Try Orienteering at Eagle Rock Reservation!

TRY ORIENTEERING AT EAGLE ROCK RESERVATION! Fun for Families and Serious Athletes Alike June 16, 2014 (West Orange, NJ) – On Sunday, June 22, an orienteering event will be held at Eagle Rock Reservation, in West Orange, NJ. Beginners are welcome, with free instruction available from 10:30 am until noon. Registration and starts will take place in the picnic area until 1pm. Courses close at 3 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. Directions: Take Exit 8B off of Rte 280 for Prospect Ave / Rte 577 North. After 0.4-0.6 mi, turn right at the 3rd traffic light onto Eagle Rock Avenue. Go 0.4 mi and turn left into the Eagle Rock Reservation entrance. Follow the signs to parking, then the streamer ribbons to registration. The event is hosted by Hudson Valley Orienteering, which can be found at: http://hvo.us.orienteering.org. 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.