2010 US Orienteering Championship - Driving Directions
Latitude and longitude are provided for key locations; these coordinates are also summarized at the end of these directions and available in a separate GPX file. This file can be loaded into GPS units or used with on-line tools such as http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/map_input
Abbreviations: N, E, S, W = compass directions; mi = miles; NB, etc. = northbound; L = left; R = right.
IMPORTANT: Parking is limited at the first three venues please carpool! At Moses Lake and Camp Sekani, vehicles with fewer than four occupants arriving more than a half hour before the first start time (9:30 AM and 9:00 AM, respectively; first starts are at 10:00 AM and 9:30 AM) will be asked to park elsewhere. Ad hoc carpools for Moses Lake can be formed as follows: if you are traveling alone or with just one other passenger, park on the paved portion of Sand Dunes Road (see below; please use just the west side of the street and park safely and efficiently). Then, walk south to the end of the pavement and wave your bib number (or compass or whatever) at drivers whom you suspect are orienteers with available space. For Camp Sekani, please use the parking area at Shields Park to form carpools (see below for location).
Moses Lake Sand Dunes (Middle Distance Championship)
Please read note above about carpooling!
Model Event and Competition Venue
In general, follow white-on-brown signs to "Off Road Vechicle park".
From EB I-90 (e.g, from Seattle), take the Mae Valley/Hansen Rd exit [#174], turn R at the Yield sign and go S ~500'/150m, turn L to go E on Sage Rd …
From WB I-90 (e.g., from Spokane and Moses Lake motels and camp grounds), take the Mae Valley/Hansen Rd exit [#174], turn L at the Stop sign and cross S over the highway. At the T intersection, turn L to go E on Sage Rd, continuing straight ahead at the next intersection ...
… go E on Sage Rd 0.2 mi to Sand Dunes Rd; turn R and go S. Pavement ends after 0.8 mi, continue S another 0.9 mi to the model event parking on the L, just after crossing the Southern Outlet (the second spillway). Additional parking is available north of the spillway; parking along the road seems unwise. To the competition venue, continue S 1.5 mi to a large white sign with all kinds of regulations on it. Just past the sign, turn R and go W on “Power Line Rd” (unofficial name) 0.4 mi to parking. Please follow parking marshals' directions as we need to pack vehicles in as best we can. Also, be aware that soft sand can create interesting challenges to those not accustomed to driving or parking on it.
Model Event parking: 47.07959,-119.33307
Middle Distance venue parking: 47.06252,-119.33426
Leaving the venue, participants staying in accommodations near exit #179 and interested in a scenic route home can go E on Sand Dunes Rd from the aforementioned large white sign. After about 3 mi, continue N on Potato Hill Rd (paved!) across I-90, turn R on Yonezawa Rd and go E 1.4 mi to SR-17.
Grant County Fairgrounds (camping)
From EB I-90 (e.g, from Seattle or the Middle Distance venue), take the Moses Lake exit [#176], turn L at traffic light and go N 2.5 mi on Broadway to “downtown”. Turn L on N Stratford Dr and go N, crossing Parker Horn (a portion of Moses Lake). Pass Super China Buffet on the R. Turn L on W Valley Rd (0.4 mi from Broadway) and go W ...
From WB I-90 (e.g., from Spokane), take the Othello/Moses Lake/Ephrata exit [#179], turn R at the stop sign and follow SR-17 N 4.4 mi to Grape Dr (heads up: about a mile from I-90, SR-17.veers off to the R - follow the sign to “Ephrata/Soap Lake - it's a bypass around the bustling Moses Lake metropolis). Turn L at Grape Dr, go S 0.7 mi to W Valley Dr; turn R and go W ...
… on Valley (0.7 mi from Grape, 1.2 mi from Stratford), turn R onto Airway Dr (blinking yellow light) and go N 0.4 mi to “Gold Gate” entrance to the fairgrounds. Office is ahead and to the L. Campsites are just N of the office.
Grant County Fairgrounds campground: 47.14518,-119.30965
Fishtrap Lake (Long Distance Championship)
Please drive slowly on dirt roads.
From EB I-90 (e.g, from Seattle and Moses Lake), take the Sprague/Harrington exit [#245]; turn R and go S 0.7 mi on Highway SR-23 to Sprague. Turn R at first street after crossing the overpass over the railroad tracks (W 4th St; Viking Drive In is on the L). Turn R at the next street (S B St) and then R again to go E on the Old State Highway (Sprague Highway) under the overpass. Continue NE about 4.1 mi to an unmarked narrow (and very straight) dirt road leading off to the R (this is the original Seattle-to-Spokane road). Follow the dirt road N 2 mi to parking area on R. IMPORTANT: This route will not be marked with O' signs; it is provided here for those who will be staying in Sprague Saturday night or are feeling adventurous. For EB travelers (e.g., from Moses Lake) it will be about 10 minutes shorter than taking the simpler route via exit #254, below.
From WB I-90 (e.g., from Spokane), take the Fishtrap exit [#254], turn L at the Stop sign (turn R if arriving from Moses Lake) and cross S over the highway and go E/SE/S 3.8 mi to Miller Ranch Rd (gravel). Turn L (only choice) and go E 0.3 mi to T intersection with original Spokane-to-Seattle road (dirt). Turn R and go SW/S 0.9 mi to parking area on L.
Leaving Fishtrap Lake to Spokane, go N on Sprague Highway (the Old State Highway) to I-90 and take I-90 eastbound to Spokane.
Fishtrap Lake parking: 47.33358,-117.86358
Bowl & Pitcher Campground (group camp site)
From EB I-90 (e.g., from Fishtrap ) take Maple St/Lincoln St exit [#280], turn L at the second traffic light on Walnut St ...
