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caches not welcome in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park


MissJenn

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Groundspeak has heard from Anza-Borrego Desert State Park regarding the geocaches on their land.

 

To all those who own caches in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park: Please immediately Temporarily Disable your caches. This is based on the direct instruction from the land managers there. There is a chance that you will also need to permanently Archive them.

 

Groundspeak is in communication with them and hope to resolve this in a positive manner. In the meantime, we respect the wishes of the land managers and will do as they have directly requested.

 

Thank you so much for your swift cooperation.

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I'd say. Unless they contacted me directly about my cache, I'd leave it where it is and let it remain active.

I've been told by a couple of BLM cops that I ran into last 4th of July out on the Arizona Strip which is between the Utah border and Grand Canyon that caches on BLM land needed to have permission. That just isn't true.

So I say "LEAVE 'EM WHERE THEY LAY." Unless you are expressly told to move them.

Edited by GC Addicted
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I'd say. Unless they contacted me directly about my cache, I'd leave it where it is and let it remain active.

I've been told by a couple of BLM cops that I ran into last 4th of July out on the Arizona Strip which is between the Utah border and Grand Canyon that caches on BLM land needed to have permission. That just isn't true.

So I say "LEAVE 'EM WHERE THEY LAY." Unless you are expressly told to move them.

 

See post #1, you have been expressly told to 'temporarily disable' them.

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Groundspeak has heard from Anza-Borrego Desert State Park regarding the geocaches on their land.

 

To all those who own caches in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park: Please immediately Temporarily Disable your caches. This is based on the direct instruction from the land managers there. There is a chance that you will also need to permanently Archive them.

 

Groundspeak is in communication with them and hope to resolve this in a positive manner. In the meantime, we respect the wishes of the land managers and will do as they have directly requested.

 

Thank you so much for your swift cooperation.

 

 

 

Thanks Miss Jenn. I think most of the So Cal folks have indeed archived and moved them.....and we are very careful not to place anymore within their boundaries. We know at this time we are not welcome!

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Groundspeak has heard from Anza-Borrego Desert State Park regarding the geocaches on their land.

 

To all those who own caches in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park: Please immediately Temporarily Disable your caches. This is based on the direct instruction from the land managers there. There is a chance that you will also need to permanently Archive them.

 

Groundspeak is in communication with them and hope to resolve this in a positive manner. In the meantime, we respect the wishes of the land managers and will do as they have directly requested.

 

Thank you so much for your swift cooperation.

 

 

 

Thanks Miss Jenn. I think most of the So Cal folks have indeed archived and moved them.....and we are very careful not to place anymore within their boundaries. We know at this time we are not welcome!

 

 

 

 

OOPS I found one last weekend that is still in the ABDSP. It was a long drive back in there and they must have been to lazy to go get it. They must of had it on their watch list. 0002041D.gif

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For those that don't know the Freeman property was granted to BOTH Ocotillo Wells SRVA and Anza Borrego State Spark. The Freeman property lies north of SR-22.

 

Freeman Property

 

If you've placed a cache on this previously accessible property, NORTH and EAST of the red line your cache now lies in the Anza Borrego SP which strictly forbids geocaching. However if your cache is West and South of the red line your cache resides in Ocotillo Wells State Recreational Vehicle Area which is EXTREMELY cacher friendly.

 

Roughneck Rendezvous hosted by Ocotillo Wells SRVA

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For those that don't know the Freeman property was granted to BOTH Ocotillo Wells SRVA and Anza Borrego State Spark. The Freeman property lies north of SR-22.

 

Freeman Property

 

If you've placed a cache on this previously accessible property, NORTH and EAST of the red line your cache now lies in the Anza Borrego SP which strictly forbids geocaching. However if your cache is West and South of the red line your cache resides in Ocotillo Wells State Recreational Vehicle Area which is EXTREMELY cacher friendly.

