Orienteering
A local club event, a borrowed compass and the easiest course on the map. The first outing is about reading the map, finding the flags in order and checking in at the finish.
What it is like
Orienteering is navigation as a sport. You get a detailed map with a course printed on it (a start triangle, numbered circles for the checkpoints and a double circle for the finish), and you find each checkpoint in turn, marked in the terrain by an orange and white flag, by whatever route you think is best.
You can walk or run. Events are timed, but for most beginners the clock is only a way to compare routes afterwards. Local clubs run events in parks and woods with several courses, from a short beginner course along paths to long, hard courses across open forest.
The skills build steadily: keeping the map turned to match the ground, following paths and streams as handrails, using a compass bearing off the paths, and finding your way back when you get lost. There are versions on mountain bikes and skis, long score events called rogaines, and trail orienteering, which is accessible to physically disabled participants.
The sport has its own safety rule: everyone who starts must check in at the finish. In woods and long grass, ticks are the other thing to take seriously.
- A session
- An hour or two at an event.
- A week
- Events when your club holds them; practise on permanent courses in between.
- Season
- Most of the year, depending on your club calendar.
Outdoors · Solo, For two, With kids, A club
Kinds and styles
The classic form: walking or running a course of checkpoints in order.
Visit as many checkpoints as you can, in any order, within a time limit.
Precise map reading from trails, without timing; accessible to physically disabled participants.
Navigation on a bike, with the map in a holder.
Cross-country skiing with route choice on a map of the trails.
Finding hidden transmitters with a directional radio receiver, map and compass.
Is it for you?
You will probably love it if
- You like maps, puzzles and being outdoors
- You want a sport you can walk or run, at your own pace
- There is an orienteering club with events near you
Maybe not, if
- You dislike going off paths through woods and brush
- Getting a little lost would spoil your day
- There are no clubs or permanent courses near you
What to buy first
- 01Local event entry, non-memberA printed map with your course, timing and a beginner course; some clubs lend compasses$15
- Everything you need to beginAbout $20 a month after that$15
Typical US prices for entry-level gear, rounded. Last checked October 2026. How we get the numbers
What to buy next
- 01Baseplate or thumb compassYour own compass instead of a borrowed oneFind it on Amazon After a few events
- 02Shoes with gripWet grass, mud and slopesFind it on Amazon First month
- 03Long, light trousers or gaitersBrambles and ticksFind it on Amazon First month
- 04Map caseKeeps the map readableFind it on Amazon For wet days
- 05Insect repellentAn EPA-registered repellent, as the CDC advisesFind it on Amazon Tick season
No prices here on purpose: these are later buys, and what to spend depends on how far the hobby has taken you. The Amazon links work like the ones above: a search for the type of item, and a possible commission for us at no extra cost to you.
From your first map to a finished course, step by step
Orienteering started in Sweden in the 1880s as navigation with a map and compass (Wikipedia), and a local club event is still the way in. This guide goes from finding an event and choosing the right course to reading the map, finding the controls, using a compass and checking in at the finish, with Orienteering USA's rules and the CDC's tick advice.
Warning: Before you start Orienteering USA treats the event structure as a safety system: the number of people returning must match the number who started, so always check in at the finish, even if you do not complete your course. In woods and long grass, follow the CDC's tick advice: ticks live in grassy, brushy and wooded areas, so use an EPA-registered repellent such as DEET or picaridin, or clothing treated with 0.5% permethrin; afterwards check your clothing and body, shower within two hours if you can, and tumble-dry clothes on high heat for 10 minutes. Wear shoes with grip for uneven ground, carry water on warm days and tell someone where you are going if you use a permanent course on your own.
Orienteering USA lists events and clubs; Up North Orienteers in New Hampshire charges non-member adults $10 and has compasses to borrow.
Events offer several courses of different difficulty and length; start with the shortest and easiest.
The purple triangle is the start, the numbered circles are the checkpoints and the double circle is the finish (Orienteering USA).
Each checkpoint has a numbered orange and white flag; punch at each one, by any route you like.
Always report to the finish volunteers, even if you do not complete the course, so everyone who started is accounted for (Orienteering USA).
Reading a course on the map
A piece of orienteering map with paths, a stream and woodland, a purple triangle for the start, three numbered purple circles joined by lines for the controls, a purple double circle for the finish, and a numbered orange-and-white control flag.
- A Start Triangle Where you begin. Step 4 →
- B Control Numbered circle Visit in order. Step 4 →
- C Control flag Orange and white Check the number. Step 6 →
- D Finish Double circle Always check in. Step 7 →
Steps 1-2Before you go
- Step 1 of 8 · Before you go
Find an event
Orienteering USA lists clubs and events; non-member entry is often $10 to $20, and some clubs lend compasses.
Most people: a club event (first time).
Start here A club eventBest forFirst time
A printed map, marked controls, a beginner course and people to ask.
A permanent courseBest forPractice between events
Fixed markers in some parks, with a map you print or collect.
- Step 2 of 8 · Before you go
Choose the beginner course
Warning: CAUTION Ticks live in grassy, brushy and wooded areas; use an EPA-registered repellent or permethrin-treated clothing (CDC).
Events offer several courses of different difficulty and length; take the shortest and easiest first.
Steps 3-7On the course
- Step 3 of 8 · On the course
Orient the map
Turn the map so the features on it line up with what you see; the north lines on an orienteering map point to magnetic north.
