Where do I park

[+benalexe]

Last weekend I did my second cache upstate NY. My problem is many of the descriptions don't tell you where to park your car. I do not have turn by turn in my portable GPS and my car GPS does not accept coordinated.

 

How do I find out how to get close to the cache before I go on foot?

[+wapahani]

Last weekend I did my second cache upstate NY. My problem is many of the descriptions don't tell you where to park your car. I do not have turn by turn in my portable GPS and my car GPS does not accept coordinated.

 

How do I find out how to get close to the cache before I go on foot?

 

Just use your head. In some cases it will be stated on the cache where to park. Other times not.

Most generally you will find parking close by, if you just drive around. This will also help with RECON.

Sometimes you can just pull over on the roadside. Best bet, use your head in parking.

If its someones yard, don't park in it.

[+lrosell]

Last weekend I did my second cache upstate NY. My problem is many of the descriptions don't tell you where to park your car. I do not have turn by turn in my portable GPS and my car GPS does not accept coordinated.

 

How do I find out how to get close to the cache before I go on foot?

 

You can always look on either Mappoint or Google maps to get an idea about the area. Or even print out a map over an area, we do that all the time and it works great.

[Neos2]

Trust me, having turn by turns navigation can lead you to some interesting places as far as parking goes, anyway. It tries to get you as close to the cache as possible--sometimes that is in front of someone's house because the cache is on the far side of the park. The actual entrance may be miles away on the other side of the park.

 

We take a look at the maps, too. Either online or on the gps.

[+Lasagna]

Yep ... a little satellite recon before leaving home is usually in order. I use Google Earth most of the time, but there are several alternatives including those which can be access directly from the writeup page by clicking the map and selecting a satellite or aerial view. Remember, part of the fun is often figuring out how to get there ... I can't count the number of times I've approached a cache thru a nasty bushwhack or difficult terrain only to find a nice easy trail once I got there. I usually use the reasoning that the cache owner must have some method which allows them to service their cache -- and thus will circle around GZ looking for likely approaches before I get out and start walking. Admittedly however, parking coordinates are nice when it's not obvious.

[+ventura_kids]

Sometimes you can discern the proper parking spot by reading the name of the cache.

If the name is "In the park", you can guess that the cache is in the park, and can park there.

If the name is "On Target", you may want to park behind the Target store, rather than heading over to the closest road (which turn by turn may want you to), which is in the neighborhood behind the store(and no where near the cache).

[+winwin56]

If there are no obvious parking opportunities, I have a solution that hasn't let me down yet. I purchased a Geocaching window decal (the kind that you can put on and take off easily) and put it in my car window when off looking for a cache. It has worked as an explanation for parking where there seems to be no parking spaces without a hitch. Of course, I never park anywhere illegally!! But sometimes, we are in the middle of nowhere and would like to ditch the car close to ground zero. The sticker has worked so far! Knock on wood!

 

I also saw something neat on the Geocaching University site, and that is a Geocaching Parking "Permit". It is similar to those that hang from your rear view mirror for employee or student parking lots that require a permit. I think I might pick one of these up instead of my stickers since they look more "official".

Edited July 19, 2008 by winwin56

[+Night Stalker]

Finding out where to park can consume more time then the actual hunt for a cache. Even with turn by turn directions I sometimes have problems, like the time my GPS told me to park in a cemetary at a location within 30' of the cache. The problem was that was 30 horizontal feet. When I looked over the edge I found that the cache was a good 100 ft below.

 

I probably should be better organized and use nation Geographics topo to plan ahead, but whats the fun in that. A lot of the time caching is a spur of the moment thing these days. I just circle until I figure out what looks like a likely spot. Sometimes I'm right more often not. Sure increases the difficutly level sometimes.

 

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Last weekend I did my second cache upstate NY. My problem is many of the descriptions don't tell you where to park your car. I do not have turn by turn in my portable GPS and my car GPS does not accept coordinated.

 

How do I find out how to get close to the cache before I go on foot?

 

Sometimes finding the best place to park can be part of the challenge.

 

I have to admit that I experience a small amount of glee when I placed a cache nearby in a pretty gorge and a long time resident wrote in his log about trying three different side streets before settling on a parking spot to approach the cache. In this case, the closest parking spot was by no means the easiest way to approach the cache. The cool thing about it was that he discovered a spot close to home that he never knew existed and discovered a couple of other nice neighborhoods in the process.

 

Consider that, for many, one of the allures of geocaching is the hike to the cache and some caches are placed with the specific intent of getting people out of their car and onto an interesting trail, or a pretty/unique spot. I have a cache which is on an old railroad bridge right over a road. I've added recommended parking coordinates to the listing but form the logs it appears that most that have found it try to either park on the side of a fairly busy road or another spot that skirts some private property. By doing so they miss a nice and relatively short walk along a rail-trail.

[+briansnat]

Finding parking is all part of the hunt. Just look at the maps and stat photos. If its inside a park, just look for the park entrance. If you have a mapping GPS it's even easier. Not foolproof, though. Sometimes you may find what looks like the perfect spot only to find private homes between you and your destination.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Trust me, having turn by turns navigation can lead you to some interesting places as far as parking goes, anyway. It tries to get you as close to the cache as possible--sometimes that is in front of someone's house because the cache is on the far side of the park. The actual entrance may be miles away on the other side of the park.

 

We take a look at the maps, too. Either online or on the gps.

 

Yes. We knew where the entrance to the park was: Harmon Meadows Shopping Center. We'd been there before. "Gupy. Take us to this cache." Gupy told us to get on the New Jersey Turnpike, drive nine miles north, make a u-turn, drive back eight miles, and park on the side of the turnpike. I don't think so! That's illegal, and there are fences and a major swamp in the way! (The funny thing is that when we hiked in on the trail, we could see a state police car parked in that spot!)

[+TellMeIfYouSeeAChicken]

I've passed up caches with unclear, unsafe or whither-legal parking. Yes, finding the location and parking is part of the hunt, but that's not the fun part for me! Yesterday I parked by a neighborhood park and ended up weaving all the way across it to find the cache. Today I ended up driving back and forth repeatedly on a narrow rural road trying to find a place to pull over. Yesterday was FAR more fun.

 

"There are always other caches" - isn't that the axiom?

[+WRASTRO]

I've passed up caches with unclear, unsafe or whither-legal parking. Yes, finding the location and parking is part of the hunt, but that's not the fun part for me! Yesterday I parked by a neighborhood park and ended up weaving all the way across it to find the cache. Today I ended up driving back and forth repeatedly on a narrow rural road trying to find a place to pull over. Yesterday was FAR more fun.

 

"There are always other caches" - isn't that the axiom?

Park 47 feet from the third bush on the west side of the road. Make sure your car is facing north. After stepping out of your vehicle walk 39 feet west, then 18 feet south. Look down at a 23 degree angle and move the fourth branch six inches to the right. You should now see the neon tupperware container.

 

If this is what you want you are not in the right variation of hunting for hidden containers.

 

Advance research and preparation is your responsibility.