Discussion: Looking for "O" related ideas - extended 48 state road trip

I will have a year off work ('deferred salary program') starting in February 2016. One of the things I want to do is an extended (3 month?) road trip (car camping) through the continental US; likely starting with the ferry from Skagway to Bellingham. I am looking for ideas. Basically along the lines of classic maps/areas to do training runs on (or even just hike through) (e.g. Vasquez Rocks, Pawtuckaway, etc.) But also looking for ideas about cool, obscure state or regional parks, neat places to check out for camping, hiking, running etc. Cool back roads, scenic routes (will have a Subaru Forester; not 4WD, and am fairly cautious with it).
Suggestions? What would be on YOUR list? Please post or email me at rossupnorth@hotmail.com Thanks.

Valley of Fire, 1 hr. east of Las Vegas. check out photos on the terraloco website.
Cold Springs Trail, Santa Barbara CA.
The trail through the abandoned railway tunnels and snowsheds at Donner Pass, and trails in the Lake Tahoe area (summer).
Sedona, AZ.
The Slot in Anza Borrego State Park, if you can find it.
Arizona Hot Springs, east side of Black Canyon, just south of Boulder Dam (best accessed by overnight canoe trip).
Delaware Water Gap, Stroudsburg PA

Here's a plug for the Eastern Sierras in California. Explore highway 395 between Reno, NV and Lone Pine, CA. AFAIK none of it has ever been mapped for orienteering.
There are plenty of peaks to climb, dozens of hot springs (some well off the beaten path), old mining towns, Mono Lake. Then from Lone Pine you can hop over to Death Valley in a few hours.

National Forests in California are currently effectively not permittable for organized orienteering or rogaining.

There is an area of Nebraska known as the "Sand Hills". I don't remember if it is a national park, national forest, or national grassland, but I do remember one of the sweetest solo trail runs I have ever done was a 20 miler thru there.

There are good maps (tho not O quality) online, and you will need one, as the terrain is subtle enough to get lost if you are not careful. IMHO, it is unique US terrain, and I've seen a good bit of what the US has to offer.

Second would be Theodore Roosevelt national park in North Dakota. If it doesn't spook you (and I'll admit it spooked me), you can run in close proximity to bison over technical badlands-like terrain. I don't know what the base map was (clearly not USGS), but there was an excellent near O quality map available for purchase at the visitors center last time I was there (which was quite some time ago, so no guarantees on that one).

For pure orienteering, and a bit off the radar but worth it, if you are in Wisconsin, I would e-mail Kevin at BGR and ask for some training maps. Cool, intense, technical terrain. Maybe reminds me of some around Whitehorse a bit if you get homesick.

Finally, if you are in Utah, spend some time in Moab. You will need at least 3 to 7 days to fully experience it. The possibilities are too vast to mention, but it is truly unique and spectacular multisport terrain, some of the finest the US has to offer. Only problem is that it is not near or on the way to other prospects, but, depending on your route, consider the detour. You will not be disappointed.

Stay with us in Boston and run Ed's sprint maps on a quiet Sunday morning.

In Arkansas check out the North Sylamore Creek Trail. Makes for a beautiful long run, hike or short backpacking trip. The Ozarks in general are really a gem, definitely worth stopping somewhere in Arkansas even if the surrounding states don't seem too appealing. ;-)

There are too many suggestions for AZ and NM to start listing them here!

Nebraska has the clay hills in addition to the sand hills, and the clay hills are maybe even better. Ditto on the recommendation for Moab, as well as the other national parks in southern Utah.

