for cancellations will be issued without penalty until Sept 1. Refunds during the late registration period (thru Sept 18) will be subject to a $10 cancellation fee. Refunds after Sept 18 will be issued at 50%. No refunds for same day cancellations or no-shows without Event Director approval.

CLOSED!

A model / training course with 27 controls will be open a week prior. This course is located about 30 minutes north of West Woods (Saturday), and 10 minutes north of Big Creek Park (Sunday)

Location: Girdled Road Reservation, South Entrance
12926 Radcliffe Road, Concord Twp, OH 44077

Course Open: 12:00pm Saturday Sept 19 – 3:00pm Sunday Sept 27

Parking: Free at the South Entrance.

Start: is behind the red barn shed in the southern parking lot. 

Format: 27 control Score course – do as much or as little as you’re comfortable with. Controls will be a mix of beginner, intermediate, and advanced. In general, controls numbered 120+ will be more advanced.

Maps: There are three ways to get a map for the model course: (1) Maps are free to download from the links below anytime during the event window. (2) Starting Thursday we will have free, bagged maps available at the Girdled Road start in a small plastic bin right at the start (behind the red barn shed.) If you use one of these, please return after use. (3) Finally, we will also have a limited supply of copies at the event check-in desks.

CLOSED! – Map Downloads: There is only 1 course, but maps are sized in three different scales:

• 1:7,500 (11 x 17 paper)
• 1:10,000 (8.5 x 11 paper)
• 1:15,000 (8.5 x 11 paper)

PLEASE REVIEW THE  WAIVER OF LIABILITY AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK BEFORE DOWNLOADING ANY COURSE MAP FROM THIS WEBPAGE.  BY DOWNLOADING A MAP 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.

Scoring: The event is enabled in Livelox for recording and replay as a training event, but otherwise there is no official results reporting. The control numbers (e.g. 101+) are labeled, but the QR codes and associated text descriptions are not active and should be ignored.

Safety: (1) Please be safe, and let someone know where you are. (2) Several main trails in this park are used for horseback riding. Please give right-of-way to horses.

Also available: At the Saturday/Sunday event venues, a small no-controls forest warm-up area will be available for use directly adjacent to the start areas

Course & Class Details

The 2026 corn maze challenge is one continuous course divided into two timed runs: Part A, followed by a 5-minute rest break, then Parts B and C. Participants will visit every control in numbered order. The rest break allows time to hydrate and recover and does not count toward the overall time. The fastest combined time for both runs wins!

The optimal, no-mistakes route through all three maze sections is expected to be 1.5 – 2.5 miles, depending on the course.

Additional Details

Start times: All participants will be assigned a start time. This is primarily intended to spread out the field and is neither an exact science nor a hard requirement. Please aim to be in the corn maze entrance area at your designated start time, and the volunteer start team will take care of the rest. The volunteer team will attempt to maximize spacing between participants on the same color course.

Timing: The corn maze event will use the same punching system as regular orienteering events. For those in the know, SIAC controls will be set for mixed punching with beacon mode turned on. For those new to orienteering timing devices, volunteers will provide instruction on how to use a small device called a finger stick to digitally record visits to control points.
Due to the proximity of controls, extra punches, accidental or otherwise, will be ignored without penalty, provided that valid punches at the intended controls are recorded in the correct order.

Short-cutting: Participants will be presented with choices for finding the fastest route between control points, but shortcutting through the corn permanently damages the maze and is strictly forbidden.

Map Notes and Preview

The event map will be a specially formatted orienteering map at a scale of 1:1700. The map format will differ from the version made available to the general public.

Click here for an aerial view of this year’s Derthick’s corn maze
The entire course with all three sections will be printed on the same page. This means participants will be able look ahead while taking their rest break off the clock. Use that time wisely!

A clue sheet will be printed on the map, but it is provided only as a control code reference. The actual clue symbols will be left blank. Just imagine “corn” as the clue for every control

Corn Maze Royalty

Maps for the West Woods & Big Creek Park:

• 1:15,000 and 5m Contours for M/F 21+
• 1:7,500 and 5m Contours for Brown course participants
• 1:10,000 and 5m Contours for all other courses

Course & Class Details

Courses on both days will be 2-day classic (point-to-point) format in forest terrain.

Participants will be placed in their default class, but may select a more competitive class if desired (A 50-year old male can enter in the M35+ category and run a red course if desired.). Age Classes designated with * are “recreational” – details below in Recreational Courses section.

Age class rankings for the NRE and Masters National Championship will be based on Sat/Sun combined time.

Lengths are straight line distance connecting all controls, and the climb is approximated along the optimal route.

