Morven Park Night-O

Printer-friendly versionPDF version

May 4
Saturday

This is a first: the first use of a new venue, for a night-orienteering adventure!

It may be hard to appreciate this area in the dark, but this Night-Orienteering event is designed to whet your appetite for future (day) orienteering events in this 1,200 acre private (yet nonprofit) park. A National Register Historic Property, Morven Park was for 40 years the home of Virginia Gov. Westmoreland Davis. While more than 100,000 people visit Morven Park each year these days, up until now it hasn't been for orienteering - it's been for it's equestrian center and courses, museums, historic gardens, sports fields or festivals (like this one). Time to expand the list!

Please take into account the following:

• There will not be an entrance fee.
• Pre-registration is now open closed (see link below) and is strongly encouraged.
• New: we will be using the southern entrance to Morven Park (directions below).
• As shown by this adjacent section of a USGS topo map, the terrain is divided between relatively open, relatively flat fields with interspersed buildings and vegetation, and, a steep wooded area that could almost be considered an escarpment.
• The beginner course will remain primarily in the open area(s); both advanced courses will head up into the hills.
• Map scale is 1:7500 for the beginner course, and 1:10000 for all other courses. Map size is letter for all but the long advanced, which is on legal size paper.
• Night orienteering is not recommended for those seeking to experience orienteering for the very first time.
• Sorry, because this is a night event, no pets are allowed.
• Large and/or youth groups must contact us in advance if interested in attending.
• Maryland residents using the White's Ferry crossing: note that the ferry stops running at 11pm.
• Please make sure you are entering Morven Park using the South entrance described below, and not using the north entrance on Tutt Lane.