Are distant, isolated caches worth the drive?

[+SoonerL8R]

I want to pose the question of how far will you drive out of the way for a single cache? Are you more likely to go after a cluster of caches in an area or a cache with multiple parts to it if the drive is 10, 20, or maybe 50 miles in the middle of nowhere? What is the longest distance you have driven to get to a "single" cache and have you ever came up empty?

[+niraD]

Normally, I find caches near wherever I happen to be, driving no more than a couple miles out of my way for a cache. Occasionally, I'll drive a dozen miles or so for a group hike.

 

The furthest I've traveled specifically for geocaching was for a group geo-kayaking trip, which was about 325 miles round trip. There were about a dozen of us on that trip, and I found more caches that day than any day before or since.

 

The furthest I've driven for a "single" cache was for a recent milestone, which was a 10-stage multi-cache that took me all over a large national wildlife preserve. I drove perhaps 75 miles total for all the trips for all the stages, although I did pick up at least one traditional cache on each trip, in addition to the stage(s) of the multi-cache that I completed that trip.

[+kunarion]

I want to pose the question of how far will you drive out of the way for a single cache?

I might go after one I've only heard about. Some DNFs after thorough searches by teams of cachers, and perhaps it hasn't ever been found. In the National Forest about 100 miles from here, on a road that requires an ATV, then a hike. It's so remote, the Cache Owner can't even get to it, although he says it's fine. If you ask any of the cache veteran regulars around here, they chuckle knowingly among each other as if to suggest there's not really a cache there so don't bother. It sounds like such a cool, interesting, rugged spot, I'd like to go, just to go. For that one cache. Which I'm extremely unlikely to find.

[+Panda Inc]

Location is a big factor around the four corners. There simply aren't that many caches close by, thus approximately 70% of our finds are more than 25 miles from home.

 

Cheers,

PandA Inc

[+humboldt flier]

65 Miles to trailhead and a 3.5 mile hike into Red Cap Lake near Orleans, Calif. 3,800 to 6,200 ft. MSL.

 

Followed by the 3.5 miles back out and the 65 miles back to base. >>>>>>>>> one cache.

 

Rather atypical now I want to get a few on each run. ... try to use different roads coming and going. ( heck there may be a cache down that other road ).

 

I run a PQ of 59 miles around home base and refresh just before heading out.

 

Worthwhile? Ahhhhhhhhhhh, sometimes yes and sometimes no. 65 miles for a goober ... noper.

Edited December 29, 2011 by humboldt flier

[+BMndFul]

As previous mentioned....I usually cache where I am or plan to be. However, I will make a special trip for a special cache. I did it this weekend. Drove to Sonora, Ca from Stockton, Ca for one specific cache (http://coord.info/GC17WY1), then cached my way back on what was available. For me it depends on the uniqueness of the cache. In the case previous cache mention it was a difficulty 5 and lots of fun in a perverse way. It was totally worth the trip and the time in the CZ.

Edited December 29, 2011 by Russ!

[+The_Incredibles_]

I want to pose the question of how far will you drive out of the way for a single cache? Are you more likely to go after a cluster of caches in an area or a cache with multiple parts to it if the drive is 10, 20, or maybe 50 miles in the middle of nowhere? What is the longest distance you have driven to get to a "single" cache and have you ever came up empty?

 

If it was an important milestone, I may be willing to drive for several hours.

 

Definately more likely to go after a cluster of caches than a multi cache. Unless the multi cache has lots of favorite points.

 

Have neve driven more than 5 minutes for a single cache.

[+Chokecherry]

We have low cache density here. I end driving to most all cache areas these day even for one cache. Ill sometime do routes where I may get other caches on the way there or back.

[+A & J Tooling]

I only grab one a day so I will go up to about 30-40 miles out of my way to nab one.

[+ras_oscar]

I'm working on filling all the states in my caching map, so I usually plan weekend trips around ticking off a state or 2. Earlier this summer I did a 3 day trip to New england and ticked off all 6 states. About 1200 miles round trip, but it included about 45 caches over the 3 days.

[AZcachemeister]

First of all, 50 miles is nuthin'.

There may be one particular cache that would attract me to an area, but there are likely others nearby that could be included before the end of the day.

