Parking Coordinates

[+N8OFP - Del]

This may have already been looked at, but I think it sure would be nice to add a text box on the "Report New Cache" page specifically for Parking Coordinates. These could then be added into the header of the cache page. It would separate the Parking form any other coordinates that maybe in the text for the cache, which would make it a lot faster to find the suggested parking area.

Edited October 9, 2005 by N8OFP - Del

[+ODragon]

Been requested that multiple coords be in one gpx file (cache, parking, trailhead, entrance, etc coords). It's being worked on.

[+BalkanSabranje]

Walking to a cache is a lot healthier, you know?

[+psyci]

I'm working on a little utility which can read a GPX file, and automatically parse parking and other coordinates out of it, and put them in a LOC file.

 

It's pretty neat, you can set GSAK up to automatically learn all parking coordinates pretty easily. It's not a great solution, but it certainly works for now.

[+tls11823]

Walking to a cache is a lot healthier, you know?

As Stephen Wright tells us, anyplace is within walking distance as long as you have the time.

[+Jester2112]

This may have already been looked at, but I think it sure would be nice to add a text box on the "Report New Cache" page specifically for Parking Coordinates. These could then be added into the header of the cache page. It would separate the Parking form any other coordinates that maybe in the text for the cache, which would make it a lot faster to find the suggested parking area.

I LOVE the idea. I travel quite a bit with my job and not being able to find the trailhead/parking area has cost me more than few finds. I'm not paperless yet so it's usually just the print out and the old GPSr while I'm in a strange town/state. I've had more than my fair share that I just knew were GREAT caches, but couldn't find the right area to park to go get and then I get home, visit MapQuest or Google Maps and smack my head in frustration. The idea gets my vote and A HUGE THANKS to all the cache hiders who actually mention "best parking/trail head can be found at...."

[+The Jester]

I like the idea also. The only problem is with puzzle caches. The parking co-ords may give away some of the answer. And how are you going to get everyone to add them to the 200K caches already out there? Yeah, yeah, I know, it's optional and some people think the hunt should include the finding of starting points.

[+New Yorker]

This is being worked on? For how long? We cant wait.

[+N8OFP - Del]

I don't mind the walking, in fact the longer the hike the better. It's the parking tickets that I don't like. Or when you’re in a neighborhood and if you stop where the GPSr says you should you'd end up having to walk through some ones private property to get to the cache. Many parks in our area aren't real well marked and many city / town parks don't show up on any mapping software. Have the ability to put in suggested parking would save a lot of time and fuel running around city streets looking for the entrance to the park.

Edited October 10, 2005 by N8OFP - Del

[+Gener_Lee]

It is far from a perfect solutiion, and I would also echo that having this in the GPx would be cool.

 

the following link is to a site that will allow you to add parking and Trail head data to your cache.

 

http://www.9key.com/selector.asp

 

Parking Lat: 35.05.122 Long: 92.00.000 ~ Mapquest

Trailhead Lat: 35.05.222 Long: 92.01.001 ~ Topozone

Generated by The Selector

 

The real code looks much better. The site generates code that can just be pasted into the description on the cache.

[vagabond]

I'm quoting Curmudgeonly Gal

 

Part of the challenge is figuring out where to start.

 

There are enough online map sources that you should be able to figure out where most trailheads are (quickly) w/o having to resort to any kind of special software or other kinds of trickery

unquote

whats wrong with using available resourses, are we just getting too lazy and want the caches handed to us?????????????

 

edited to add

I've seen parking coords on cache pages if you followed them you could be walking or hiking a lot further then need be.

Edited October 11, 2005 by vagabond

[+Markwell]

Dec 6 2002.

 

Current status: Jeremy has indicated that uploading multiple waypoints to a cache to allow for a GPX export of multiple points is a better solution. It's on his "wish" list - low priority.

 

One work around: Watch the local caches coming in from my PQs and have GSAK find any cache placed during the last 7 days with the word "park". Then create an auxilliary GPX file with JUST the parking coordinates of the caches, and the names tied to the cache (GCXGFT-P) with the car icon. Load that after you load the caches.

