Permanent Orienteering Courses

As well as organised events laid on by the British Orienteering Affiliated Clubs, there are many permanent courses all across the UK. Once you have acquired a map kit, you can orienteer whenever you like. The map kit usually includes:

• a map with the control sites marked,
• a control card for you to mark the codes corresponding to the control marker,
• a sheet of instructions to help you get started.

Watch this video to learn more about permanent courses.

Permanent Orienteering Courses in the DEE Area

There are several permanent courses in the Deeside Orienteering Club Area including:

Acton Park, Wrexham

Yellow course: easy, suitable for beginners. Download the free map and instructions here:

• Map
• Instructions

Formby (National Trust) Permanent Courses

Six courses available: two each of White, Yellow and Orange. Instructions are on the maps.

Download the free maps from here:

• White Course 1
• White Course 2
• Yellow Course 1
• Yellow Course 2
• Orange Course 1
• Orange Course 2

Park at the Lifeboat Road Car Park. The Formby Beach car park is currently (June 2025) closed.

Other things to do and see at Formby here.

Delamere Forest

The white, yellow, orange and red permanent orienteering courses in Delamere Forest are now fully open. The green and blue courses have been discontinued following forestry operations which have made them no longer viable.

Grid Reference SJ 548704. Turn off the B5152 at Delamere railway station. Park in the Delamere Forest Visitor Centre car park.

• Map kits can be purchased from the Visitor Centre.
• Full details here.

Marbury Country Park, Comberbach, nr. Northwich

Grid Reference SJ653763(car park). Includes a wheelchair course. Contact the Rangers' office (01606-77741) for more information.

• Full details and downloadable map £1 here.
• or buy map for £1 each from Comberbach Post Office (01606-891316).

Birkenhead Park

Grid Reference SJ308890. Maps £1 on sale from Visitor Centre - (0151 652 5197) - Park Drive, Birkenhead, CH41 4HY.

Futher details here

Lymm Dam

Postcode WA13 0QS

• Full details and downloadable map here.

There are other courses in the surrounding areas of the North West Region, please see their web sites for details.