That being said, if the 'one particular cache' is a REALLY good one, I won't have the time or energy to do much else.

 

Workman Creek Falls

[+Touchstone]

I tend to do things a bit backwards from most people it seems. I plan my trip, and then do a query for caches along the way. So in most cases, a cache will have to be either along my route, or near my destination.

 

The longest and most expensive DNF I've had, required ~2,500 miles of flying, ~60 miles of driving, and a round trip hike of nearly 30 miles. A priceless trip, I will not soon forget

 

Good luck with the cache(s)!

[+cerberus1]

This cache-dense area's full of micros and mini power trails.

For a hike longer than a quarter mile, I have to travel.

I'm now around page 35 (nearest to home) for anything further than a parking lot or rail trail, packed with tourists with no water and location issues.

My last find was 52 miles away, six miles one way, four with waterfalls.

Yesterday was a 70 mile drive DNF, in a 4x4-only remote area I never would have known existed if it wasn't for caching. Had a ball.

I try to stick to 2.5 and up in terrain, with my favorites at 4+.

I think our furthest so far is 156 miles (one way) on a single 5 terrain hide.

Sometimes we'll hit a few lesser hides afterwards to warrant the gas money. But when alone, I skip 'em. I already had the fun I was looking for, no sense ruining it with a 4 difficulty micro.

[+W4G_SOTAGoat]

Not if Iran block the Strait of Hormuz and gas shoots to $6/gal. That might put an end to driving out of the way ANY distance to get a cache for most people.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

I want to pose the question of how far will you drive out of the way for a single cache? Are you more likely to go after a cluster of caches in an area or a cache with multiple parts to it if the drive is 10, 20, or maybe 50 miles in the middle of nowhere? What is the longest distance you have driven to get to a "single" cache and have you ever came up empty?

 

A few years ago I had found every cache within 15 miles of where I lived so if I wanted to find any caches at all it was at least a 30 mile round trip. I would occasionally target areas that had a cluster of caches when I had a day free to go caching.

 

I drove about 130 miles round trip to find "The Spot" (the oldest cache in the NE US) but I picked up a few others along the way.

 

A couple of years ago I was in a little town called Morogoro in Tanzania (for meetings at the National Agriculture Library for Tanzania) and hired a driver to take me to the nearest cache. It was 65 miles away. The cache was located at the entrance to Mikumi National Park where we saw giraffe, zebra, elephant, water buffalo, impala, warthogs, baboon, hippo, lots of strange birds, and at one point had about a dozen tsetse flies in the jeep with us. When I searched for the cache on the way in I didn't find it but was able to find it on the way out.

 

I've intentionally selected flight itineraries when I've traveled for business that took me to places I had not previously and found a cache. For a conference in Montpellier, France I flew through Frankfurt and "found" the virtual cache at the airport, then to Marseille and then took a train to Montpellier. After the conference I took another train to Barcelona and found a few caches there. The total cost of the trip (except for two nights at a hotel in Barcelona, which I paid for) was the same as a NY to Paris to Montpellier (and I had previously found a cache in France) and I got to had Germany and Spain to my countries list and got to spend a couple of days in Barcelona.

 

Whether or not these caches are worth the "drive" is questionable. Except for "The Spot" the caches themselves are unremarkable but there is an intangible feeling about finding a cache in a country/state or place far from any other caches even if the cache itself is unremarkable. My second find in Europe was a film can, but it was located outside the Colosseum in Rome.

[+SoonerL8R]

I guess I ask the question because I live in an area where the caches are few and far between and I've been considering hiding some. Being near a major north/south interstate I-29 I'm hoping it will draw some cachers in to look for them. I'd really like to try to help get the density of numbers up in western Iowa so I may just hide a few and see what happens.

[Clan Riffster]

As I am of that seemingly rare breed who prefer quality over quantity, I prefer lonely, isolated caches, especially if I've heard good things about them through word of mouth. The farthest I've driven for a single cache is from Central Florida to East Tennessee.

[+JBnW]

I once went 80 miles for an FTF that had gone unfound for 2.5 months; somewhat of a long time around these parts. We also went about 620 miles in 11 hours to finish the DeLorme and County Challenges, which obviously required finding very specific caches. These are two of our more-memorable and enjoyable caching adventures.

