Sat & Sun, Jan 17 & 18 -- Chattahoochee Bend State Park

Location

Chattahoochee Bend State Park
Address: 425 Bobwhite Way, Newnan, GA 30263
GPS Coordinates: N 33.4297220 | W -84.9895480
Typically about a 1 hr drive from Atlanta International Airport Rental Car Center on Saturday mornings. Driving at rush hour Friday afternoon is an unknown but almost certainly more than 1.5 hours.

Some GPS directions may take you to the north end of the park on Flat Rock Rd. THIS ENTRQNCE IS CLOSED. You must enter at the main entrance on Bobwhite Way.

Chattahoochee Bend State Park website (includes State Park Maps and Directions)
*** Please obey the park speed limits at all times ***
Saturday and Sunday Meet HQ is in Picnic Shelter #2, at the Boat Ramp parking area.
Access via the park road (Bobwhite Way), drive through the park to the end of the road.
Registration, Check-In, Packet pick up will be available from 8:30 am - 12:00 pm at Meet HQ.

Starts

Starts both days will be from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm. Maximum Time is 3 hours. Courses close at 4:00 pm.

Map

• White, Yellow, Orange, Green, F-18 (on Brown) and Red (except F-21+) : Map scale is 1:10,000 with 2.5 meter contours.
• M/F-21+ : Map scale is 1:15,000 with 2.5 meter contours.
• All Brown courses except F-18 : Map scale is 1:7,500 with 2.5 meter contours. F-18 will be 1:10,000.

Embargo

Entire Chattahoochee Bend State Park is embargoed from June 1, 2025.

The old Chattahoochee Bend State Park map is available to download here and here.

Course maps from various GAOC local events are on GAOC's RouteGadget here.

Courses

Course	SEIS Classes	OUSA Classes	Sat Dist / Climb / Cntrls	Sun Dist / Climb / Cntrls	Map Scale
White		F-10, F-12 M-10, M-12 M/F-White, Grp-White	2.4 / 60 /12	1.8 / 15 / 11	1:10,000
Yellow	ISIF, ISIM	F-14, M-14 F-Yellow, M-Yellow, Grp-Yellow	2.4 / 60 /14	2.6 / 30 / 13	1:10,000
Orange-X	ISJVM	M-16, M-Orange	3.9 / 95 / 15	4.5 / 65 / 13	1:10,000
Orange-Y	ISJVF	F-16, F-Orange	3.0 / 80 / 15	4.3 / 60 / 13	1:10,000
Brown-X		F55+, F60+, F65+, F-Brown M65+, M70+, M75+, M-Brown	4.7 / 125 / 14	4.7 / 75 / 11	1:7,500
Brown-Y		F70+, F75+, F80+ F85+, F90+ M80+, M85+, M90+	3.8 / 90 / 13	3.8 / 60 / 9	1:7,500
Brown-Z	ISVF	F-18	4.0 / 90 / 14	4.8 / 80 / 10	1:10,000
Green-X	ISVM	M-18 M50+, M55+, M60+ M-Green	6.5 / 120 / 20	5.7 / 110 / 12	1:10,000
Green-Y		F-20 F35+, F40+, F45+, F50+ F-Green	4.5 / 85 / 13	5.5 / 110 / 13	1:10,000
Red-X		M-20, M35+, M40+, M45+ M-Red	8.3 / 170 / 27	7.9 / 150 / 16	1:10,000
Red-F21		F-21+	8.3 / 170 / 27	7.9 / 150 / 16	1:15,000
Blue		M-21+	11.1 / 275 / 31	10.8 / 200 / 22	1:15,000

Restrooms

Saturday, Sunday - restrooms and porta-potties are available near the boat ramp parking lot.
Both days there will be porta-potties near the Start.

Cell Phone Service

Cell phone coverage is generally iffy for all carriers.

Parking

Please car pool! Parking is available at the Boat Ramp parking lot. Please cooperate with the parking volunteers' instructions.
All passenger vehicles must have a state park parking pass. Rates are charged based on vehicle capacity, not the number of actual passengers. Cars and vans with 1-12 passenger capacity are $10/day. You will need a pass for each day you are in the park. Georgia Yellow School buses are state vehicles and are exempt from parking charges and do not require a parking pass. Buses, other school buses and 13+ passenger vehicles MUST display a Park Pass each day.
If you are bringing a bus, please contact the Meet Director in advance

You risk a ticket without a parking pass!

