While shelter-in-place orders are in effect, the Chicago Area Orienteering Club has cancelled all live events and meets. However, they have created several “quasi permanent” orienteering courses as companions to their “Permanent O” course at Waterfall Glen Forest Preserves in Darien.
According to the CAOC website:
we are now creating alternative orienteering experiences that can be enjoyed solo or with your immediate family while staying in compliance with health guidelines. These are not events, meets, or races — just opportunities to get outside on your own.
However, out of an over abundance of caution, the Cook County Forest Preserve Distict has ordered us to remove all markers from Cook County Preserves. As such, the courses at Harms and Miami Woods are no longer available.
For other locations, see the pages:
The Lakewood Forest Preserve is approx. 25 miles (40 minutes) from Glencoe in Wauconda, IL and the course had a scheduled opening date of April 16. The Freeman Kame course is about an hour away in Gilberts (Kane County) and should have been open effective March 27th. Stoney Run is in Indiana. All courses should be available until further notice.
If you click through the individual course links above, you will be able to access instructions, course maps, and tips. Lakewood Forest has two novice courses, both of which are longer than a mile and can be used to meet the orienteering portion of First Class requirement #4a, Scouts will need to take some initiative to ensure they are able to demonstrate the use of natural features to measure distances as part of this activity.