[+JohnnyVegas]

This is an interesting thread to read. There was a time in which a persoan had to travel dozens of mile to find just a few caches. I remember many times in which I would drive 100-200 miles in a day to find caches. And after all that driving a good day of caching would be 10 caches and those cache would take 6-8 hours to find, not because they were hard to find, they were just mile appart. I think it took me a year to get about 100 caches and most of those took hiking quite a ways to find a cache. Of course then lamp post cache where not very common and Nana caches where few and far between, ammo box caches are few and far between and are seldom placed anymore. It seems no one wants to walk more than 100 feet from their car to hide a cache.

[+redsox_mark]

Around here at least (south of England), a cluster or series of caches will get far more finds then an isolated cache. Yesterday I found a series of 36 caches. This series was less than 6 months old and already each cache has 100+ finds. Just a couple of miles away there are 2 caches by the same owner. These caches are as nice or nicer, but have only ~20 finds in 2.5 years.

 

When I look to cache in a new area, I too am drawn to clusters of caches. But I also seek out caches which are recommended by others, and I'll make a trip based on one special cache (though generally there will be others in the area or en-route to find).

[+briansnat]

The farthest I've driven specifically for a single cache was about 120 miles round trip.

 

The farthest I've driven for a single cache combined with another activity was 644 miles round trip. That was an Adirondack canoe camping trip with the cache along the route. I was there for the canoe trip and the cache was the bonus but I couldn't have found the cache without canoeing to it unless I wanted to walk 24 miles RT.

Edited December 29, 2011 by briansnat

[+SwineFlew]

Yes. I did one... 60 or so miles one way to the trailhead and another 6.5 miles one way to the cache and 6.5 miles back to the trailhead. And I pick up three cache on my way home. So, anyone wanna know if I did a 13 miles hike for one cache, I did it. The cache is a old one and only get 2-3 finds a year.

[+BAMBOOZLE]

We love caching in Utah, Nevada, and other areas where these types exist.....I don't mind the drive and I research it well, I don't recall coming up empty on one. I like it when the pavement runs out, then the blacktop, then the gravel until there is a narrow dirt road going someplace you've never been.

[+FMT15]

There are a little over 3k caches within 15 miles of my home.. Many with over 50 favorites on them. It'd be a dream to get every one of those, but until then I won't have to drive very far to get some great caches

[+TheRoadWife]

I'm flying from chicago to Sao Paulo, Brazil for an APE cache! (and other fun things while I'm there! LOL)

[+SwineFlew]

I'm flying from chicago to Sao Paulo, Brazil for an APE cache! (and other fun things while I'm there! LOL)

Have fun!

[+Agent Okie]

Living in rural Oklahoma, we tend to travel for caches. It's a wonderful event when a new cache is placed within 15 miles of my home coords, and I usually run right out and try for FTF. I also tend to cache close to wherever I am (beit work or play). Just this month alone, my closest cache is less than .10 miles from my home (new series placed) and my farthest was 58 miles from home, when we were nearby for Christmas. It doesn't bother me to drive an hour as long as I pick up 5 or more caches on the trip.

 

This is also the reason why when I have placed a rural cache, there is usually 2 or 3 in the same area. I figure if you are willing to make the trip for me, I should reward you with a few finds and not just a micro in the woods. Just my opinion.

[+skyraider]

I drove 812 miles in one day from WV to NY and back to do "BWT's Phobia Series-Acrophobia",(GCYK7H.) for my #1,000 on May 5, 2007. It was worth every mile of it. What an AWSUM cache and still my #1 favorite.

[+Blaidd-Drwg]

Living in rural Oklahoma, we tend to travel for caches. It's a wonderful event when a new cache is placed within 15 miles of my home coords, and I usually run right out and try for FTF. I also tend to cache close to wherever I am (beit work or play). Just this month alone, my closest cache is less than .10 miles from my home (new series placed) and my farthest was 58 miles from home, when we were nearby for Christmas. It doesn't bother me to drive an hour as long as I pick up 5 or more caches on the trip.

 

This is also the reason why when I have placed a rural cache, there is usually 2 or 3 in the same area. I figure if you are willing to make the trip for me, I should reward you with a few finds and not just a micro in the woods. Just my opinion.