 

Roughneck Rendezvous hosted by Ocotillo Wells SRVA

 

So our cache, What would you do? is just north of Grave Wash...and that means it now has to be disabled/archived? :anitongue:

Edited by The Fat Cats
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Anza-Borrego first outlawed caches almost three years ago, Dec. 2007, they actually went out and removed caches on their land with only a days notice. I removed all of mine the next day and only encounted one that they had already removed. Since they have now offically aquired a portion of the Freeman property north of Grave Wash and west of the red line on the map, if I were the CO I would archive my cache and remove it as soon as I could. Ocotillo Wells has a much nicer policy and embraces us as cachers. This is just my two cents worth, I doubt Anza-Borrego will ever change their minds.

Edited by fossillady
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For those that don't know the Freeman property was granted to BOTH Ocotillo Wells SRVA and Anza Borrego State Spark. The Freeman property lies north of SR-22.

 

Freeman Property

 

If you've placed a cache on this previously accessible property, NORTH and EAST of the red line your cache now lies in the Anza Borrego SP which strictly forbids geocaching. However if your cache is West and South of the red line your cache resides in Ocotillo Wells State Recreational Vehicle Area which is EXTREMELY cacher friendly.

 

Roughneck Rendezvous hosted by Ocotillo Wells SRVA

 

So our cache, What would you do? is just north of Grave Wash...and that means it now has to be disabled/archived? :laughing:

 

Looks like "What would you do" lies right on the border...How Ironic. :);)

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Anza-Borrego first outlawed caches almost three years ago, Dec. 2007, they actually went out and removed caches on their land with only a days notice. I removed all of mine the next day and only encounted one that they had already removed. Since they have now offically aquired a portion of the Freeman property north of Grave Wash and west of the red line on the map, if I were the CO I would archive my cache and remove it as soon as I could. Ocotillo Wells has a much nicer policy and embraces us as cachers. This is just my two cents worth, I doubt Anza-Borrego will ever change their minds.

Yes, this Anza no-geocaching policy is old news. I'm curious why they are only now asking us to remove our caches when they could have done that initially. I'm thinking they got lazy about removing the remaining caches [that require more time and effort to retrieve.]

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For those that don't know the Freeman property was granted to BOTH Ocotillo Wells SRVA and Anza Borrego State Spark. The Freeman property lies north of SR-22.

 

Freeman Property

 

If you've placed a cache on this previously accessible property, NORTH and EAST of the red line your cache now lies in the Anza Borrego SP which strictly forbids geocaching. However if your cache is West and South of the red line your cache resides in Ocotillo Wells State Recreational Vehicle Area which is EXTREMELY cacher friendly.

 

Roughneck Rendezvous hosted by Ocotillo Wells SRVA

 

So our cache, What would you do? is just north of Grave Wash...and that means it now has to be disabled/archived? :laughing:

 

Looks like "What would you do" lies right on the border...How Ironic. :);)

 

We've gone ahead and archived the cache on THEIR land... :laughing:

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Anza-Borrego first outlawed caches almost three years ago, Dec. 2007, they actually went out and removed caches on their land with only a days notice. I removed all of mine the next day and only encounted one that they had already removed. Since they have now offically aquired a portion of the Freeman property north of Grave Wash and west of the red line on the map, if I were the CO I would archive my cache and remove it as soon as I could. Ocotillo Wells has a much nicer policy and embraces us as cachers. This is just my two cents worth, I doubt Anza-Borrego will ever change their minds.

Yes, this Anza no-geocaching policy is old news. I'm curious why they are only now asking us to remove our caches when they could have done that initially. I'm thinking they got lazy about removing the remaining caches [that require more time and effort to retrieve.]

 

It is because they have acquired "new property" that is now under their rule and they are restating their policy to remove caches on this new acquisition.

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Ok, I'm confused! State Park? Whose land?

This land is your their land, this land is my their land

From California, to the New York Island

From the redwood forest, to the gulf stream waters

This land was made for you and me them

 

One of the reasons why I don't visit anti-cache state and federal parks.

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I just wonder how this no-cache edict was enacted.

 

Were there any public meetings? Was a state law enacted?

 

Does your California state legislator know anything about this? Have you asked him/her?

 

The state parks are for all Californians, from hikers and campers to off-roaders and rock-climbers.

 

What's the big "bad" deal about geocaching anyway?

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I just wonder how this no-cache edict was enacted.