The Shawangunks, Cape Cod National Seashore, Blue Ridge Parkway to name a few

I had a couple of those \deferred pay' 'self-funded sabbaticals' during my teaching career. I used parts of each for extended orienteering trips. Even in the days before the Internet I could use contacts found in Orienteering North America to find clubs that were on my way and putting on A, B or even training events. Then it was just a matter of adjusting my travel to meet their schedules.
One trip saw me travel to a 2-day A meet in Florida followed the next weekend by a 2 day event in Texas. On the way down I participated in a local Quantico event and on the way back in events in Alabama and Pennsylvania. On another occasion the Backwoods OK gave me a copy of their Duke Forest map to train on and another map where I could pre-run and ribbon the controls for an upcoming event.
Enough about me. Now you have the Internet to search orienteering and the place where you will be going. I'm sure you will find clubs like Suncoast in Florida for example willing to share maps with you and even have you test run upcoming courses. They may even offer you a place to stay in return for your advice and help.

Http://Www.orienteeringusa.org/clubs/all

...has links to US club websites. The ones with separate calendar/schedule pages to link to have direct links from the tiny calendar icon.

The website has a wealth of information. If you have trouble finding something, use the Search function or contact me and I'll help.

And if you're in the east-central NY area we can offer you pre-printed/unused maps of Moreau (2013 Team Trials Middle site, and 2010 Classic, plus a Billygoat).

Thanks for the ideas. I have added a number of these to my list. (some were already on it) Definitely will spend major time in the desert southwest. But what are the classic O maps I should hit, besides the obvious, better known ones?

Since you say 'major time in the desert southwest', I assume this means you'll spend time in one of the best places in the southwest, Tucson. :-)

None of the AZ O maps have the same level of novelty as Vasquez or Anza-Borrego but there are some fun ones. Here are some tucson map samples/descriptions. Run at Arthur Pack because how often will you be able to use saguaro cactus as your primary navigation feature? (Tack on Ironwood for a longer run on similar bajada terrain.) Run at Kentucky Camp because it's beautiful and fast. Run on Chimney Rock if your car can handle the drive. Run on Bear Wallow if you want to try running at 8000' with a map that has 40' contours (and if you are tired of cactus).

The maps in the Phoenix area are all at desert elevations. They are probably all neat to run on if you are looking for a Sonoran Desert orienteering experience.

A couple of side trips as you go down through California:

1. Climb to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite. Reservations are now needed; apply during March. Some hassle, but worth it.

2. Pinnacles Nat'l Monument in the Gabilans east of Gilroy. Amazing rock crags with implanted iron handholds on portions of the steep trails. Remnants of an old volcano that blew up down in the Los Angeles area, and has been riding the tectonic plate northward as the volcanic cone has eroded.

Ozarks of N Ark and S Missouri offer back-packing trails and good trail runs, including Ozark Trail. Bonk Hard offers quality rogaines in MO. http://bonkhardracing.com/
Excellent Class 2/3 rapids for canoe or kayak (sporty not hard-core) on Current/Jacks Fork/Buffalo/North Fork of White Rivers of AR and MO
I vote Hawn State Park for best MO O' map and terrain.
I second recommendations for the moraine terrain maps of SE Wisconsin: Cat's Meow etc

In Colorado, The Map Formerly Known As Blue Mountain.
In Wyoming, whatever Swampfox thinks is particularly interesting that week.

Go to the Dutchman Flats maps in Oregon, west of Bend. But check for snow conditions!

Burney Falls is a very cool spot in Northern California.

I would definitely recommend going for a run round Devils Tower in Wyoming. Nice trails but no orienteering map as far as I know.

Granite Dells in AZ were sweet. Pullautin -- https://plus.google.com/photos/1024480947987150806... -- http://attackpoint.org/discussionthread.jsp/messag... -- http://attackpoint.org/viewlog.jsp/user_540/period...

Woah, that's awesome.

upnorthguy, you should do that!

Spooky and Peek-A-Boo slot canyons (scroll down for the slot canyon shots) in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in Southern Utah- A huge remote area of unspoiled cliffs, plateaus and canyons. No trails, no people, hardly any roads. Unlimited places to explore with map and compass. Dont get lost...your remains may not be found for years!