* Designated as “recreational” – detail below in Recreational Course section. For solo participants or teams, these are non-competitive and available at a discounted rate: Rec White, Rec Yellow, Rec Orange.

Map Notes

The West Woods (Saturday) and Big Creek Park (Sunday) are both managed by the Geauga Parks District, one of several premier metroparks systems in Northeast Ohio. These parks are very well maintained with excellent facilities and trails.

Both parks feature nice areas of open woods mixed with patchy vegetation. Open white woods will generally be runnable but will often contain scattered tree limbs and/or scruffy vegetation. There will be areas of thickets and thorny vegetation, but as far as Ohio parks go it is relatively modest and avoidable.

Rock features are relatively sparse, although West Woods has some cliffs of varying sizes, some which are very picturesque.

Maps were created and revised within the last 3 years by the same mapper. Big Creek is a newly mapped venue and this event will be its first use for orienteering. The West Woods map, used for 2 previous local events, is undergoing some updates. The West Woods updates are focused on improving mapping consistency with the newer Big Creek map and on bettering the technical mapping of earth features.

Course Setting Updates, 9/20/2026:

The courses have been well vetted, and participants should expect high-quality maps and courses. In late September, leaves are beginning to drop, so visibility and runnability may be slightly better in some areas than the map suggests. As of this past week, small, indistinct marshes were relatively dry and may be difficult to identify on the ground.

Stream Crossings

Both venues have shallow, generally crossable streams. Pay close attention to mapped earth banks and cliffs, which may indicate places where crossing is difficult or should be avoided.

For participants on Green, Red, and Blue, wet feet are almost guaranteed.

Rock Features

Northeast Ohio parks are not particularly rocky, so some mapped rock features may be smaller than competitors accustomed to other regions might expect. Some mapped boulders and passable cliffs may be less than 1 meter in height but are still distinct features.

When a control is located on one of these smaller rock features, its approximate height will be noted on the clue sheet.

Additional Map Feature Notes

• Earth Bank (IOF 104) & Erosion Gully (IOF 107)
  These features represent steep, often vertical-sided terrain with active erosion. They may be passable but are generally best avoided. Where an earth bank or gully is especially tall or hazardous, an Impassable Cliff (IOF 201) is used instead.
• Green X (IOF 419)
  Marks a large, distinct rootstock, typically more than 1.5 meters tall with an intact root ball. 
• Cairn (IOF 526)
  A distinctive man‑made pile of rocks, approximately 0.5 meters tall and a few meters in diameter.
• Black X (IOF 530)
  When located near a trail, this symbol indicates a wooden park bench or kiosk – always very distinct. Rock slabs placed along trails as benches are not mapped, nor are small single‑pole signposts. Away from trails, a Black X represents a distinctive discarded man‑made object.
• Black O (IOF 531)
  Used to mark a generalized campsite or a small wooden viewing platform.

Preview Maps

The West Woods: Link to 2024 map. The West Woods map will be updated for 2026.

Big Creek Park: All new map! See map notes below for a general description.

All age groups and experience levels are welcome to participate in this event – no prior orienteering experience is necessary! 

Recreational entries are eligible for White, Yellow, and Orange courses only. These courses are available to individuals. Teams of 2-5 participants may participate on the White and Yellow courses only. Preregistration is recommended to guarantee an available map, but same-day walk-ups are available for white, yellow, and orange courses only. Teams will be charged at a fixed rate of $30/team. The Registrar will reimburse all team members equally to achieve the fixed rate. Remember to enter your agreed upon team name during each individual registration.

*When preregistering for only recreational courses choose “Continue Without Package” instead of an NRE package.

Compasses and SI timing devices are available to borrow at check-in. Beginner instruction will be available from volunteers during the check-in period at the event. See “New to Orienteering” section below for more information on what to expect.

There will be no designated start times for recreational course participants. Simply go to the check-in area and volunteers will assist with instructions.

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 6-12 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 2.5-3.5 km and 8-12 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 3-4 km and 8-12 controls.

Juniors in all age classes are welcome at this event! Both Saturday and Sunday will have fun courses for youth, with distinct trails and open woods ideal for on and off-trail orienteering.

Starting Procedures

For white and yellow courses, special procedures will be in place:

• At West Woods on Saturday, the start will be in a separate location – a short, easy walk from the Nature Center. (All courses will start from the same place on Sunday.)
• White and Yellow class participants (competitive and recreational) may have up to 5 minutes to preview their maps and courses before starting.
• White and Yellow class participants may have a parent or coach shadow their run for safety.

Juniors participating in intermediate and advanced courses will follow the normal procedures for those courses.