 

Another Okie here. Since I drive 40 miles each way to work and back, driving that far for a cache is nothing. A typical caching day consist of close to 150 miles of driving. The furthest I've driven with the only intent is to find a cache is 323 miles each way. Of course I combined it with other local caches. Of course when traveling I take the opportunity to locate some of the local caches' I have 59 finds over 2500 miles from home. As for rural caches, I prefer them. I always feel a lot more comfortable walking in the woods than I do doing skirt lifters in a parking lot.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Around here at least (south of England), a cluster or series of caches will get far more finds then an isolated cache. Yesterday I found a series of 36 caches.

 

36 is a cluster? I was thinking of a cluster as more like 6-8 caches in an area that might be a few square miles.

[+Chokecherry]

Shoot I see a cluster here as more like 6-8 in a 15 mile radius of somewhere. There's a really awesome cache that I suggest to people if they are driving on a certain highway in the area. You end up going off the beaten path for what seems like forever but it is such a wonderful cache in a beautiful little area. No one has stopped to get it yet. I find many people doing cache runs are liking the park and grab thing.

 

In the summer I usually pick a geographical area I want to go to which may have 1 cache and I'll pick some up a long the way if there are any.

 

Besides the low cache density issue here I have found I have a strong preference for more rural caching and picking up some of those caches which many not be found as often. Even without a ton of favorite points I usually see something interesting. Here at least you won't find people tossing caches by the road side simply to make a cache exist rurally and that makes me happy. It means some thought went into it beyond lets saturate the area.

[+eagsc7]

We're planning a trip that'll happen in 2013 or 14 to the ONLY REMAINING APE CACHE in the world. Its over 6000 Miles from home. That'll be expensive.

 

The Steaks

[AZcachemeister]

I'm flying from chicago to Sao Paulo, Brazil for an APE cache! (and other fun things while I'm there! LOL)

 

Mmmm, it's not AN APE cache, it's THE APE cache.

 

Best of luck!

[+Harry Dolphin]

I'll travel long distances to travel, visit new places, and color in maps. Drove to Minnesota earlier this year. And planning on Labrador next year!

I've done the NJ DeLorme and County Challenges, which entailed a few hundred miles each. But those were not for specific caches.

I might try for The Spot sometime. But, for a specific cache? Mission 7: Crab Creek. (Ouch. That was more than six years ago!) We planned a week's geocaching vacation. That was 237 miles each way for a specific cache. But it would take a very special cache for me to travel that far for one specific cache. My GPX files cover over 10,000 caches in NJ, and within 65 miles in PA, NY and CT. Lots of great caches. Many rather secluded. So generally, I won't go more than 30 miles.

[+aurght]

I guess I ask the question because I live in an area where the caches are few and far between and I've been considering hiding some. Being near a major north/south interstate I-29 I'm hoping it will draw some cachers in to look for them. I'd really like to try to help get the density of numbers up in western Iowa so I may just hide a few and see what happens.

We traveled part of 29 in '10 on a road trip. There could be some added for sure. Give them some interest, tricky container, etc and we will come. I see there's a power trail a little north of you and the "geocaching" word in SE SD.

 

Back on topic; I usually don't go more than 40 to 50 miles for a single search.

However, I figured one out after a dnf and traveled back from SD to Omaha (about 180mi) to make the find.

[+Sioneva]

I guess I ask the question because I live in an area where the caches are few and far between and I've been considering hiding some. Being near a major north/south interstate I-29 I'm hoping it will draw some cachers in to look for them. I'd really like to try to help get the density of numbers up in western Iowa so I may just hide a few and see what happens.

 

If you hide it, I will come find it.

[+Bushboy]

This may not be far to some, but it was fun to get there and required some preparation. I DNF'd a couple of times before I found it. 160 km highway then 60 km across off road terrain in winter in northern Canada.

 

GC8D70

 

Recently I travelled 80 km out of my way to grab another somewhat remote cache on a trip where I was already 200 km from camp. Good Times.

