Is there a way to search for archived caches?

[ssgeo83]

Is there a way to search for archived cache on geocaching.com?

[+Lil Devil]

Not at this time.

[+paleolith]

Not directly. However, you can look at cachers who have been in the area for a long time. Look at their old finds, which will include archived caches. By looking at old entries on extant caches, you can identify cachers who are no longer active and examine their finds. Iterate -- once you have located some old (possibly archived) caches, you will locate more "old" cachers. You may find archived caches on bookmark lists. You may find mentions in logs of the GCxxxx code for archived caches -- searching by GCxxxx code works even if the cache is archived.

 

So you can find most archived caches if you are willing to work for them, particularly if you are interested in a specific area, but you can't get a list returned from a simple search.

 

Also, once you've brought up the web page for an archived cache, you can bookmark it. This is useful if you are putting together some kind of collection. I even have an archived cache on a public bookmark list. (It's a list of all caches in a park, and there's just one archived cache, and no concerns should anyone go looking for it.)

 

Edward

[+chameleon68]

I was wondering if there was an easy way to look for them too. I have some new cache ideas but don't want to duplicate what someone else has done. I looked up some of the old-timers around here and looked at their own archived caches as well as ones that they've done. Got a lot of info but it sure would be nice to be able to look at a map and see where all the old ones were!

[+Miragee]

We used to be able to see Archived caches on the GC.com maps when that option was chosen. That was taken away.

 

However, a "promise" to return the ability to find Archived caches was made . . . quite a long time ago. So far, we are still waiting.

[+Swamper68]

I would most definitely like to see archived caches to be searchable. I would love to resurrect some old time caches!

[+rogerw3]

Yes please it would be very useful to see where archived caches have been, and perhaps resurrect some interesting ones.

[+Cardinal Red]

I would most definitely like to see archived caches to be searchable. I would love to resurrect some old time caches!

 

Once upon a time Premium Members could do searches for archived caches. That ability was taken away with an explanation why that was a good thing for Groundspeak. After a fair amount of teeth gnashing by their customers, a "promise" was made by Groundspeak to return that functionality. After a fair amount of time had passed that "promise" was retracted. Searching an area for archived caches is now totally and irrevocably dead on this site. All you can do is check the profiles of prolific cachers from that area for archived caches they had found. If you have an interest about a specific area you can ask your local Reviewer to take a look for you.

[majormajor42]

I would like this option for the purpose of placing new caches. For originality's sake and creativity, it would be nice to know if there was a cache at a particular location before. Maybe there was a perfectly good reason why the old owner archived it and the reviewer doesn't remember the old cache, the logs might say something. One of the motivations for placing a cache might be to bring people to a little-known location, a waterfall in the woods that isn't on any of the maps, only for one of the first found logs to say something like "found a cache here in 2004. been there done that". And if there was a cache in that location before, it might also be nice for the new owner to acknowledge the old cache, as has been done many times and probably what I would do too.

 

fortunately one of the old-timers emailed me the archived list for the area that I live in.

 

I wonder if you emailed someone at Groundspeak with a set of coordinates, they would be able to send you back a list of archives in that area on a per-request basis? I figure they have additional search abilities that the average member does not.

[+Swamper68]

I have been looking around some of the older finds on some users list. I actually have located a few archived caches on the site that were very close to where I live. I am setting up a couple around where one used to be located and seen in the old logs that it apparently was still there. I believe the owner took ill and couldn't fix a water logged cache and then it was disabled in late 2008. I will be heading out tomorrow to have a look to see if it actually is there still and to see if it can be resurrected in her honour.

 

Not only that, but if archived caches are still out there, would that not now constitute being garbage?

 

I just happened along this old post and thought it would be a great idea, but if Groundspeak has spoken, then I won't push the issue.

 

I will try and see if a reviewer can generate a list for me. I have found about 6 archives in my area but that took me 2 hours of going through logs and finding inactive users. Quite the chore really. Thank goodness we can bookmark caches! Called one archived so I can keep track of them all.

[+Cardinal Red]

Since this thread has drawn new interest, here is a link to the thread with the official notification that this feature is dead. But feel free to continue flogging this mummified equine corpse. I had my say about this in the past. I got my answer. The word litigation is more powerful than any point of logic you can present.

