Florida Orienteering Courses


WHAT THE COURSE COLORS MEAN

Father and daughter O-team The courses are named by color, using a scheme established by the U.S. Orienteering Federation.   Generally, the longer courses involve more challenges, and more difficult off-trail navigation.

As a courtesy to others on the course, please limit your group size per map, to that noted in the description of each course.

STRING-O COURSE

While parents accompany them, perhaps from a distance, children experience orienteering on their own level.
Challenge: With a map of the course and a control card, they 'punch in' using the official coded punches at each control.
Length: A 100 to 400 yard STRING course.
Note: There is never any charge for the String-O course.

The Little Troll program is a national program for youngsters from 2 to about 8 years of age. It awards stickers and patches, and allows older children credit for accompanying parents on White and Yellow courses.

WHITE COURSE

The Short Introductory course.  Perfect for those who are unsure of themselves in the forest, or who have little or no topographic map experience.
Challenge: Easy navigation, mostly on trails, or along streams and lakes.
Length: Usually under 3 km.
Maximum Group Size per Map = 6.

YELLOW COURSE

The Long Introductory Course.  For those with some basic knowledge of map reading and terrain identification.
Challenge: Navigation problems are easy to moderate.  It is always near easy to identify features and trails.
Length: Usually in the 2km to 4km range in length.
Maximum Group Size per Map = 5.

ORANGE COURSE

The Intermediate Course.  For those with moderate experience in map reading, or those who are ready for more than the yellow course challenge.   Ideally, much time is spent off trails.
Challenge: Navigation problems are all moderately difficult.   Uses major, or the more evident, terrain features.
Length: Usually in the 3km to 5km range.
Maximum Group Size per Map = 4.

BROWN/GREEN/RED/BLUE COURSES

All are Advanced Courses.
Challenges: The navigational challenges are at the same level of difficulty.   Course design gives maximum amount of time off trails.
Length: Courses become progressively longer in length, requiring better physical conditioning.  Brown 3-5km,  Green 4-6km,   Red 5-8km,  Blue 7-12km.
Maximum Group Size per Map: Brown/Green = 3,  Red/Blue = 2.

SCORE-O COURSE

Unlike the usual courses - consisting of a sequence of controls to visit in a prescribed order.  Score-O allows you to visit a large number of controls in any order you like.
Challenges: We usually have a fixed time limit, with more controls than you could possibly visit in that time, and we usually have varying point values for the controls depending upon their difficulty.   The maximum accumulated points is the objective.

NIGHT-O COURSE

Controls will have lights/reflectors inside or on them, courses will be a bit shorter, and flashlights are a MUST.  Otherwise it's the same as SCORE-O.

map consultation