 

GC1ZAYQ

[+W7WT]

A few years ago we drove from Bremerton, Wa to find Mingo for our 1,300th find. We first drove to visit relatives in Southern Illinois and then picked up Mingo in Western Kansas on the way home. The main purpose of the trip was to find Mingo. We were lucky to get just the right number of finds so Mingo would be our 1,300th find.

[+Panda Inc]

We did drive 400 miles (one way) to drop off a travel bug in Roswell, NM last year. It was worth the trip

 

Cheers,

Panda Inc

[+wimseyguy]

As a unique characteristic 'distant and isolated' isn't enough of a draw for me.

But if a cache I want to find to complete a challenge, is a very old one, or has a super high fave rating I would drive several hours to get to it.

I already have 'permission' to detour 4+ hours east from Denver International to find Mingo the next time we fly there to go skiing in Breckenridge (90 minutes to the west).

I would do something similar to find The Spot if I am within shouting distance.

When we flew to Seattle for GW8 we detoured from Sea-Tac south to Portland to find the Original Stash Plaque, some others in the area, and visit Voodoo Donuts on our first day out there and didn't check into our hotel until 1:30 AM PDT (which was 4:30 EDT/body time.) Caching will make you do some crazy stuff won't it?

[+The_Saints]

1 mile per difficulty star, plus two miles per favorite point. For me it's that simple

[+Walts Hunting]

Flew from Anchorage to Barrow Alaska to get the Northern most cache on the continent.

[+Spoondoggled & Co.]

It's been a while since we've done much caching but yes, we have driven specifically to areas and then hiked in for miles on top of that. There's nothing like the sky and air at really high altitudes, it's all good.

[diggingest_dogg616]

If there was something I wanted to see, then I'd go on a drive for it. There are a lot of caches you'd have to drive for here (and a good number that you wouldn't have to drive for!).

 

I'd go to Thompson Springs for a cache (maybe like, 45 minutes or so from where I live). My dad and I went to Green River (about an hour away) to do a couple of caches by Crystal Geyser, but seeing the geyser made it way worth it (as did going to Arby's, haha). So I guess about an hour's drive is the farthest I've gone.

 

I guess if there was something neat to see and not just a cache, then I'm willing to go out for a drive. Mostly I just like getting out and going somewhere

[+GrateBear]

I'll be doing that when I finish up my current goal of getting a find on every day of the year, which will be in March (if all goes well). Then I start working on caches with ratings I haven't found yet. Some will require a bit of a drive. And, still have the Delorme task ahead of me.

[+SoonerL8R]

I'll be doing that when I finish up my current goal of getting a find on every day of the year, which will be in March (if all goes well). Then I start working on caches with ratings I haven't found yet. Some will require a bit of a drive. And, still have the Delorme task ahead of me.

[+SoonerL8R]

Can I ask what this "Delorme" task that i see people mention and is there a place I can go to look for things like that?

[+Walts Hunting]

Google is your friend

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=287728&pid=4935195&st=40entry4935195

[+Presence]

We have planned 2 of our vacations around geocaching at Caanan Valley WV which is 3-4hours away from here. We also plan to drive to MD soon for a cache which is about 2 hours away. But on an average day I don't mind an hour drive if I get to go play in the woods. Even if I DNF no biggie I got out of the house and saw nature which is why i cache in the first place.

[+GIDEON-X]

Back in the "Day" (April 2004) Was setting @ a coffee house in Yuma, AZ....chatting with another cacher, I brought up the subject of a new cache that was put out 100 miles away (GCJA5W) and the decision was made to go and capture the beast before it spoiled.....so after doing our coffee we hit the trail. A copy of the log post is attached

 

WOO HOO a last day of the month First-Find + A GEOCOIN

Over from Yuma,AZ with Jim Riggs to capture this one. Bushwacked into the cache from the pavement "Old US 80" (.2-mile) Good hide, did cross the pink backpack plus other bits of stuff and things ~~~ this is a "Amigo" trail from the Boarder to the interstate. My main reason to come over to capture this one was the "GEOCOIN"!! Will place it in a local Yuma cache, to get it on it's way. Left a Gold Dollar, Dog Tag,a Geocaching @ night pin,and a Pez Dispencer.~~~~

 

What Do we DO for A living ~~~ NOTHING ....(Has It Been That Long-Ago)

Edited January 2, 2012 by GIDEON-X