From WB I-90 take Maple St exit [#280A], turn R at the first traffic light on Walnut St ...
… go N on Walnut St (which becomes Maple St) 1.3 mi to Maxwell Ave. Turn L onto Maxwell, which curves to the R becoming Pettet Drive. Continue N on Pettet Drive into Riverside State Park. Continue on the Aubrey White Parkway about 0.8 mi past the water treatment plant until you reach the entrance to the Bowl and Pitcher campground on L. Follow signs to group camp area. Look for orienteers.
Bowl & Pitcher group camp: 47.69469,-117.49105
Gonzaga University Campus (convention, AGM, housing)
From I-90 (either direction) take Newport/Colville exit [#281] and go N on Division St, which splits becoming a couplet N of the Spokane River. Continue NB on Ruby St to E Sharp Ave (about 1.2 mi from I-90). Turn R and go 5 blocks E ...
From the Bowl & Pitcher Campground, turn R and go S on Aubrey White Parkway, which becomes Pettet Drive after leaving the park. Pettet Drive curves to the L, becoming Maxwell Ave. Continue E on Maxwell, which becomes Mission Ave E of Washington St. ...
… continue E on Mission to Standard St (5 blocks E of Ruby). Turn R on Standard and go S to the intersection of Sharp and Standard. Use the parking lot at the SW corner of Sharp and N Standard St. Goller Hall, 630 E Sharp, (convention registration as well as on-campus housing) is one block E. Cataldo Hall (evening dinners and the Annual General Meeting) is one block W and half a block to the S.
Gonzaga University parking lot: 47.66923,-117.40151
A map of the Gonzaga University campus is available on-line: http://www.gonzaga.edu/About/campus-map.asp
Camp Sekani (Sprint Championship)
Please read note above about carpooling!
From the Gonzaga campus, go N to Mission. Turn R and go E on Mission to N Hamilton St. Turn L and go N about 0.8 mi to North Foothills Dr E. Turn R. Foothills Dr becomes E Euclid Ave and then E Frederick Ave before merging with E Upriver Dr about 3.0 mi from Hamilton. Follow Upriver Dr 1.0 E to the entrance to the park on the L (just E of a large field).
From the Bowl & Pitcher campground, follow the directions above for Gonzaga University, continuing E on Mission to Hamilton, then go N as above.
The shortest route to Camp Sekani from I-90 is to take the Argonne Rd exit [#287] (there is a Motel 6 near this interchange). Take Argonne Rd N 1.6 mi N across Spokane River to E Upriver Dr. Turn L and go W 1.5 mi to the park entrance on the R.
Returning to Gonzaga from Camp Sekani, an alternate route is to follow Upriver Dr along the Spokane River to Mission Ave; on which turn R and go W. This route is not recommended to Camp Sekani as making the L turn from Mission Ave to Upriver Dr during a weekday morning rush hour can be a challenge.
Camp Sekani: 47.69383,-117.31409
Note to webby navigators: Neither Google Maps, Yahoo Maps, Bing, nor Mapquest show Camp Sekani. Google Maps labels Shields Park, about 0.8 mi SW of Camp Sekani, as “Cp Sekani”;. Mapquest, Bing, and Yahoo correctly label Shields Park.
Riverside State Park / Camp Seven Mile (Trail O' Championship)
From the Gonzaga University parking lot near Sharp Ave and N Standard St, go W on E Sharp Ave 0.3 mi and turn R onto N Ruby St US-2 E/US-395 N). Follow Ruby N 3.0 mi and turn L onto W Francis Ave (WA SR-291). Go W 3.0 miles to W Nine Mile Rd. Turn R and go NW 2.1 mi to N Seven Mile Rd; turn W to cross the Spokane River …
(shorter but more complicated alternative) From the Gonzaga campus go N to Indiana. Turn L onto Indiana and go W to the five-way intersection of Monroe, Indiana and Northwest Blvd. Go NW onto Northwest Blvd., continue N on Assembly, turn L onto Nine Mile Rd. (WA SR-291), turn L again onto N Seven Mile Rd ...
From the Bowl & Pitcher Campground, turn L on Aubrey White Parkway and go about 1.6 mi N of the campground, turn R on Rifle Club Rd. Go E up Rifle Club Road 0.4 mi to W Nine Mile Rd. Turn L on Nine Mile Rd. (WA SR-291), go NW 1.4 mi and turn L again onto N Seven Mile Rd (opposite W Lowell Ave). Go W downhill to cross the Spokane River ...
From I-90 take the Maple St/Lincoln St exit [#280] and go N on Maple, turn L onto Northwest Blvd., continue N on Assembly, turn L onto Nine Mile Rd. (WA SR-291), go N/NW 2.1 mi and turn L onto N Seven Mile Rd. ...
…500'/150m after crossing the Spokane River on N Seven Mile Rd, turn L on N Riverside State Park Dr and go S 800'/250m toW Missoula St on the R. Follow the orienteering signs to the parking area. Please drive slowly on dirt roads.
Camp Seven Mile parking area: 47.73734,-117.52142
All GPS Coordinates
|
Model Event parking |
47.07959 |
-119.33307 |
|
Middle Distance venue parking |
47.06252 |
-119.33000 |
|
Fishtrap Lake parking |
47.33358 |
-117.86358 |
|
Bowl & Pitcher group camp |
47.69469 |
-117.49105 |
|
Gonzaga University parking lot |
47.66923 |
-117.40151 |
|
Camp Sekani |
47.69383 |
-117.31409 |
|
Camp Seven Mile parking area |
47.73734 |
-117.52142 |