Embargo

The whole of West Woods Park (Geauga County) and Big Creek Park (Geauga County) are now embargoed. These parks are closed to orienteering competitions and training until the event takes place. Individuals or groups visiting the closed venues shall not be eligible for competition, awards, or rankings, but they may nevertheless participate in the event. Camping sites within these parks should not be used by event participants or team officials.

Start Procedures and Punching

Masters Nationals Days 1 & 2

• Start times. All competitive participants will be assigned a start time before the event. Participants assigned a start time should appear at the call-up area at least 5 minutes before the assigned start time.
• Start process. For all participants with a preassigned start time:
  • An event volunteer will call participants to the first station 3 minutes before the scheduled start time. The start team will guide participants through the process of obtaining a loose clue sheet and obtaining a map at 1 minute intervals.
  • At the assigned start time you will punch Start and go! The Start control will not be in beacon mode meaning all participants must manually punch.
• Missed or revised start times. Please arrive at the call-up area on time. While the start team will try to accommodate adjustments, they cannot be guaranteed.
• Recreational courses: For recreational participants on a white, yellow, or orange course, report to the designated start area after checking in at the event. The start team volunteers will guide you through the process at the next available timeslot. White and Yellow class participants may have up to 5 minutes to preview their maps and courses before starting.

Waiver of Liability and Assumption of Risks

PLEASE REVIEW THE WAIVER OF LIABILITY AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK BEFORE REGISTERING. BY REGISTERING, 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.

Safety

• For the forest events, please carry a whistle. Three (3) short blasts from a whistle indicates an emergency.
• Cell phone coverage varies by carrier and may be spotty throughout both parks. Participants may carry a cell phone for emergencies or route recording only. Cell phones may not be used as a communication or navigational aid while on a course.
• Nearest 24/7 hospital with emergency services is <10 miles from both venues:
  • UH Geauga Medical Center
    13207 Ravenna Road, Chardon, OH 44024
• Both parks include trails that are often used for mountain bike riding or horseback riding. For safety, park and event staff plan to restrict or discourage bike and horseback travel, however please remember to share the trails with non-event park visitors if encountered.
• Ticks may be present in the parks and some might carry diseases. Please use precautions.
• Both NRE venues have steep earth banks and some cliffs. Any earth bank or cliff that presents an elevated danger to competitors will be marked by the “impassible cliff” symbol – with or without tags. Such features should not be crossed. Additional details will be provided in the map notes before the event.

Hydration

Self-serve water jugs with paper cups will be available at selected controls or locations both Saturday and Sunday.

In accordance with OUSA competition rules, self-serve water jugs with paper cups will be available at the start, finish, and at selected controls or marked locations both Saturday and Sunday. Each course will have hydration at least every 2.5km.

Contingency courses

Big Creek will likely involve at least one stream crossing for Blue, Red, and Green courses.  In the event the stream crossing becomes unsafe due to high water levels, pre-planned contingency courses will be substituted so that we may still hold the event. This will be announced as early as possible on Attackpoint, Clubnet, and on the event’s web page.

Awards

Age class rankings for the NRE and Masters National Championship will be based on Sat/Sun combined time.

The top 3 eligible finishers in M/F 35+ to M/F 90+ classes will receive an Orienteering USA Masters National Championship award. To be eligible for a Masters National Championship award, the participant must both be a member of Orienteering USA and a citizen or lawful resident in the United States. Additional eligibility details can be found in OUSA rules of competition (Championship Eligibility).

For the corn maze challenge, the participant with the fasted time on each course (Recreational, Brown, Green, Red, and Championship) will receive a corny award! Additionally, the top male and female in the Championship category will be added to the list of corn maze kings and queens. Your legacy will live forever!

Results will be posted here after the event.

T-Shirts

T-Shirts will be available for pre-purchase during registration for $25.

The final day to order a t-shirt is Monday September 7th.

Child Care

Child care will be provided by NEOOC volunteers for event participants if advance notice is provided. To make arrangements, please send an email to registrar@neooc.com

Clothing Drop

A clothing and gear drop will be available at the start for both Saturday and Sunday. All items left in the designated drop zone will be transported to the finish area by event volunteers.

Personal Items

We can hold personal belongings like phones, wallets, keys at the check-in desk.

Lunch

A fundraiser lunch to support a local scout troop will be hosted Saturday and Sunday. Choose between one of the three options below for $7.00 per day:

Option 1: Ham and cheddar sub sandwich
Option 2: Turkey and Swiss sub sandwich
Option 3: Hummus, pita bread, and veggie sticks

All options include a choice of potato salad or macaroni salad.

