caching in state parks

[+loftonww]

I checked in at the park office where i Live Rocky Fork State Park in Hillsboro Ohio and the told me you need a Permit to place them and you have to give the Coordinates also. Just thought I would pass it along!

[+ubermutant]

That seems like a lot of red tape for me, I'd just look somewhere else. Out of curiousity, do you have to pay a random processing fee or anything?

At least it's an option, I'm sure the parks are scenic.

[+The Pathman]

No such problem here. You just need the permission of the head ranger and they need to approve the placement but no paper work involved.

[+Totem Clan]

Here's the info for North Dakota. So far it has worked great for both the parks and the cachers.

 

By the way, the park managers have a lot of leeway on what to do with their parks up here. That one little word, 'designee,' means that geocachers can be and are directly in the loop when it come to cache placement from the word go.

[+SimbaJamey]

Same thing happens where I live...Caches have to be township approved or they are archived.

(well, older ones were, new ones don't get approved without the seal of the power (yes, singular) that be.)

There are a ton here in town, makes me wonder if the person you have to email the request to is a cacher.

There's even an approved one that requires the cacher to remove part of the bottom of a fancy lamp-post.

 

A couple of people I've mentioned it to asked about fees...they charge for everything else around here but I think caching is still free.

One approved one in a local park that's still stumping me at a middle stage was actually set up for an intro to geocaching event that was put on in a local park (long before I found the hobby).

[+sbell111]

I checked in at the park office where i Live Rocky Fork State Park in Hillsboro Ohio and the told me you need a Permit to place them and you have to give the Coordinates also. Just thought I would pass it along!

That doesn't seem too bad. IS there a time limit to how long the cache can be in place? Do you have to renew the permit?

[+SimbaJamey]

Oh...and as a side-P.S. ...

I have a friend I'm also getting into the hobby who happens to work for Fish and Game for the state of NJ and she was talking about it with some of her big bosses the other day... She said the real big whigs comment was that, "It's actually an illegal activity because you're leaving something in the park." I told her to pitch it as a CiTo so what's going out is more than what's going in...haven't heard back yet if that one is going to fly (I figured, matter of degree...how much is left vs. how much will be removed).

[+Mr. 0]

Yup, that's right. The Ohio DNR has had a permit system in place for a while now. Permits are free, and to the best of my knowledge don't require any kind of renewal. I've had a cache out in Delaware State Park for a few years under a permit and have never been required to renew it, or remove the cache. It's really a simple form. Actually they just use the same form one would fill out to reserve a shelter, or request other special area use. I just had to fill out my name and address, list the coords, and give a general description of the area. I dropped it off at the ranger station, and a few days later they mailed it back with their approval.

 

In addition, the ODNR rules about Geocaching are pretty relaxed. There are few restrictions, and the majority of rangers are happy to help in getting caches placed.

 

Geo-Caching Tips for ODNR Properties

 

If you are considering establishing a cache on property owned or managed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (State Parks, State Forests, State Nature Preserves, State Wildlife Areas), please adhere to the following guidelines to avoid legal complications and/or prosecution:

 

1. Always consult the local facility manager for permission before establishing a cache. Many are eager to help determine safe, scenic, and fun locations.

2. Traditional caches are NOT permitted on State Nature Preserves or Wildlife Areas – virtual caches only. Illegally placed caches will be removed.

3. If you do not know how to contact a local facility manager, please contact the following staff:

State Parks – Phil Hoffman – (614) 265-6561

State Forests – Don Karas – (614)265-6694

State Nature Preserves – Ron Demmy – (614) 265-6453

State Wildlife Areas – Jennifer Windus – (614) 265-6330

Edited May 21, 2008 by Mr. 0

[+Totem Clan]

Oh...and as a side-P.S. ...

I have a friend I'm also getting into the hobby who happens to work for Fish and Game for the state of NJ and she was talking about it with some of her big bosses the other day... She said the real big whigs comment was that, "It's actually an illegal activity because you're leaving something in the park." I told her to pitch it as a CiTo so what's going out is more than what's going in...haven't heard back yet if that one is going to fly (I figured, matter of degree...how much is left vs. how much will be removed).

More important than that, at least from the big whigs view point, is the money aspect. Geocachers will come to the park if there are caches. Cachers will pay the entrance fee, if any. While there they, like any other visitor, may go the gift shop or the concessions. Money greases a lot of wheels.

Geocache tourism is already spreading. Anchorage Park Department does it. The Greenway here does it. I fact they want to have a link on their website to the cache in the Greenway. Put the focus on the CACHER instead of the cache.

[+SimbaJamey]

I'll have to point her (My NJ friend) to this thread when she gets home from work...Now that you mention it, she may have been talking about the WMAs.

I haven't searched/found a virtual cache yet so that wasn't something I think either one of us thought of.

[vtmtnman]

Oh...and as a side-P.S. ...

I have a friend I'm also getting into the hobby who happens to work for Fish and Game for the state of NJ and she was talking about it with some of her big bosses the other day... She said the real big whigs comment was that, "It's actually an illegal activity because you're leaving something in the park." I told her to pitch it as a CiTo so what's going out is more than what's going in...haven't heard back yet if that one is going to fly (I figured, matter of degree...how much is left vs. how much will be removed).

On topic-Here in Vermont we need to sumbit a form to place one.The cache must be archived after three years.

 

Off topic-I get so freakin' annoyed when people refer to placing a cache as 'litter'.Really now,the difference is blantantly obvious.

[+WRASTRO]

No such problem here. You just need the permission of the head ranger and they need to approve the placement but no paper work involved.

You might want to look into this a little further before you start placing caches in state parks in Washington. There is a permit process in place.

[Knight-Errant]

Interesting the differences between states. . . Utah currently not only allows geocaches in state parks (without any permit or state approval), but last year the Utah State Parks service actually placed nearly fifty geocaches and purchased eighty GPSr units that park visitors could check out to find these caches. There are obviously some specific problems caches (sensitive areas, etc.), but the State has chosen to address them on a case by case basis (for now), rather than blanket policies.