Permanent Courses

Introduction to Permanent Courses ….

  • 1. Rockwoods Range Courses

    There are permanent courses in St. Louis allowing you to go out and practice with real controls in the woods. The Rockwoods Range course map can be purchased through this webiste here.

    FULL PERMANENT COURSE

    For those up to the challenge, there are a total of 34 controls located on the Rockwoods Range map. To have a little fun with this, SLOC is maintaining a database for those who have completed the full course.

    If you would like to post your time, please send an email to contourline@stlouisorienteering.org and we will post it. Please send us a link to a GPS track, with your time, the date, distance, and the name(s) of those who completed it. You are welcome to run this as many times as you would like.

    Rockwoods Range Permanent Course
    Full Course 34 Controls
    Name(s)DateTimeControlsDistance (miles)
    Nathan Graves1/10/213:00:443411.74
    Nathan Graves 10/18/203:24:253412.39
    Nathan Graves and Brian Rodenbeck2/21/153:46:393412.18
    Zdenek Palachek and Todd Dohogne1/17/213:50:273411.97
    Note – official time is the total time elapsed while on the course including any stoppages, not moving time as recorded on some devices.

    OTHER VARIATONS

    Not everyone wants to bite off the whole thing. That is OK too, we have designed a couple of shorter courses for those who want to try their hand at a shorter version. Send your final time to cavemelon@hotmail.com and feel free to run it as many times as you like. The Rockwoods Range course map can be purchased through this webiste here.

    Rockwoods Range Challenge Course #1: Start at the gate at the AP Greensfelder Monument/Dogwood trailhead off of Allenton just south of Hencken Rd, proceed to numbers: 6, 27, 31, 9, 28, 13, 29, 16, 15, then back to the gate for the finish.

    Rockwoods Range Permanent Course
    Challenge Course #1
    Name(s)Time
    Josh Borgmeyer56:13
    Eric Buckley57:00
    Nathan Graves1:00:59
    Greg Schott1:07:13
    Jeff Ryan1:07:43
    Nathan Graves1:15:02
    Bryan Niehaus1:20:00
    Mark Geldmeier1:34:04
    Gary Thompson1:43:24
    Tim Gutersloh1:48:11
    Jeff and Carrie Sona2:02:00
    Geisen Family2:22:01
    Emily and Erl2:30:00

    Rockwoods Range Challenge Course #2: Designed by Dave Frei. Start at 11, then go 10, 8, 26, 25, 24, 4, 5, 7, 34, 33, 32, and end at 13.

    We recommend parking at the south Greenrock TH gravel parking lot and walk to the start at checkpoint 11. Then once you’ve completed the course at 13 enjoy your cool down hike back to your vehicle. The Rockwoods Range course map can be purchased through this webiste here.

    Rockwoods Range Permanent Course
    Challenge Course #2
    Name(s)Time
    Nathan Graves1:17:00
    Josh Borgmeyer1:24:00
    Mark Geldmeier2:11:00

    ARE YOU A COURSE DESIGNER?

    Do you have an idea for a set of controls from the Permanent Course that would make a great segment course for others to run? Great! We welcome that. Send us your course, any instructions, and your completed time and we will add yours to another chart just like the ones on this page. We love to have new ideas and challenges.

  • 2. Greensfelder Permanent Course

    The first records of this course date to 1976 from the Orienteering Resource Agency with additional field work and drafting completed in 1985.  The original course control markers were iron stakes with 3D triangular iron tops.  Over the years the stakes fell into disrepair.  Beginning in 2022, with the permission of the Park, the St. Louis Orienteering Club (SLOC) restored the original course by replacing the iron stakes with brown carsonite markers.  Along the way, another set of white carsonite stakes were found, and with no known map of that course, these additional seven controls were added to the permanent course represented on this map, totaling 27 total controls.

    If you would like to post your time, please send an email to contourline@stlouisorienteering.org and we will post it. Please send us a link to a GPS track, with your time, the date, distance, and the name(s) of those who completed it. You are welcome to run this as many times as you would like.

    You can purchase the map and clue information for this course on our maps page here.

    Greensfelder Permanent Course
    27 Controls
    Name(s)Time
    Nathan Graves 2-9-25, 4.96mi1:14:57
    Zdennek Palachek 2-1-25, 4.77mi1:17:23
    Tommy, Jen, Sierra Doias 1-1-26, 6.24mi2:13:43
    Note – official time is the total time elapsed while on the course including any stoppages, not moving time as recorded on some devices.
  • 3. Arch Permanent Course

    This course is a little different in that you have to not only navigate to the right spot but you also have to identify the correct answer to the clue. Not all are very straightforward so pay close attention!

    Keep track of your answers on a sheet of paper and submit your time and answer to contourline@stlouisorienteering.org  and we will “grade” and post them.

    Arch Course
    21 Controls
    Time in MinutesObtainedCorrect
    Team Freiper (Dave and Mary)49:002117
    Patrick Geldmeier and Chelsea Wantling77:002117
    Brent and Wil Suydam80:002117
    Steve Brennan82:002117
    Dave Beattie60:002116
    Mark Geldmeier49:102114
    Tena and Traci Berry93:002114
    Dario Negron105:002114
    Dominic Bocca95:0021
    Susan Kubinak80:002011
  • 4. Kirkwood Permanent Course

    This course is a little different. There are no markers. Instead, you use a clue sheet and once you have navigated to the correct location, you have to answer/identify the question/item on the clue sheet.

    If you would like to post your time, please send an email to contourline@stlouisorienteering.org and we will post it. Please send us a link to a GPS track, with your time, the date, distance, and the name(s) of those who completed it. You are welcome to run this as many times as you would like.

    Kirkwood Permanent Course
    13 Controls
    
    Name(s)Time
    Anna and Drennan Alden1:15

    Note – official time is the total time elapsed while on the course including any stoppages, not moving time as recorded on some devices.