There is a $10 per day per vehicle parking fee. Payment options are:
Scan the QR code on the sign in the parking lot, enter the vehicle tag number and pay online.
OR
Day of purchase prepay.
OR
Stop at the park office to pay in cash. Cell phone coverage is spotty, this is a good option if you have time on your way in.
There are no longer envelopes and green parking pass boxes as in previous years at GA State Parks.

Model Map

Maps of a small area with controls will be available in a box in the Visitors Center parking lot. Please return the map to the box when you are done. Do not wonder off the mapped area. The rest of the park is embargoed. Model map is also available here at 1:7500 and here at 1:10000

Babysitting

Babysitting will not be provided. Please do not plan on just leaving your young child at the Meet HQ. Please let the Registrar know if you have special start time requests that would help your own child care arrangements.

Emergency Information

In the case of a life-threatening emergency, call 911.
First aid kits and an AED will be located at Meet HQ.

Should you require additional medical aid, the nearest hospital emergency room and urgent care facility are:

Search and Rescue (SAR)

The SAR coordinator is Fred Zendt. His cell phone number is 678-640-5828. Put this number in your cell phone now.

He can be found through Meet HQ. Please coordinate the search and rescue of all missing or injured persons through Meet HQ.
Do not attempt search and rescue operations of your own.

Time Limits

Time limit is 3 hours on all courses. You must return to the Finish, punch the Finish control and Download your e-stick within 3 hours after you start, whether you complete your course or not. Do not go out on a course if you do not have the means to tell the time and how long you have been out. This generally means a watch or a cellphone.

Safety

If you have been out for 3 hours or it is clear that you cannot finish in 3 hours, you must stop immediately and report to the Finish.

Saturday Safety Bearing:

North will take you to the paved park entrance road (first part of courses) or to the power line (latter part of courses). Stay on the paved road or power line. Course monitors will check here first for runners with isssues.
If unsure, STAY on any trail or road you come across.

Sunday Safety Bearing:

Go west to the river, follow the river north or south as the case may be, to the boat ramp. The park is bounded by the river on the west and has the paved park road going east-west through the center of the park. But the north and south ends of the park are very indeterminate. Please keep track of which side of the road you are on and head north or south as the case may be to reach the road. Meet personnel will patrol the road for competitors in need.
If unsure, STAY on any road or trail you come across.

Carry a whistle. One will be provided upon request. Three (3) short blasts from a whistle indicate an emergency. Blowing the whistle otherwise will result in Disqualification. If you are lost after the courses close, you are already disqualified, and it is an emergency. Please blow your whistle so that we can locate you before it gets dark. You are encouraged to carry a cell phone to be able to call in an emergency. If your calls do not go through, try text messages. Before starting your course, make a contingency plan. Share your start time, expected finish time and contact details with someone who can raise the alarm. The courses close at 4:00 pm. Sunset is at 5:54 pm and last light is at 6:21 pm.

Dress appropriately for the weather conditions. Weather conditions in Georgia in January vary from freezing and/or cold rain to very pleasant.

Assist an injured competitor. If another competitor is hurt and in need of assistance, help to the best of your ability or go to summon help. Report the injured competitor’s bib number and exact location to officials at the Finish or Start line.

Saturday Start - Shuttle Bus Required

Saturday start & finish is at trail head 1, approximately 3.75 miles from the Boat Ramp Parking Lot. Three 28 passenger buses will run from 9:00 am – 4:30 pm. Please plan for ~15min travel time from the boat ramp parking lot to the Start/Finish area. There is no parking at the Saturday Start/Finish area but you may drop off runners as you pass the Start area when driving into the park.
Walk to Start is ~200m from the drop off area.
Clothing dropped off at the Start will be returned to the Finish/Bus Drop off area.
Restrooms are available east of the Boat Ramp parking lot.
Porta-potties will be available near the Drop off area.

Warm Up Area

You may warm up along the paved road between the bus drop off and the Start. Please watch out for vehicles. Do not enter the woods at any point.

Sunday Start

Sunday Start is 100-200m north of the Boat Ramp parking lot. Route will be clearly marked with signs.
Clothing dropped off at the Start will be returned to the Finish area.

Control Descriptions

Will be available at the Start mid-line (1-min to go). Also printed on the map.

