Orienteering Course Launches At Alley Pond Park

OAKLAND GARDENS, QUEENS — Alley Pond Park visitors can now explore its forested areas, wetlands and wildlife in a brand-new way, with the launch of the New York City parks department's first-ever orienteering course.

The free course, announced Tuesday, includes five topographic maps of varying difficulty that will guide both novice and advanced explorers through the park using nothing more than a list of checkpoints and a compass — no GPS needed.

“These days, we've become increasingly reliant on navigation apps to get us where we're going,” NYC Parks’ Urban Park Rangers Director Bonnie McGuire said in a prepared statement. “Orienteering offers New Yorkers a chance to explore their parks by reconnecting with map skills and finding control markers to guide them along the way."

Participants can even design their own route using the list of checkpoints, or "control points."

"There's no right or wrong route to take, so your orienteering experience will be different every time," McGuire said.

The maps are available to download and print on the parks department's website.