Kings Mountain National Military Park , March 8

The Carolina Orienteering Klubb is holding an event at Kings Mountain National Military Park on both March 7 and March 8, 2026 because of the limited parking which holds participation down to only 85 people each day. You are welcome to do the course both days, but it will be exactly the same course, so we do not recommend it. We are holding it on both days because it is popular site for our events and we want to give more people an opportunity to participate that might not be able to get tickets for Saturday, March 7th.

Due to limited bus parking, we have to limit the number of JROTC units to 5 for each day, Saturday and Sunday.  JROTC units have to contact the meet director (Walter Siegenthaler at [email protected]) to get permission to participate before registering.  Any JROTC unit that does not have the meet director’s permission will not be allowed to attend the event.

Registration

All participants must pre-register & pre-pay for tickets/maps online and there are no same day day of event walk-ups. There are no “extra maps” at events.  The club must strictly follow individual park rules to limit crowd size & impact.

• Participants register individually for themselves or for others (groups).
• You select the number of maps you want to purchase based on the color code for the course(s) you wish to navigate.
  Course Color Guide
  – White – The easiest and shortest course, designed for beginners and first-time orienteers, following clear trails and obvious features.
  – Yellow – For intermediate beginners who are comfortable on White, with simple route choices and basic navigation using trails and contours.
  – Orange – An intermediate course that introduces off-trail navigation, compass use, and more complex route choices.
  – Brown – A shorter advanced course with full technical difficulty, but less physical distance.
  – Green – An advanced course with full technical difficulty and a moderate physical challenge.
  – Red – The longest and most physically demanding advanced course, with full technical difficulty throughout.
• The number of maps available are based on park restrictions and vary from event-to-event.
• Maps are available for sale until the capacity is reached (sold out) or until the Wednesday prior to the event’s date (sales end at 1900 hrs).
• All sales are final and there are no refunds for no-shows. Refunds may be allowed if the club cancels the event.

Groups

• Please inform the event organizer if you intend to bring a group larger than five participants since you may be restricted in the number of maps you can purchase (this ensures other groups have a chance at participating & helps keep crowding low).  A single (one) map may be shared by up to 5 participants registered as a group.
• Maps may not be reproduced without written permission of the COK.
• Group leaders purchase maps on behalf of their participants and may choose from any available course.
• Groups using larger vehicles should look for special parking signs (when applicable) or park in spaces that do not interfere with other park visitors.
• Group leaders are responsible for all of their participants.  Minors (under age 18) are required to have adult supervision onsite for the duration of their participation.  The club is not responsible for unattended minors.

Waiver

Please note there are no medical resources at events and off-trail activity has particular risks that each participant should be aware of prior. Each participant must assess their abilities and must indemnify the club and indicate a waiver.  This is done during registration:

• Individually – participants must be 18 and older to individually register.
• Groups of participants over age 18 – the person who registers online can only sign a waiver for himself. Prior to the event, other members of the group must print the waiver, sign it, and bring it to the event. Click here for that form Get Waiver.
• Groups with participants under age 18 – the leader (who must be age 18+) registers & pays for maps and signs the waiver on behalf of the group. There is no need to bring individual parental permission or waiver forms.

Participation

On event day – participants are allowed to start courses between 9:30 AM am and 11:30 am.  Each course has a strict 3-hour time limit.  If you are on the course and see that you cannot finish 3 hours from when you started, please stop working the course, navigate to to the finish area, and check in with the organizer.

All participants must check-out and check-in for the course(s) they navigate with the organizer. Please do not simply leave a course without checking-in with the event organizer.

What 3 Words

Prior to attending the meet, consider downloading the What 3 Words app. Each map has A unique set of 3-words is printed on each map for the start/finish point that will help you navigate home using the app should you get lost or run out of time. More info here

Finger Sticks

All participants use an electronic timing device, often called a “finger stick”, which records their time at each control on the course. The finger stick is inserted into the timing e-module attached to each control. Finger sticks are assigned at the event for each map purchased unless you bring your own finger stick and indicate that during online registration. If you or members of your group lose your assigned finger stick, the replacement cost is $50. The group leader is responsible for finger sticks lost by group members. To purchase your own finger stick – click here for a sample vendor.

Weather

Every COK event takes place rain or shine! If the park is open, the meet goes forward!

Respect Mother Nature

Orienteering is a “Leave No Trace” activity and all participants must respect nature by not littering, intentionally harming/altering park property, or harassing wildlife.

Please consider volunteering to help the club stay viable for future generations. Without your help, the club will not be able to provide quality, family-friendly, fun, challenging, and healthy outdoor activities. The club has volunteer roles for people at all experience levels, including short-term and long-term volunteer opportunities.

Reminder on Map Course Colors

Note: Click to read about registration glitch