 

Were there any public meetings? Was a state law enacted?

 

Does your California state legislator know anything about this? Have you asked him/her?

 

The state parks are for all Californians, from hikers and campers to off-roaders and rock-climbers.

 

What's the big "bad" deal about geocaching anyway?

National Parks are for all to visit, but they restrict Geocaching on their lands in much the same fashion. Land managers are allowed to restrict certain activities they believe are detrimental to the features of the land.

 

The short answer to your question is that caches were placed on the ABDSP land without permission near sensitive areas. The land managers felt the best course of action was to completely outlaw physical geocaches in the park.

 

The long answer to your question is found in the first post of this thread:

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=180512

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The Soviet of Kalifornia Gulag system, aka state parks, is anti citizen. Anza Borrego State Parks allows blue water barrels to be placed every mile along the southern corridor to make it easier for illegal aliens to enter California and burden its welfare, healthcare, and education programs. Citizens in that corridor pay the price of break-ins to residences, confrontations, and lack of support by the park in supporting Border Patrol. But tax-paying citizens cannot hide a few ammo cans in the hundreds of thousands of acres for recreational purposes. Of course only a few hundred acres are easily accessible since off road routes are routinely closed each year.

 

There was NO notice on removal. One of the caches put on the archive list is on BLM, not pak land.

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We visited GCHMGW in the ABDSP just two weeks ago. We were visiting from WA state and wanted to go for a hike. It was a beautiful hike with lots of wildlife. I doubt that little plastic container hidden under a rock bothered any of the animals either.

 

Glad we got out there right before the cache was disabled. What a great area for caches, taken away by a power hungry few who think they know whats best.

 

I think we'll take our vacation dollars to some other state next time.

 

Sure glad we don't live in CA.

Edited by GrnXnham
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The Soviet of Kalifornia Gulag system, aka state parks, is anti citizen. Anza Borrego State Parks allows blue water barrels to be placed every mile along the southern corridor to make it easier for illegal aliens to enter California and burden its welfare, healthcare, and education programs. Citizens in that corridor pay the price of break-ins to residences, confrontations, and lack of support by the park in supporting Border Patrol. But tax-paying citizens cannot hide a few ammo cans in the hundreds of thousands of acres for recreational purposes. Of course only a few hundred acres are easily accessible since off road routes are routinely closed each year.

 

There was NO notice on removal. One of the caches put on the archive list is on BLM, not pak land.

 

I think you'll find it's the head rangers at individual parks and not the park system each park is pretty well their own little fiefdom

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My cache http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=dee97aa5-ff22-42f9-b0fa-37d6d2c52e69 <--seen here was just recently archived after 4 years of service to the local community of the tri-county area.

 

With the growing popularity of geocacheing in the recent years it's easy to see why it has become banned in state parks. (the one-star-spam-style geos) 50 geos in 50 sq feet, under every other sage cactus brush.

 

The geocaching.com website needs a -1 to 10- style rating system. (1 as easy/bored, 10 as amazing, and 15 as epic) This would really defer people from planting 1 star spam geos, (no one wants to get a low rated cache)

 

Take my planted geo cache above (for example.) Hypothetically speaking, people would rate it 14 or 15 (on average.) Comments would then follow saying, "Epic cache of the year, what is it", "Best cache I've ever been too, where did it come from!" And only the people who had found it would really not know. For not only is this a geo, but an unknown state (possibly national) monument.

 

So I urge all the nay-sayers to take a look at the geo.

 

Can I change it to an earthcache?

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Why is it that one person, usually the superintendent(Wyatt Earp) can decide what is best for everyone. We have seen this for years. They close down parks or areas because of "whatever". Now in many Federal parks you can't even have "Virtuals"! Whats the deal here, are we going to wear out the view? We can have "Earthcaches", but I don't want to go back to school! We are new to geocaching, but not to hiking. About 4-5 years ago while hiking in ABDSP we stumbled onto a cache on a ridge below Fonts Point. I thought we were the 1st person to ever come to this spot. Started caching about a year ago,(have now done so in several states and countries) and have been amazed at the sites and history we would not have experienced if not for caching. Started coming here in 2000 for 1-3 weeks a year, now will find it hard to return. I guess thats what they want.

