National Park Geocache?

[Pokagon Nature Center]

I am in the process of working with a national park within the system to possibly allow geocaches, if not, definately earthcaches. Some preliminary checking about NPS policy seems to indicate that each park

specifies whether they will allow geo-caching or not

 

We are looking to check each parks compendiums (superintendent's discretionary policies) and see how they word them. I can find plenty of parks with earthcaches (and old virtuals), but am looking for specific caches located inside a national park, national lakeshore, or national grassland. I am not looking for national forest, they are under a completely different administration.

 

I am looking for actual traditional caches with a container. There are a few multis listed but are actually virtuals.

 

Anyone know of one?

[+Kealia]

I think your best bet is to contact a cache reviewer and work with them. They've worked with many of hte parks and are familiar with their rules and regulations.

 

 

Look at the bottom of any cache page at the first log entry for the "Published" note to get in touch with one of the reviewers if you don't know who they are.

[+6coondawgs]

I have looked in Yellowstone and at Timanogos Cave and only found virtuals and earth caches available as well. At Timapnogos we came across someone acting "suspicious". I chatted with them and there is apparently a lettebox there. I don't know too much about the NPS and their rules regarding caches, but here in Utah a number of state parks have started putting out their own caches.

[+wimseyguy]

Good Luck with your efforts. It would be great to get the National Parks opened up for geocaching.

I doubt you will find any active physical caches within a National Park. They are specifically mentioned as being off limits in the guidelines, and were probably all removed, or at least archived when the park policy was enacted several years ago.

Caches may be quickly archived if we see the following (which is not inclusive):

 

* Caches on land managed by an agency that prohibits geocaches, such as the U.S. National Park Service or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (National Wildlife Refuges)

[Pokagon Nature Center]

I have no ambitions to open up all the national parks! I work with some national park staff here who are interested in it, but need to see how one particular park has written their rules. We could check each and every park, but it would be easier to just check a park that has allowed one. Definitely an exception to the rule.

 

Since the NPS has pretty much left it open to each individual park, there surely must be a park that has allowed one?

 

It's been mentioned before, but there is no actual document saying NPS caches are prohibited, that has ever been public to my knowledge. It is more word of mouth, and thus Groundspeak posts it, as do other geocaching policy sites.

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

Good Luck with your efforts. It would be great to get the National Parks opened up for geocaching.

I doubt you will find any active physical caches within a National Park. They are specifically mentioned as being off limits in the guidelines, and were probably all removed, or at least archived when the park policy was enacted several years ago.

Caches may be quickly archived if we see the following (which is not inclusive):

 

* Caches on land managed by an agency that prohibits geocaches, such as the U.S. National Park Service or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (National Wildlife Refuges)

Largely true, but not totally true... I have found actual (regular sized traditional) geocaches in National Parks, and in fact, I just checked and that one a couple of years ago is still active. There is no mystery or ambiguity about the placement of this cache, as ANY and ALL online maps and paper maps show that it is clearly located within the boundaries of a National Park. There have also been a number of credible reports in these forums from experienced geocachers who have found caches in National Parks. So, it really does appear to be the case that local NP managers have quite a bit of discretion when it comes to allowing placement of geocaches, but, overall, approval for such placements is quite rare.

[magellan315]

I can't find a copy of the original memo, however the policy maker on this is a woman by the name of Marcia Keener. This article covers her points in the last half of it. The pertinent quote is:

Marcia Keener, an analyst with the Office of Policy at the National Park Service, says the NPS has not officially banned geocaching but considers it "banned until permitted.

 

The original decision was made in 2001 if I remember correctly. You may get an exemption through he local park manager but don't be surprised if it is overruled as the NPS considers caches abandoned property.

[Pokagon Nature Center]

Good Luck with your efforts. It would be great to get the National Parks opened up for geocaching.

I doubt you will find any active physical caches within a National Park. They are specifically mentioned as being off limits in the guidelines, and were probably all removed, or at least archived when the park policy was enacted several years ago.

