Neighbor News
Try Orienteering at Tourne Park in Boonton
Orienteering event Sat, Apr 18, at Tourne Park in Boonton. An outdoor race/hike in which you use a map rather than follow a set route.
Fun for Families and Serious Athletes Alike!
On Saturday, April 18, an orienteering event will be held at Tourne County Park, in Boonton, NJ. Beginners are welcome, with free instruction available from 10:30 am until 1pm. Registration will take place at the picnic shelter and you can start on a course until 1:30pm. All courses close at 4 pm.
Cost: Fees are just $7 for individuals age 20 and under; $12 for individuals age 21 and older; and $12 for groups of two, regardless of age, plus $2 for each additional person over age 8; participants may keep their course maps.
Address for GPS: 98 McCaffrey Lane, Boonton, NJ
The event is hosted by Hudson Valley Orienteering, and event details, including directions, can be found on the event webpage.
What Is Orienteering?
Orienteering is a sport that exercises both mind and body. Orienteering challenges you to read a map, make decisions, plan a route, all while moving across streams, over rocks or along scenic trails. You will follow the course – a series of lines and circles drawn on your map – to find orange and white flag markers, called controls. At each control, you will punch-in to prove that you were in the right spot.
The easiest course, for children and adult beginners, is usually 1-1.5 miles in length, and has checkpoints that can all be reached from existing park trails. The most advanced course is considerably longer and requires off-trail navigation, with excellent understanding of the map’s contour and rock symbols.
Orienteering can be done at any age, leisurely or competitively, by families and couples out for a day’s stroll, or by more serious runners or hikers running individually.
