2026 Northeast Ohio Fall Orienteering Fest | OUSA Masters Championships

[Jonathan Boyer]

Northeast Ohio Fall Orienteering Fest

OUSA Masters Championships, 2-day NRE, and Corn Maze Orienteering Challenge

Sept 25-27, 2026

The Northeast Ohio Orienteering Club (NEOOC) is excited to announce a three-day festival of orienteering in September 2026. The weekend will feature a 2-day sanctioned National Ranking Event (NRE) — serving as the 2026 OUSA Masters National Championships — along with a fun Corn Maze Orienteering Challenge.

Friday Sept 25, 2026: 

Corn Maze Orienteering Challenge — Navigate through one of Ohio’s largest corn mazes! This 16-acre maze of twists and turns will feature custom orienteering courses designed for both recreational and competitive participants.

Location: Derthick’s Farm and Corn Maze, Mantua, Ohio

Saturday Sept 26 - Sunday 27, 2026: 

2-Day NRE & OUSA Masters National Championships — Join us at The West Woods and Big Creek Park, both located in Geauga County, Ohio. Events will be open to all ages and experience levels, with a full range of advanced and recreational courses available.

About the NRE Venues: 

Both venues showcase classic Northeast Ohio forest terrain, offering a mix of open runnable sections and areas of patchy but navigable vegetation. 

• The West Woods features gentle elevation changes, picturesque cliffs, and is currently undergoing map updates.
• Big Creek Park offers a denser network of reentrants, streams, and trails and will debut as an all-new orienteering venue.

Both maps will be produced to the latest IOF standards. Geauga Park District is one of Northeast Ohio’s premier park systems!

About the Area: In addition to the orienteering events, there are many reasons to visit this area of Northeast Ohio. Take a scenic drive and visit 19 covered bridges in Ashtabula, or go star-gazing at Observatory Park, a designated Dark Sky Park. If you’re looking for more reasons to come - also check out Holden Arboretum, Headlands Beach State Park, or the many family-friendly attractions in and around the greater Cleveland area. 

Embargo: The whole of West Woods Park (Geauga County) and Big Creek Park (Geauga County) are now embargoed. These parks are closed to orienteering competitions and training until the event takes place. Individuals or groups visiting the closed venues shall not be eligible for competition, awards, or rankings, but they may nevertheless participate in the event.