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Hiding a cache in a cemetery


SeekerOfTheWay

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What is the rule for hiding a cache in a cemetery? So far i've found one virtual in a cemetery, and one in a tree, both in different states.

 

What's the deal? i'd love to hide a large cache in one.

 

Thanks.

 

This is a tough question to answer. Some places they are allowed, some places they are not. It depends on the region the cemetery is in, and whether the cemetery is federally, state, municipal, or privately owned.

 

Like always check your local regulations and seek permission from the land owner/manager.

 

Sorry to be vague, but without specifics its a complex question :huh:

Edited by debaere
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From the Listing Guidelines, reviewers may provide extra scrutiny to "Caches placed in areas which are highly sensitive to the extra traffic that would be caused by vehicles and humans (examples may include archaeological or historic sites or cemeteries)."

 

In my review territory, I apply the quoted guideline text by quizzing every cemetery cache owner about the appropriateness of the cache location. If the container is in the woods behind the cemetery, I can realistically assume that adequate permission has been obtained. If the cache is dangling from a branch right over someone's headstone, then I ask for confirmation of permission.

 

This same guideline also gives authority, for example, to the UK reviewers for denying placements in dry stone walls. It's the sort of guideline whose application will vary from one area of the world to another. And, as always, all local laws apply.

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From the Listing Guidelines, reviewers may provide extra scrutiny to "Caches placed in areas which are highly sensitive to the extra traffic that would be caused by vehicles and humans (examples may include archaeological or historic sites or cemeteries)."

 

In my review territory, I apply the quoted guideline text by quizzing every cemetery cache owner about the appropriateness of the cache location. If the container is in the woods behind the cemetery, I can realistically assume that adequate permission has been obtained. If the cache is dangling from a branch right over someone's headstone, then I ask for confirmation of permission.

 

This same guideline also gives authority, for example, to the UK reviewers for denying placements in dry stone walls. It's the sort of guideline whose application will vary from one area of the world to another. And, as always, all local laws apply.

 

Would the land behind a Cemetery be owned by the Cemetery, or by the Government? I am not going to place one, but just wondering.

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Also check with your local reviewer or a local geocaching association or club. They would have more information about local rules and laws that may affect your cache hiding.
I would suggest that as the first step. Check with your reviewer before you bother to check elsewhere. They may come right out and tell you a blanket yes or no, they may know something about that particular cemetery, or they may ask you to get explicit permission.
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If land is owned by the 'government' it is owned by the people. At least here in the USA it is
OK. Just down the road from me is one of many signs that read, "State Property. No Trespassing". Owned by does not equate to permission to use.

 

I am reminded of a piece of property I used to drive past. It was a good hour to drive around it on my way from one town to another. Chain link fence the whole way. Every fifty feet was a sign that said "US Government Property. No Trespassing." The only place I saw a gate there was parking for fifty odd cars next to a building the size of one of the photo booths that used to be in every strip mall parking lot. You won't ever catch me caching there.

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What is the rule for hiding a cache in a cemetery? So far i've found one virtual in a cemetery, and one in a tree, both in different states.

 

What's the deal? i'd love to hide a large cache in one.

 

Thanks.

 

 

The law in Tennessee makes it illegal to place new caches in any cemetery. Any caches already in place when the law went into effect are okay and are considered "grandfathered" in. New caches are strictly prohibited, and will get your cache rejected by the reviewers. You must be at least 528 feet from the cemetery in Tennessee.

 

Hope that helps! Hope to see you out on the hunt!

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The cache name would be Tombraiders cache and the difficulty lvl set to GRAVELY difficult :D The problem is if they allow graveyard caches, People would be DYING to get there and find out what swag REMAINS. :) Everyone knows the best trees for hiding a geocaches in are CEME-TREES. Nobody would ever find the cache and the comments would read that the cachers DEPARTED without finding. It would never work. :huh: . I think a crematorium would be a HOT place to put a cache though... :P HARHAR!!!

