Empire Orienteering Club (EMPO) was founded in 1987 to promote the sport of orienteering and develop suitable maps in the Capital District of New York State. The club was founded by Ed Downey, Ed Jaeger, Eric Hamilton and William Jameson during a meeting at the Guilderland, NY public library in the Spring of 1987. Today, EMPO organizes approximately 15 events per year, and has produced nearly 25 specialized, five color orienteering maps in the Albany, NY area. EMPO is a member of Orienteering USA.
Blueberry Hill, Washington Ave. Extension, Albany, NY - No longer in useCamp Pinnacle, New Scotland, NYCamp Wakpominee, Fort Ann, NYCentral Park, Schenectady, NY - Under developmentCole Hill State Forest, East Berne, NYColonie Mohawk River Park, Colonie, NYCrandall Park, Glens Falls, NYDwaas Kill Nature Preserve, Clifton Park, NYFive Rivers Environmental Education Center, Delmar, NYFoxenkill Flats (Berne-Knox-Westerlo School), Berne, NYGarnet Hill, North River, NYGrafton Lakes State Park, Grafton, NY - Major revision plannedHayes Nature Park, Clifton Park, NYKinns Road County Forest, Clifton Park, NYLapland Lake Resort, Benson, NYMoreau Lake State Park, Moreau, NYPartridge Run State Wildlife Management Area, Berne, NYPeebles Island State Park, Waterford, NYPineridge Cross County Ski Center, Poestenkill, NYPleasant Valley Farms, Berne, NYSaratoga Biathlon & Competition Center, Day, NYSaratoga Spa State Park, Saratoga Springs, NYSchenectady Museum Nature Preserve, Niskayuna, NY - Now expanded and renamed Niskayuna ParksTawasentha Park, Guilderland, NY(John Boyd) Thacher State Park, New Scotland, NYVischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve, Clifton Park, NYWashington Park, Albany, NYWest Sky Nature Preserve, Clifton Park, NYWoods Hollow Nature Preserve, Milton, NYEmpire has run the following major US events.
1992 US Intercollegiate Championships - Grafton Lakes State Park, Grafton, NY1993 US Relay Championships, Thacher State Park, New Scotland, NY1997 US Ski-O Championships, Garnet Hill, North River, NY1998 Billygoat Run XX, Mt. Norwottuck/The Notch, Hadley, MA2000 US Ski-O Championships, Day, NY2006 US Short-O and US Long-O Championships, Thacher State Park and Camp Pinnacle, New Scotland, NY2007 Billygoat Run XXIX, Thacher State Park and Camp Pinnacle, New Scotland, NY2010 US Individual Championships, Moreau Lake State Park, Moreau, NY2012 Billygoat Run XXXIV, Moreau Lake State Park, Moreau, NY2013 US Team Trials and US Sprint/Middle/Long Championships, Camp Wakpominee, Fort Ann, NY / Moreau Lake State Park, Moreau, NY2015 US 'A' Meet at Pineridge Cross Country Ski Center, East Poestenkill, New YorkThe Empire Club won the Perm Cup at the 2014 US Ski-Orienteering Championships, held at the Von Trapp Lodge in Stowe, VT, defeating 14 other US club teams.
The Empire Club won first place in the medium-sized club division at the 2014 US Orienteering Championships, held at Letchworth State Park in New York.
