archvillain

This is looking ahead a bit, since I won't be placing caches for a while, but I definitely intend to. The problem is, I've only been in the USA for a few years, and I don't have a good grasp of How Stuff Works with regard to land. (I'm in WA.) judging by this thread, there isn't a FAQ, and I'm not the only one confused: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...4&hl=permission Out in the country, I see vast tracts of unused desert land. Who owns it? How would you get permission to place a cache there? Are people even allowed there? I've been getting the distinct impression (whether it's true or not) here in the US that unless there is actually a marked public walkway, you are almost certainly trespassing. Even many parks, you are instructed to not leave the trails. So I'm a bit confused as to where you would go to find some land that people are allowed to explore. So my questions (if there is not a FAQ that addresses this already) What kind of places are there that are open to the public, not confined to paths? For these places, who do you contact for permission. (Eg, I figure a state park with a ranger station is straightforward. But beyond that one example, I'm kind of lost) I don't really even know what the distinction between a state and federal park is, other than which government is paying for it. What about neighbourhood parks? Basically, is there a FAQ that talks about your likely land options and where to seek permission in each case? Also, I think there is a local law that bans people from being in any neighbourhood park after 11pm. Where would I find out about stuff like that?

Wow, quick reply. Thanks - excellant to hear it's workable. I guess it's time to look up some caches in my area then :-)

I've been interested in geocaching for a few years, but I haven't got a GPS. I've been relucatant to buy one because I've noticed I read maps much better than most people, (maybe because I used to be into orienteering) and in the past when I've used gadgets to surplant an oldskool skill, I've noticed that the skill gets rusty and I eventually end up with less than I had. With the advent of Google Maps arial photos, it seems that in urban areas where the resolution is highest, you get a more precise location from Google Maps than what a basic GPS might offer. So I'm wondering if anyone has ditched the GPS altogether and gone orienteering for geocaches? What is the margin of error for coordinates on GoogleMaps arial photos? I haven't tried it yet. I expect it will be more challenging, as looking up some caches on GoogleMaps, trees or forested areas will often obscure any ground-level cues immediately around the cache, and you'll have to determine your exact location in these areas the oldschool way. I figure this could be a good way for me to get into geocaching without having my skills rust up, and was curious if anyone else is doing this, ie whether it works. (It wouldn't take much innacuracy in Google Maps to make it quite difficult, for example)