There is a 1-mile course at Stone Mountain Park that’s a perfect introduction to orienteering. The shaded course starts near the chimney of an old homestead along the Cherokee Trail, just north-west of the Children’s Playground and Howell Lake. There is no cleared trail to follow, but the hike isn’t strenuous.
This weekend will be below the scope of the Orienteering merit badge and is really just for the Northern Tier Crew to reacquaint themselves with map reading, practice teaching, and for younger Scouts to get some requirements done. That being said, interested Scouts can print out the Orienteering Merit Badge Worksheet and keep track of their accomplishments.
The adult leader for this activity will be Mr. Chris May, so please ask him any questions. Mr. May will have a few printouts for Scouts to share that list the bearings plus some minor corrections from when the course was originally marked.
Junior rank scouts can complete rank requirements for Second Class 3a and First Class 4a & 4b. Older Scouts working towards the Star can satisfy Req 6 to teach via EDGE. Please check the Scout handbook for details.
Where? The Childrens Playground parking lot at Stone Mountain Park. If the lot is full, there is an overflow lot a little further up the road.
When? Sunday morning, April 28 2024
- 7:30 am for Northern Tier Crew. NTC will run the course and be prepared to teach the Junior rank Scouts.
- 9 am for everyone else.
- We will return to the parking lot by 10:30 am.
What to bring? Everything Scouts normally bring on an outing.
- Small pack
- 1 liter of water
- Small snack
- Long pants
- Boots or sturdy shoes
- BUG SPRAY
- Clothing layers, depending on forecast
- Hat / sunglasses / sunscreen / bug screen
Anything Else? Yes, also bring…
- Compass with a rotating bezel marked in degrees. If you’re not sure, please ask.
- Notebook & pencil (a rigid notebook is easier to write in).
- Scout book if you are getting requirements signed off.
- Map of Stone Mountain – you can pick this up at the gate when you enter.
- Handheld GPS or GPS app, if you have one.
There will NOT be a specific sign-up for this event.