Call Up

• Be at the Call-up area approximately 5-10 minutes before your Start time.
• Call up is 3 minutes before your start time. Be sure to "Clear" and "Check" your e-stick before entering the start area.
• After Call-up there will be a one-minute stage and then the Map line. Control descriptions will be available at the 1-min line.
• At the Map line you will receive your map. Markers will be available to write your bib number on the back of the map.
• After your start time clock beep, punch the Start box with your e-stick, then proceed on the course.

If you finish before the last start, we will collect your map at the finish. You may retrieve your map once all competitors have started. There are only sufficient maps for each person to have one each day, so please do not take anyone else’s.

Finish Line

When arriving at the finish line, be sure you punch the “Finish” control at the Finish banner.
Proceed immediately to the Download Station to have your e-stick read. Take the printout of your results and split times.

If not all competitors have started, you will be asked to turn in your map and may pick it up later. Once you have finished, you may not re-enter the competition area without permission of the Meet Director.
Rental e-sticks must be turned in on the last day of your competition at the Download Station.

Map and Course Setter Notes

Bordered by the Chattahoochee River in western Georgia, Chattahoochee Bend State Park has varied terrain, from almost flat to rolling hills, with marshes and creeks throughout. Saturday’s courses, on the east side of the park, showcase areas with bare rock and plentiful boulders. Beware of the prickly pear cacti, which thrive around the bare rock. Sunday’s courses, on the flatter west side of that park, showcase creeks, marshes, and old farming terraces.

The map uses symbols set forth in ISOM 2017-2 with north lines spaced at 300 m. The map scale is 1:10,000 with 2.5 m contours with the exception of Brown-X and Brown-Y courses which are printed at 1:7,500 and F/M-21+ which are printed at 1:15,000.

Much of the forest in the park contains pine trees with various stages of pine beetle infestation. Many pine trees have died; most are still standing, but many have fallen. Deadfall that impedes running but does not impede visibility is mapped with vertical green lines (407- vegetation: slow running, good visibility, or 409 - vegetation: walk, good visibility). The courses avoid the most heavily infested areas.

Mapping Symbols

Gullies: The brown dot ditch/gully symbol (108) represents a ditch that is 0.5 m – 1 m deep and is easily crossable. The erosion gully symbol (109) represents a gully that is 1 m to 2 m deep and may be difficult to cross. The earth bank symbol (104) without tags represents a gully that is typically more than 2 m deep and is extremely difficult to cross.

Boulders: The regular black dot boulder symbol (204) represents an individual boulder that is 1 m – 1.5 m high. A medium black dot represents an individual boulder that is 1.5 m – 2 m high. The large black dot symbol (205) represents an individual boulder that is 2 m and over. The equilateral triangle boulder cluster symbol (207) represents a group of boulders (each at least 1 m high) that are too close to map individually. The scalene triangle boulder field symbol (208) represents a group of at least 2 scattered boulders that are typically at least 0.5 m high or at least 1 m wide. Three small stony ground dots (210), tightly spaced in a triangle, represent a man-made pile of rocks.

Rides: The narrow ride symbol (508) represents an old road bed, often so old that it is barely discernable when running across, but is usually easy to see when running along.

Out-of-bounds: The out-of-bounds symbol (709) represents areas that must not be entered, and include areas around ranger residences, cottages, and private property. Please be respectful of campers in the campgrounds and do not run through any occupied campsites.

The competition maps do not have a legend. A complete map legend is available to download here.
User defined symbols:

• Green ‘X’: prominent vegetation feature (419) represents a rootstock that is at least 1 m high. Rootstocks less than 1 m high are not mapped
• Black ‘O’ prominent man-made feature – ring (530) represents a "junk pile” at least 1 m high or otherwise very visible. Most of the junk piles on the western part of the map are pieces of roofing tin that were blown into the park by a major storm
• Black ‘X’: prominent man-made feature – X (531) represents a man-made object that is not trash/junk and is at least 1 m high or otherwise very visible
• T: tall tower (525) represents a hunting stand and/or ladder in a tree

Non-ISOM symbols:

• Cross represents a graveyard

Both days water for orienteering participants is placed at several locations, as indicated with the water cup symbol on your maps.

Reserve Punch Boxes

In the rare event that an electronic punch units fail, three (3) Reserve Punch boxes are provided on the map. Use the pin punch at the control to record your presence at the control.