- Step 4 of 8 · On the course
Read the course
The purple triangle is the start, the numbered circles are the controls, in order, and the double circle is the finish (Orienteering USA).
- Step 5 of 8 · On the course
Choose a route
You may take any route between controls; follow paths, streams or walls as handrails, and aim for an easy feature near the control.
- Step 6 of 8 · On the course
Find and punch the control
Each control has a numbered orange and white flag. Check the number against your control description, then punch.
Goes wrong: A flag with a different number. It is someone else's control.
- Step 7 of 8 · On the course
Check in at the finish
Warning: WARNING Never leave an event without checking in at the finish; organisers count everyone back (Orienteering USA).
Report to the finish volunteers even if you did not complete the course; the number returning must match the number who started (Orienteering USA).
Step 8Keep going
- Step 8 of 8 · Keep going
Keep going
Move up a course when the beginner one feels easy, and try other formats.
Most people: harder courses (more navigation).
Start here Harder coursesBest forMore navigation
Off-path legs and compass bearings.
Score events and rogainesBest forA change
Any order, against the clock.
In shortIf it goes wrong
- A flag with a different number.
- Step 6 · Find and punch the control
How you get better
- First eventThe beginner course
Following paths and obvious features to each flag.
- First monthsHarder courses
Route choice and using a compass bearing off the paths.
- First seasonYour own compass
Faster navigation and the first competitive results.
- After thatYour own direction
Rogaines, mountain bike or ski orienteering, or helping your club set courses.
- Orienting the map
- Reading map symbols
- Thumbing the map
- Taking a bearing
- Route choice
- Handrails and catching features
- Attack points
- Pacing distance
- Relocating when lost
Small things that help
- Keep the map turned so it matches the ground in front of you.
- Keep your thumb on the map where you are.
- Check the number on the flag against your control description.
- When unsure, go back to the last place you were sure of.
- Use paths, streams and walls as handrails to the checkpoint.
- Always check in at the finish.
Beginner mistakes
- 01Punching the wrong flagIf the flag's number is not the one on your description sheet, it is not your checkpoint (Orienteering USA).
- 02Running before readingGood route choice often beats raw speed (Orienteering USA). Read first, then move.
- 03Not checking inOrganisers count everyone back; always report to the finish (Orienteering USA).
- 04Starting on a hard courseCourses differ in difficulty and length. Begin with the easiest.
- 05Ignoring ticksCheck your clothing and body after woodland events (CDC).
Reading an orienteering course
From Orienteering USA's guide to the sport.
| Symbol or item | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Purple triangle | The start |
| Numbered purple circles | The checkpoints, visited in order on a standard course |
| Purple double circle | The finish |
| Orange and white flag | The checkpoint marker in the terrain, with its number |
| Map scale | Usually 1:15,000 or 1:10,000; 1:5,000 for parks |
Why people quit
- 01Getting lostEveryone misses checkpoints at first. Start on the easiest course and go back to the last place you were sure of.
- 02Hard to find eventsClub events are not every weekend. Permanent courses in some parks let you practise between events.
- 03Too competitiveIt does not have to be. Walk the course; the timing is only there if you want it.
Words you will meet
- Control
- A checkpoint, marked by a numbered orange and white flag.
- Control description
- The sheet giving each control's number and exact location.
- Punch
- To register at a control, often with an electronic stick.
- Bearing
- A compass direction to follow.
- Handrail
- A linear feature, such as a path or stream, you follow.
- Attack point
- An easy-to-find feature close to the control, from which you navigate carefully.
- Rogaining
- Long score orienteering, from 2 to 24 hours.
- Magnetic north
- The north orienteering maps are drawn to.
Questions people ask
Do I need a compass?
Not for a first try: some clubs lend them, such as Up North Orienteers.
How much does it cost?
Local events are cheap; two examples for non-member adults are $10 at Up North Orienteers and $20 at a Hudson Valley Orienteering meet.
Do I have to run?
No; many people walk, and the timing lets you compare routes.
What do the symbols mean?
The triangle is the start, the circles are controls and the double circle is the finish; the map's legend explains the rest.
Is it good for families?
Yes; beginner courses use paths and obvious features, and families can go round together.
Where to go next
- 01Trail runningThe same woods, with the route already marked. $179 to start
- 02GeocachingNavigation to hidden points, at a gentler pace. Free to start
How it compares
| Orienteering | Trail running | Geocaching | Backpacking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start cost | $15 | $179 | Free | $660 |
| Each month | $20 | $20 | $3 | $10 |
| Space | Parks and woodland with an orienteering map | Park or forest trails | The whole town | Trails, and a closet for gear |
| Noise | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet |
| First result | 1 local event | 1 run | The first find | 1 weekend |
| Mess | Muddy shoes | Muddy shoes | None | None |
Where to learn more
- 01Orienteering USA: What is orienteeringCourses, maps, control descriptions and the safety check-in.
- 02CDC: Preventing tick bitesRepellents, permethrin and checks after woodland events.
- 03Wikipedia: OrienteeringHistory, disciplines and the IOF.
Sources: Orienteering USA, What is orienteering · CDC, Preventing tick bites · Up North Orienteers, event listing (fees and compass loans) · Patch, Hudson Valley Orienteering meet (fees) · Wikipedia, Orienteering
Researched and written by the Fjords Team.