 

Problem with this method is that you'd also have to make sure to know which caches archive, and pull those from the parking as well.

[+baloo&bd]

Even though I have relented and added them to one of my caches, I really don't see the value in parking coords., also as mentioned earlier, what I consider good parking is not what you would.

 

I travel a lot, as evidenced by my relative low find count with the multiple states shown on the map in my profile, and still think part of the adventure, fun, challenge, whatever is figuring out how to get to it.

 

Some of the caches that have been the most fun for me were bushwacking "X" mile, only to see joggers go by 20 yards from the cache on a crushed limestone path as I am signing the log.

Edited October 11, 2005 by baloo&bd

[+maleki]

With gas prices as they are, suggested parking coords would always be most appreciated. especially for caches where there might be only one legal/logical place to enter and/or park. Coords to any access point, be it road or trail, for cache areas bounded by private property are most important. Pretty much a waste of time and gas and ZERO fun trying to find access to some places. Caches in parks in most suburban neighborhoods come to mind.

[+StarBrand]

If there is a trespassing or safety issue than I strongly encourage parking coordinates otherwise no. When and if included, it would be nice to be in the GPX.

 

Keep in mind how some people think. I know of a cache in Colorado that has listed parking that is .78 miles from the cache. In reality there is perfectly good and legal parking just about 400 feet from the cache. The owner later told me that he wanted to share the trail to the cache.

 

One of my caches has good parking for most cars about .4 miles from the cache. However, there is an old trail that many 4x4 could travel on up to 30 foot away. If you are willing, you can also pull off the side of the nearby highway and walk about 500 feet to the cache. Which should I list as parking?

 

Finding the best spot to stop your car and begin the walk is sometimes a big part of the adventure (to me). Keep in mind that if you have the time and willingness, you can walk to ANY cache from your home Coords. Just make it the default parking coords.

[vagabond]

Ok here's what I do, I load my pqs into gsak then load them into my gps and streets and trips, when I have the pushpins set up in streets and trips the way I want them, I send the pushpins to pocket streets, then I load pocket streets into usaphotomaps.

It sounds like a lot of work but I can load 50 100 or 200 caches in about a 1/2 hour to 45 mins.

With streets and trips I can set it for fastest, shortest, or quickest route. If the caches have to be hiked to I use usaphotomaps then know the closest trailhead to enter the trail. it saves time and money doing it that way I've seen to many caches that had a parking coord that was a red herring, I'm always suspicious of parking coords.

[Jeremy]

Additional coordinates will be a feature enhancement to the web site. This will allow for parking coordinates, as well as stages of a multicache, etc.

[+globalgirl]

Additional coordinates will be a feature enhancement to the web site...as well as stages of a multicache, etc.

Posting of the coordinates for the various stages of a multi? Wouldn't that rather eliminate the need to go to any save the final?

[+The Leprechauns]

There are plenty of multicaches where the locations for each stage are given on the cache page. The finder then gets clues from each spot to determine the coordinates for the final cache container. I own several caches set up in this fashion, and I am very much looking forward to the ability to have a GPX file available for download with the parking/trailhead coordinates and intermediate stage coordinates in them.

[+Markwell]

Or - on a convoluted trail with many twists or turns, wouldn't it be nice to have some check points along the way to make sure that people don't wander where they shouldn't?

 

One of my absolute favorite caches of all time is set up that way.

[+The Leprechauns]

Or - on a convoluted trail with many twists or turns, wouldn't it be nice to have some check points along the way to make sure that people don't wander where they shouldn't?

 

One of my absolute favorite caches of all time is set up that way.

Gee, I wonder what cache *that* might be. Having found it during a sleet storm, I would have welcomed downloadable coordinates, which would have been far preferable to manually keying in ten sets of coordinates in the field.

[+Corp Of Discovery]

Or - on a convoluted trail with many twists or turns, wouldn't it be nice to have some check points along the way to make sure that people don't wander where they shouldn't?

 

One of my absolute favorite caches of all time is set up that way.

Gee, I wonder what cache *that* might be. Having found it during a sleet storm, I would have welcomed downloadable coordinates, which would have been far preferable to manually keying in ten sets of coordinates in the field.