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Don Carter State Park
Sunday, March 8, 2026

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Join GAOC on Sunday, March 8^th, at Don Carter State Park for classic orienteering courses.

Siargey Pisarchyk, one of GAOC's best orienteers, will provide advanced training in a clinic beginning at 10:00am. If you want to participate, pre-register and choose the "Advanced Clinic" option.

Beginner instruction will be provided at 9:30am. If you want beginner instruction, you must pre-register and choose the "Beginner Instruction" option.

Some of the trails at Don Carter State Park are for equestrian use only, and are blazed with colored diamond shapes. Please avoid running on trails that are blazed with diamond shapes. Trails blazed with colored rectangles are multi-use; running on trails blazed with rectangle shapes is fine, but horses are allowed and expected to be on these trails. If you're on a trail and meet or need to pass a horse and rider, slow down and get off the trail. Make sure not to make abrupt movements and talk calmly when approaching to avoid startling the animal. Give the horse and rider as wide a berth as possible, on the downhill side. Horses are more likely to run uphill than downhill when spooked, and you definitely don't want to be in the path of a spooked horse.

Notes

1. Pre-paid pre-registration is required. (Registration will open for our volunteer meet directors at 7:00pm on Monday, March 2^nd, and will open for other volunteer coupon holders at 8:00pm. Registration will open to everyone at 9:00pm.) No paper forms or payments will be accepted on-site.
2. Participants will be started promptly at the start time they select when pre-registering. Please come to the start no earlier than 3 minutes before your start time, but be sure to be at the start on time.
3. Runners have the option to run one or two courses using the same e-stick. If you want to run two courses, you must pre-register for both courses. On the pre-registration form, select the "I want to run 2 courses option". After selecting your courses, you will select your start time for your first course. At the event, when you are ready to start you second course, come back to the start to be assigned a start time. You must start your second course before noon.
4. Water will NOT be provided on any course. A camelbak or similar hydration pack is highly recommended. Participants must bring their own compass, whistle, and water.
5. Please be respectful of meet and scoring officials by maintaining appropriate social distancing. DO NOT congregate around the scoring tent after you have downloaded.

Courses

Volunteers needed

Event volunteers are always needed and appreciated. Each volunteer is awarded a coupon that may be used for discounted (and early) event registration or items from our merchandise page.

If you are interested in helping out at the start, search and rescue, or control pickup, please select your volunteer position(s) on the registration page or contact the meet director.

Schedule

Runners must select their start time when pre-registering, and will be started promptly at their selected start time. Please come to the start no earlier than 3 minutes before your start time, but be sure to be at the start on time. Last start is at noon. All runners must be off all courses by 3 hours after their start or 2:00 pm, whichever comes first. Volunteers will start picking up controls at 2:00 pm.

Directions

Directions to the park from the DNR web page go out of their way to go too far north. Suggested alternate directions below consist of only a short stretch of gravel road:

Take I-985 to Gainesville
Take exit 24 (to US 129N)
Right on Limestone Pkwy (129N) at McDonalds
Right on Clarks Bridge Road
after 4.8 miles, right on B. Clark Road (gravel - changes to paved)
at dead end, right on N Browning Road into park.

The address is 5000 N Browning Bridge Rd, Gainesville, GA 30506.

Fees

Typical fees are shown below. Participants may go out on the course as an individual or as a small group of up to 5 people.

Weather

For current forecast click here.

Meet Director

John Chambers 678-462-7271