Orienteering is the sport of navigation, using a highly detailed map. Whether you’re an experienced hiker, competitive runner, or just a family or group out for an activity in a park, this sport helps you improve your navigation each time. Orienteering can gradually build your map-reading skills from exploring a local city park full of bvious structures to navigating remote terrain with few, if any, man-made features.  On orienteering maps, a course consists of a triangle, circles, a double circle and sometimes connecting lines all in purple. The triangle is the start. The double circle is the finish. All the circles in between are checkpoints. Numbered orange and white flags are placed in the terrain to show you that you have reached the correct location. At each checkpoint you will register that you found the correct location. You may use any route you want between checkpoints. For all participants, the structure of an event is a safety function. At the end of the event, the number of returnees needs to match the number who started, so always check in with the finish line volunteers, even if you don’t complete your course. This keeps the sport safe and fun. Orienteering events are timed. If you’re a runner, running against the clock is a familiar experience, but orienteering provides added challenges of a staggered start and deciding where your own course goes as you are running. And if you’re a non-runner, automatic timing from control to control provides a way to measure your navigational effectiveness across routes and compare later with others who made different choices. Good route choice often beats raw speed.