Caches may be quickly archived if we see the following (which is not inclusive):

 

* Caches on land managed by an agency that prohibits geocaches, such as the U.S. National Park Service or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (National Wildlife Refuges)

Largely true, but not totally true... I have found actual (regular sized traditional) geocaches in National Parks, and in fact, I just checked and that one a couple of years ago is still active. There is no mystery or ambiguity about the placement of this cache, as ANY and ALL online maps and paper maps show that it is clearly located within the boundaries of a National Park. There have also been a number of credible reports in these forums from experienced geocachers who have found caches in National Parks. So, it really does appear to be the case that local NP managers have quite a bit of discretion when it comes to allowing placement of geocaches, but, overall, approval for such placements is quite rare.

 

Can you give a GC number, or email it to me, so we know what park has one?

[+Too Tall John]

In the Grand Canyon:

 

GC5F1

 

It isn't exclusively a geocache, but it is a physical container that you sign the logbook to claim a find.

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

Good Luck with your efforts. It would be great to get the National Parks opened up for geocaching.

I doubt you will find any active physical caches within a National Park. They are specifically mentioned as being off limits in the guidelines, and were probably all removed, or at least archived when the park policy was enacted several years ago.

Caches may be quickly archived if we see the following (which is not inclusive):

 

* Caches on land managed by an agency that prohibits geocaches, such as the U.S. National Park Service or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (National Wildlife Refuges)

Largely true, but not totally true... I have found actual (regular sized traditional) geocaches in National Parks, and in fact, I just checked and that one a couple of years ago is still active. There is no mystery or ambiguity about the placement of this cache, as ANY and ALL online maps and paper maps show that it is clearly located within the boundaries of a National Park. There have also been a number of credible reports in these forums from experienced geocachers who have found caches in National Parks. So, it really does appear to be the case that local NP managers have quite a bit of discretion when it comes to allowing placement of geocaches, but, overall, approval for such placements is quite rare.

 

Can you give a GC number, or email it to me, so we know what park has one?

No. Due to the pressure from NP HQ in Washington, and also because I have friends who are NP rangers, I am well aware that the few NPs which do allow geocaches prefer not to be "outed" to their peer parks and to NP HQ. Remember what Bill Clinton said: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell!" (gee, this also sounds like the administrators of my local city whenever I approach them for permission to place a geocache; they tell me not to ask formally, because they fear that granting formal permission could open them to liability claims...)

[+briansnat]

There is at least one in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area that supposedly was placed with NPS permission.

[+Renegade Knight]

I have no ambitions to open up all the national parks! I work with some national park staff here who are interested in it, but need to see how one particular park has written their rules. We could check each and every park, but it would be easier to just check a park that has allowed one. Definitely an exception to the rule.

 

Since the NPS has pretty much left it open to each individual park, there surely must be a park that has allowed one?

 

It's been mentioned before, but there is no actual document saying NPS caches are prohibited, that has ever been public to my knowledge. It is more word of mouth, and thus Groundspeak posts it, as do other geocaching policy sites.

 

There never was an official NPS policy specific to caches. My understanding is that the NPS at a high level leaned heavily against caches. However over time since that was never an actual policy (just an interpretation of existing polices, specifically abandoned property) it's become up to individual parks to allow caches that fit their parks mission. However only a few caches have been reported her in the forums in past threads. I can't recall the cache, or the parks names, but I can say I don't recall there being more than one or two. The only one I have direct experience with was a virtual where Night Stalker worked with park staff to highlight some of the parks history That was in Golden Spike National Park in Utah. The cache was archived but did directly involve park staff in getting it set up.

 

BrianSnat pointed out one cache. Vinny and Sue Team pointed out the pressure that a park has to deal with.

Edited October 5, 2007 by Renegade Knight

[Pokagon Nature Center]

Thanks! I ended up finding several also in other national parks, both east coast and west coast. I found some where park staff set them up, and others that park staff assisted or provided guidance.

 

A google earth pan to each national park shows more than one might think. Too many to entertain ...<edited>

Edited October 5, 2007 by Pokagon Nature Center

[+StarBrand]

I had gotten good written permission for a cache from a superintendant of a local National Monument when she took a job elsewhere. The new guy shot it down the day I brought it out to hide it......sigh.