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I look forward to the day when they close all the state parks, federal land, BLM land, Public parks, Beaches, open land areas and force us to sit and watch government programing on TV!!! Boy won't that be fun!!! Really, what is the point. Everything has become so regulated there may come a day when you will have to have blond hair and blue eyes to access "public" lands!!!! Home of the special interest, land of the entitled!!! Just my two cents!

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Oops I left out the reply. It's been forever since I've written on the forums.

 

I would guess that the rangers were from the state OHV. Ocotillo Wells is Geocachers friendly and has hosted the 'Roughneck Roundezvous' for a few years.

 

I'd love it if it were an event by the ABDSP.

Ranger caches are not Geocaches.

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Oops I left out the reply. It's been forever since I've written on the forums.

 

I would guess that the rangers were from the state OHV. Ocotillo Wells is Geocachers friendly and has hosted the 'Roughneck Roundezvous' for a few years.

 

I'd love it if it were an event by the ABDSP.

Ranger caches are not Geocaches.

 

Hello,

 

While some caches placed for the Ocotillo Wells SVRA Roughneck Rendezvous event are not loggable, there were over 70 permanent caches hidden (By Park Staff and Volunteers) for this year's event. Most of them are Letterbox Hybrid caches as well. We welcome you to come out and find them any time you like!

 

Thank you,

 

OWSVRA Roughneck Event Team

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I am presently reading "The Joy of Geocaching" by Paul and Dana Gillin, which has a description of the intriguing Basilisk cache (GCPX5Q) which, according to this thread, had to be archived since Anza Borrego State Park doesn't allow geocaches in that park, similarly to how geocaches aren't allowed in National Parks, and hence, the geocaching website requires any such caches to be removed and archived.

 

As I read about this, I reflected on the difference between geocaching and letterboxing. Letterboxing has no prohibitions on placing letterboxes in National Parks, or in Anza Borrego State Park. National Parks officials may not want letterboxes planted on "their" land, but there are letterboxes there anyway, which I think is fitting, since it is not "their" land. There are presently active letterboxes in many National Parks as well as in Anza Borrego State Park. One posts listings on the letterboxing websites without having to have such listings be approved or reviewed by anyone. As soon as you create a listing it appears on the website. Hence, many letterboxers have placed and continue to place letterboxes in places where geocaches are prohibited.

 

Also, because letterboxes are not linked to GPS coordinates, and need not specify the location where the box is hidden, one may not be able to tell from the website listing where the box is hidden -- that may only be discovered once the clue or puzzle is undertaken or solved.

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9 hours ago, Camo Cacher said:

It’s 2023 and there seem to be a lot of caches in Anza Borrego State Park.  Did they change their policy?

I've been wondering the same thing.  I've found many caches here that were placed many years after this original post in 2010.  The cache approvers would not allow these if there was a ban, correct?

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On 3/2/2023 at 2:35 AM, boyfester said:
On 3/1/2023 at 4:54 PM, Camo Cacher said:

It’s 2023 and there seem to be a lot of caches in Anza Borrego State Park.  Did they change their policy?

I've been wondering the same thing.  I've found many caches here that were placed many years after this original post in 2010.  The cache approvers would not allow these if there was a ban, correct?

 

According to the regional geocaching policy wiki for California (last updated at the end of 2021), no, still no caches allowed.

 

I see one earthcache that looks like it's on park property, but I don't see any physical geocaches on the land that actually falls under Anza-Borrego Desert State Park land (darker tan area on the map).

 

image.thumb.png.448aa59469eb024f44dc16acaf20c16e.png

 

It looks like there are small tracts of land on the map that do not belong to the state park, and there are caches there, like these, so that may be what you're thinking of:

 

image.png.8c6a9d589aefdfa654fcf80bd06df8b7.png

 

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OK, interesting. I now see that there are a handful of caches in the northern part of the park that have been "temporarily disabled" since...well, December 2010, around the time this thread was posted.

 

I have questions, but I'm not going to poke the bear.

Edited by hzoi
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