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I unfortunately got locked in a cemetary at night while attempting to find a cache.. Not sure if I will go back to find one like that again..

 

I know here in my local area they get published....

 

PaneledZero

 

Oh my! I have always noted cemetery closing signs when caching in the afternoon, as many cemeteries I've seen close pretty early. What happened? Did you have to come back the next day to retrieve your car?

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I was in Quebec recently and found this cache.. GC16HVJ

There was a flower pot built into the headstone and the cache was hidden in it with fake flowers on top.

I suppose rules vary greatly.

 

Yes they do. That is why you should check with the local reviewer and/or other local cachers with more experience when you have such questions. The fact that things very so much is why reviewers are afforded so much apparent latitude in their task.

 

I don't speak or read French but this phrase, "visite a mon papa", makes me think it is an invitation to visit the CO's dearly departed dad. This may have a bearing on getting such a cache published. It is very different than hiding a cache on someone else's dad's headstone.

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This countries obsession with who owns what land and what it can and can't be used for is disturbing to me. In rural MO where I grew up, fences were only used for hemming in cattle, not keeping people out. Now that I live out East, every square inch of land is owned by someone or something and nobody wants you on or near any of it. Signs, signs, everywhere there's signs.... ***ing up the scenery, breaking my mind.... name that song!

 

Anywho, I can see why guidelines for caches can be a good thing, such as restricting the placement of caches in endangered plant areas, but cemeteries? Is there really such an environmental impact caused by foot traffic? Does it really compare to mowing down a section of forest, digging up the ground, putting rotting corpses filled with noxious chemicals into and then fencing it off? Oh, what a world we live in.... it's getting safer by the day! lol

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Is there really such an environmental impact caused by foot traffic?

 

I think you need to broaden your perspective a bit. Environmental impact? Probably not a reason geocaching is disallowed in cemeteries. Cemeteries can be historic locations which would make them bad locations for a cache. Also, some people find the idea of people playing a game (geocaching) around dead people to be a horrific idea. Many people find geocaches in cemeteries to be disrespectful. That's not my own view but you'll find many people here share that view.

 

I have come across a cache in a cemetery that required people to walk on a grave to reach it (behind a headstone). There was no indication that the cache owner was related to the person in the grave. I thought that crossed the line between OK and not OK.

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There can be an impacts to the environment from over zealous geocachers. I was just at a geocache where over the course of week landscaping timbers and bushes were destroyed. I was at a couple in cemeteries awhile back as well one of them had soft coordinates and head stones were being messed with by people trying to find it since that's where the coords said it was.

 

Anywhere you geocache you can see where over zealous people have done some damage to the area. Some place like a cemetery I can see where that would be less welcome.

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This countries obsession with who owns what land and what it can and can't be used for is disturbing to me. In rural MO where I grew up, fences were only used for hemming in cattle, not keeping people out. Now that I live out East, every square inch of land is owned by someone or something and nobody wants you on or near any of it. Signs, signs, everywhere there's signs....

 

Every square inch of every state is owned by someone; property rights were among the founding principles of the USA and are part of the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution. The good news is that much of the land is publicly owned or owned by private parties that allow public access (such as The Nature Conservancy). Some cachers do want you on their land -- they put caches on their own properties for others to enjoy.

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What is the rule for hiding a cache in a cemetery? So far i've found one virtual in a cemetery, and one in a tree, both in different states.

 

What's the deal? i'd love to hide a large cache in one.

 

Thanks.

Here's my opinion and it's not even worth a bucket of spit...

 

In our state we have a significant number of caches placed in/around cemeteries. All that the descriptions I've seen have been tasteful and include interesting historical information on the cemetery and the area around.

 

I've grabbed about four caches around cemeteries but I choose not to retrieve any within a cemetery. For ME, its a respecting the place and people thing. (Please don't read that as those who DO are being disrespectful, that's not what I'm saying.)

 

My preference would be that caches are kept outside of cemeteries and the descriptions/etc. be done in a respectful & tasteful manner. YMMV.