To pre-order a lunch, complete the order form here and then use the payment method here. Lunches need to be pre-order by Thursday 9/24.

Troop 263 is based in Parma Heights, OH, and has been active for more than 80 years. They are a family troop with both boys and girls, ranging in age from 11 to 14 years old. The scouts enjoy camping, outdoor activities, and learning new skills. Currently, we are working hard to raise funds to purchase a new trailer.

Orienteering Gear

Go Orienteering will be at the venue for all of your orienteering gear needs – compasses, clothing, shoes, supplies, and more.

Area Map

Allow a 1 hour drive from the Cleveland Airport to any of the 3 event venues. The Saturday / Sunday venues are approximately 30 minutes apart.

Lodging

Close available lodging to the event sites:

Punderson Manor & Cabins
11755 Kinsman Rd, Newbury, OH 44065
https://www.pundersonmanor.com/

Punderson Manor still has group cabins available for Friday and Saturday nights. These comfortable, furnished cabins are located at Punderson State Park, just 5 miles from Saturday’s event at The West Woods and 15 miles from the model course and Sunday’s event at Big Creek Park.

To reserve a cabin, call the reservation line at 1-800-AT-A-PARK (800-282-7275) and ask for the “Orienteering Master Championship” group.

With the exception of possibly a small number of rooms, the manor itself is sold out due to a wedding event the same weekend.

Punderson State Park Campground
11755 Kinsman Rd, Newbury, OH 44065
Punderson Campground

Two 25-person group sites for tent camping have been reserved for Friday & Saturday night of the event weekend. Cost is $10/person for the weekend. To inquire further, contact Sanae@neooc.com for details.

Nearby Hotel Options

There is an abundance of hotels to choose from along the I-271 and I-90 corridors (Beachwood, Mayfield, Mentor) – most are within a 30 minute drive of the Saturday/Sunday events and 45 minutes of the Cleveland Hopkins Airport.

Dining Options

Blazin Bills
17800 Great Lakes Parkway, Burton, OH 44021
https://blazinbills.com/

Brown Barn Tavern
10700 Mayfield Road, Chardon, OH 44024
https://www.brownbarntavern.com/

The Lodge at Bass Lake
426 South Street, Chardon, OH 44024
https://lodgebasslake.com/

Winking Lizard Tavern
Locations in Mayfield and Beachwood
https://www.winkinglizard.com/

Oak and Embers Tavern
8003 Mayfield Rd, Chesterland, OH 44026-2438
https://chesterland.oakandembers.com/

Mangia Mangia
11081 Kinsman Rd, Newbury, Ohio 44065
https://www.mangiamangiagood.com/

Many more dining options can be found in Chardon, Beachwood, Mayfield.

Activities

Ashtabula Covered Bridges
Self-guided driving tour of 19 covered bridges in Ashtabula county
https://visitashtabulacounty.com/covered-bridges/

Holden Arboretum
A 3,500-acre living museum of plants, woodlands, and gardens that offers scenic trails, ecological conservation, and immersive outdoor experiences
9550 Sperry Road, Kirtland, OH
https://holdenfg.org/

Observatory Park
Observatory Park in Geauga County is a dark-sky preserve where visitors can explore nature trails, astronomy exhibits, and exceptional stargazing opportunities.
10610 Clay Street, Montville Township, OH 44064
https://geaugaparkdistrict.org/park/observatory-park/

Corner Train Museum
The largest family owned 3-Rail layout in the United States. It has over 4,500 thousand buildings, over 7,000 feet of track, hundreds of freight cars, 250+ different types of engines.
16720 Pioneer Road, Middlefield, OH 44062
http://www.cornerfieldmodelrailroadmuseumandhobby.com/home.html

More Orienteering!
The model course at Girdled Road is open during normal park hours through Sunday Sept 27. A mix of self-serve controls on and off trails will be set. Use it for extra training or just for fun. See model course section above for more details.

Girdled Road Reservation, South Entrance
12926 Radcliffe Road, Concord Twp, OH 44077

Many more activities can be found in the Greater Cleveland Area.

New to Orienteering?

Look for Orienteering 101 events on the Upcoming Events page of the Northeast Ohio Orienteering website. These events are a great way to learn and practice on a small sample course.

Visit About Orienteering on the Northeast Ohio Orienteering website for general information, a sample map, and an instructional video.

Anytime Permanent Orienteering courses are available at Jordan Creek Park (Lake County Metroparks), Richfield Heritage Preserve (Richfield Ohio), and Camp Tuscazoar (Tuscazoar Challenge). Download a map, grab a family member or friend, and go give
Orienteering a try!

Volunteering

The Northeast 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!