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About the Noble Park Orienteering Course (NPOC)
The Noble Park Orienteering Course (NPOC) was created in 2014 by Noah DeWeese, Eagle Scout, Troop 200, Paducah, Kentucky. The course is made of several markers placed throughout Noble Park. Find them using a compass or GPS device (found on many smart phones) or by looking at the NPOC Map. Each marker is an eight-inch diameter concrete plaque flush with the ground. Each plaque has a square orienteering symbol and a one letter code.
Getting Started
- Parking and Starting Marker - The starting marker and sign are located across from the Greenway Trail sign next to the Arts & Crafts Building and Skatepark. Parking is available in the large parking lot next to the ball fields.
- Determine Average Step Length - Before beginning the orienteering course, determine your average step length in yards. Walk from the start sign due west along the asphalt road next to the skatepark. There is an orienteering symbol twelve feet up on a wooden light pole exactly fifty yards from the sign. Count your steps from the sign to the light pole. Average step length (the number of steps per yard) is determined by taking the number of steps you took between the starting marker and the light pole and dividing by fifty.
- Walking to Markers - Take each distance on the course score card and divide it by your step length to get the number of steps you will walk between each marker.
Available Courses
There are two different courses to navigate with a compass. Both courses start and end at the NPOC sign. From the starting marker and sign, set your heading and walk the distance specified to the first marker. Record each marker’s letter when you find it on the score card. Repeat this process until you find all the markers. You can also record how long it takes to complete the course and try to improve your time. The GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude) for each marker and the score cards for the two courses are found below.
GPS Coordinates and the Score Cards Answer Key