 

P.S. I truly hope the cache that was placed in a headstone was done with permission of the family.

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The law in Tennessee makes it illegal to place new caches in any cemetery. Any caches already in place when the law went into effect are okay and are considered "grandfathered" in. New caches are strictly prohibited, and will get your cache rejected by the reviewers. You must be at least 528 feet from the cemetery in Tennessee.

 

Hope that helps! Hope to see you out on the hunt!

 

Interesting.... so the Tennessee legislature passed a law specifically about geocaching?

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This countries obsession with who owns what land and what it can and can't be used for is disturbing to me. In rural MO where I grew up, fences were only used for hemming in cattle, not keeping people out. Now that I live out East, every square inch of land is owned by someone or something and nobody wants you on or near any of it. Signs, signs, everywhere there's signs....

 

Every square inch of every state is owned by someone; property rights were among the founding principles of the USA and are part of the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution. The good news is that much of the land is publicly owned or owned by private parties that allow public access (such as The Nature Conservancy). Some cachers do want you on their land -- they put caches on their own properties for others to enjoy.

 

Why does land being owned have to mean nobody can use that land though? Here in Scotland we have no enforced laws for trespassing on land. The right to roam aslong as you don't damage or cause disruption is a right everyone here can enjoy. Land owners beware. If you dinny want this Nutty McNutter walking pest yur hoose ya better put a big spikey electric fence up tha nu!! :yikes:

Edited by Claudis192
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Why does land being owned have to mean nobody can use that land though? Here in Scotland we have no enforced laws for trespassing on land. The right to roam aslong as you don't damage or cause disruption is a right everyone here can enjoy. Land owners beware if you dinny want this Nutty McNutter walking pest yur hoose ya better put a big spikey electric fence up tha nu!! :D

 

I think that's one of the differences between UK and US law. I've heard that there is a law in the UK that allows anyone to walk across the land, regardless of ownership (that doesn't mean you can bring your sheep with you, though). US states handle trespass differently and grant exceptions; for example, in Maine, if you do not want to allow hunting on your land you must post "No Hunting" or "No Trespassing" signs. If there are no signs, hunters may assume hunting is allowed. Such signs tend to disappear in Maine.

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i don't think it's inappropriate to hide in a cemetery but i do respect people's wishes to not want their loved ones plot trampled. i'd hide so that searchers would be on the path. i found a cache in a tree in a cemetery in VT recently and i loved it! i've also done a virtual cemetery cache in my town. i like the historic aspect of cemeteries, i don't necessarily agree with burying bodies or find cemeteries sacred. But that's not the point.

 

i'll contact my reviewer on this issue. i would think that plots are privately owned but i'm not sure. A tree should be ok but i'll find out the FL rules.

Edited by SeekerOfTheWay
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Wait!Wait!Wait!Wait!Wait!Wait!Wait!.... Wait!.. Wait! ..... Who told you i was going to bring my sheep? What have you been hearing about us Scotsmen?

 

Sorry, I was thinking of the English. There's a travel program here in the US called Rick Steve's Europe. One of his programs (programmes) was on the Cotswold region of England; he featured walking tours of the area and mentioned the law about walking across the land. He also mentioned the "Mass Trespass," when people walk the trails in celebration of the law. He even mentioned the "kissing gates" that keep the sheep in.

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Wait!Wait!Wait!Wait!Wait!Wait!Wait!.... Wait!.. Wait! ..... Who told you i was going to bring my sheep? What have you been hearing about us Scotsmen?

 

Sorry, I was thinking of the English. There's a travel program here in the US called Rick Steve's Europe. One of his programs (programmes) was on the Cotswold region of England; he featured walking tours of the area and mentioned the law about walking across the land. He also mentioned the "Mass Trespass," when people walk the trails in celebration of the law. He even mentioned the "kissing gates" that keep the sheep in.

 

Phew.. What a relief. I thought my secret had got out. Lmao

 

SexySheep.gif

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