Welcome!
Orienteering Ottawa's annual orienteering festival, Ottawa O-Fest is a high level orienteering competition, a Canada Cup event, a fun day out in beautiful woods, and a social gathering wrapped up into one active weekend spent outdoors in nature.
This year we are returning to the wonderful Ark terrain, venue for the 2023 O-Fest, for two more days of world Class Orienteering, with Middle and Long Distance races on Saturday-Sunday. Prizes will be awarded on Sunday to those with the fastest combined time across the 2 days in each competitive age class. Everyone is welcome to participate and we have two recreational classes for those who are new to orienteering or simply not interested in competition. A BBQ lunch will be served both days to those who have purchased food during event pre-registration. The Ark is located roughly 50 minutes north by car from central Ottawa.
The Ark map was developed by Jeff Teutsch at Navigation Sports and first used for the 2023 O-Fest. We hope you love the hilly, feature filled terrain as much as we do. The forest is open, making for good running, the hills are plentiful, to slow you down, and the orienteering is fantastic! While the terrain does have some large glacial erratic boulders and plenty of large cliffs, it is not the super rocky terrain of Gatineau Park and elsewhere that Ottawa is known for. The boulders and cliffs shown on the map are generally quite large or significant. In early May the visibility should be excellent although the forest floor could be wetter than shown on the map.
And a special shout out to our American friends and neighbours; you'll receive a warm welcome from your fellow orienteers up north! We offer you world-class terrain and expert mapping and course setting at bargain prices!
Check out these short videos from the 2023 O-Fest to get a sneak peek of the venue and terrain or to jog your memory.
Land Acknowledgement
The Ark, located near Denholm, QC, sits on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation, whose people have a long and rich history on this land, and their presence and stewardship of the Ottawa River Watershed dates back to time immemorial. We acknowledge and respect the Algonquin people as the original custodians of this land and express gratitude for their cultural and environmental stewardship of the Ottawa River Watershed. We recognize the importance of ongoing learning about indigenous history, culture and contemporary issues, and are committed to building strong relationships with Indigenous communities and working towards reconciliation.
Sponsors and Partners
Thank you to our sponsors and supporters - your support of the 2026 O-Fest is greatly appreciated! Please consider supporting them and expressing your thanks.
