Permanent Orienteering Courses

Where are our Permanent courses located?

Webster Park: Located north of Webster, NY. Lake Road and Holt Road

Durand Eastman Park - East Side: Located north of Irondequoit, NY. Lake Shore Boulevard between Kings Highway and Sweet Fern Road

Durand Eastman Park - Western Side: Located north of Irondequoit, NY. Lake Shore Boulevard West of Kings Highway including Camp Eastman

Mendon Ponds Park: Located on Route 65, south of the New York State Thruway

Letchworth State Park: Located south of Castile, NY, west side of the Genesee River. The course is located between the Castile entrance and Portageville. A vehicle entrance fee is collected weekends only in May and daily from the end of May through October. Check Letchworth Park for more information.

Genesee County Park: Located in Bethany, NY about 30 minutes south of the LeRoy exit off 490. Maps are available in the Nature Center Check their website for hours.

Cumming Nature Center: Located 6472 Gulick Road Naples, NY 14512. Maps are available in the Nature Center. Check their website for hours.

Rochester Map Adventure: Maps kits are sometimes available for the Rochester Map Adventure, and urban trivia experience. Visit points of interest in the City of Rochester and learn about its history, art, and unique homes and gardens.

Where can I purchase a permanent map kit?

Map kits are available at all ROC events for $8 and online for $10. Map prices will vary at other locations.

• Letchworth kits are available through Friends of Letchworth at the park office, 585-493-3600

• Mendon kits are available through Wild Wings, 585-334-7790, in Mendon Ponds Park

Want to try orienteering or improve your skills?

Permanent orienteering courses offer an opportunity to try orienteering at your leisure, either on your own or with friends and family.  It’s also an easily planned outdoor activity for a Scout troop, youth group, or any organization that wants to enjoy time outdoors.

ROC maintains five permanent orienteering courses in four area parks. These courses use brown or white fiberglass or wooden posts called “controls” that remain in place year-round. A permanent map kit will provide you with instructions on how to complete the course. Not being a timed event, the courses may be completed at any pace over several visits to the park. They are a great way to learn the basics of orienteering and also explore areas of the park not normally visited.

What is in the Map Kit?

A permanent course map kit consists of a detailed orienteering map with 24-30 purple circles indicating the location of posts (controls) in the park. Also included is an instruction sheet with clues and a punch card. Each course has controls of varying degrees of difficulty. Start with the easy controls until you feel comfortable, then try the medium and difficult controls.

You can start at any point in the park and can visit the controls in any order.  Each control is numbered and has a code letter. When you find a control, write the code letter in the corresponding box on the punch card as proof of finding the control. When you have found twenty or more controls send the punchcard to the Rochester Orienteering Club for an award.

What if I can’t find a control?

If you can’t find a control look at the surrounding area to be sure the land matches the map. If you are new to orienteering this may not make sense, but with practice it will become easier. If a stake is damaged or missing please report it to Nancy & Richard Burgey, the permanent course coordinators. They are also happy to answer other questions regarding the permanent courses,