 

Link

[+paleolith]

Since this doornail has been exhumed again, I'll add another method to the ones I listed last year. Look for prolific cachers who have been around for a long time. Look at their hidden caches. This list includes archived as well as active caches. In theory you could follow everyone known to have hidden a cache in your area, but that's likely to run into overload.

 

Edward

[+EC-JEMS]

I now have a new reason for needing this functionality. A challenge cache has been placed that requires having found a certain number of caches within a park. I know I've found a lot but don't know how many. I can run a list of caches found, but it doesn't return archived caches. This has been very frustrating. Any solutions?

[+CanadianRockies]

I can run a list of caches found, but it doesn't return archived caches. This has been very frustrating. Any solutions?

GSAK. If you load your finds into GSAK, you can search for all your finds (including archived caches) near a specified location.

[+addisonbr]

Best thing to do is run a "My Finds" PQ. That will return all of your found caches, even if they've been archived. Then you can go through the data, and if you have a tool like GSAK, you'll probably have your answer quickly.

 

Link here: http://www.geocaching.com/pocket/default.aspx

 

Look for the "Add to Queue" button near the bottom.

[+Viajero Perdido]

There is a way to search for threads about archived caches on geocaching.com.

 

http://www.google.c...Groundspeak.com

 

It has come up before.

[+catlady8]

If ANYONE at Groundspeak cares, I was familiar with the ability to search for archieved caches in the past as a premium member. I recently renewed my membership as I had a need for this ability again. It is obvious but I WILL NOT be renewing again now that this ability is gone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[+baloo&bd]

I would be surprised if the ability ever comes back. There was a problem with people searching for archived caches. While caches are often archived just because of age, search or maintenance issues, many are archived due to legal, trespassing and guideline violations so physically searching for them is discouraged.

 

I suspect this was more the reason for them disappearing off the maps and no ability to search for them than any other.

[+baloo&bd]

I now have a new reason for needing this functionality. A challenge cache has been placed that requires having found a certain number of caches within a park. I know I've found a lot but don't know how many. I can run a list of caches found, but it doesn't return archived caches. This has been very frustrating. Any solutions?

 

The MYFINDS PQ as well as all the online methods of showing your finds returns archived as well as active caches.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/my/geocaches.aspx

Edited September 28, 2012 by baloo&bd

[+Walts Hunting]

That is a great idea big bear. Find a friend with the largest amount of finds and have him send you his my finds query. He could even filter it for you in GSAK.

 

The bear gets an adult snack for a reward.

[+hzoi]

If ANYONE at Groundspeak cares, I was familiar with the ability to search for archieved caches in the past as a premium member. I recently renewed my membership as I had a need for this ability again. It is obvious but I WILL NOT be renewing again now that this ability is gone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cat lady, according to your profile, your account was created in August 2007, about six months after we started caching. We were premium members almost from the get-go when we started in February 2007, and I don't believe we ever had the ability to search for archived caches. Unless you were caching under a different name, sorry, but you may be remembering wrong.

[knowschad]

We used to be able to see Archived caches on the GC.com maps when that option was chosen. That was taken away.

 

However, a "promise" to return the ability to find Archived caches was made . . . quite a long time ago. So far, we are still waiting.

 

Edited: Nevermind. Thanks for waking the zombie.

Edited September 28, 2012 by knowschad

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Best thing to do is run a "My Finds" PQ. That will return all of your found caches, even if they've been archived. Then you can go through the data, and if you have a tool like GSAK, you'll probably have your answer quickly.

 

Link here: http://www.geocaching.com/pocket/default.aspx

 

Look for the "Add to Queue" button near the bottom.

 

You don't even need to use GSAK. Once you've saved the PQ you can unzip it to extract the GPX file. You can drag it onto Google Earth and zoom into the area of interest, or use something like Mapsource (if you have a Garmin GPS), or ExpertGPS to view the caches on a map.

[+hukilaulau]

I now have a new reason for needing this functionality. A challenge cache has been placed that requires having found a certain number of caches within a park. I know I've found a lot but don't know how many. I can run a list of caches found, but it doesn't return archived caches. This has been very frustrating. Any solutions?

Just to add a small detail to the GSAK method: once you have your "myfinds" database, highlight one cache in the park. Then on the "centerpoint" column, click "current waypoint." This will arrange the list according to distance from the highlighted cache.

[+RoadRoach58]

There IS a way to search for the archived caches, IF you know the number. If you don't know the number, it isn't real hard to guess them if you know the approximate date of it's publshing.