USA trip - best places to geocache?

[+ipoded]

I'm planning a geo-trip to the USA. Can anybody give me hints where it would be great to geocache?

I'm thinking of experiencing the E.T. series in Nevada.

Great locations, great caches and Power Trails are on my wanted list!

Appreciate all the tips, hints and help you can give!

 

Cheers!

Ed

[+Don_J]

I'm planning a geo-trip to the USA. Can anybody give me hints where it would be great to geocache?

I'm thinking of experiencing the E.T. series in Nevada.

Great locations, great caches and Power Trails are on my wanted list!

Appreciate all the tips, hints and help you can give!

 

Cheers!

Ed

 

Do you want to go to great places for great caches, or just find a whole bunch of identical film cans? I think that a day spent on the Earthcaches in Valley of Fire State Park, about 115 miles east of the ET Hwy would be much more memorable, and I don't particularly like Earthcaches. Heck, you could start the ET HWY, find caches until you get bored and then head over to VOFSP.

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

Why not New England? I see you are in Europe, so fly into Boston. You can pick up six states and Canada.

 

There's a power trail in Maine (Stud Mill Road series) that I understand is not your typical trail of film cans.

 

There is loads of history, and great scenery. There are world class museums and sights to see.

 

RI has the only DeLorme Challenge you can complete in a day.

[+Anonymike7]

Why not New England? I see you are in Europe, so fly into Boston. You can pick up six states and Canada.

 

There's a power trail in Maine (Stud Mill Road series) that I understand is not your typical trail of film cans.

 

There is loads of history, and great scenery. There are world class museums and sights to see.

 

RI has the only DeLorme Challenge you can complete in a day.

 

Wolf, how did I know you'd chime in on this one? Ed, there are so many things to see in the US that perhaps you should think about what uniquely American things you want to experience during your visit. NYC has so much to offer, and Central Park is full of highly-favorited caches. San Francisco is a beautiful, vibrant city that has tremendous cache density in Golden Gate Park. Washington, DC has some fantastic museums and you can't go more than few blocks in any direction without tripping over a virtual cache. Power trails can be fun, sure...but why cross an ocean and most of a continent just to boost your numbers?

 

Figure out your tourism first, then cache around that! If you wind up in New England, feel free to look me up (and probably BBWolf, too!).

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

Anonymike makes a great point. Focus on something you really want to see while here, then build the cache trip around that. Look for something uniquely American, such as the Grand Canyon or Mount Rushmore. Start with something like that, and then look at geocaches near there.

 

How many days/weeks long will your trip be? Can we assume you'll be renting a car?

[+SwineFlew]

If you want to do the ET powertrail...just look up the top fav of the area you will be traveling through and find those caches.

 

Just ignore the powertrail haters in here.

[+J the Goat]

Ya, you're asking for the entire spectrum of caches between nice locations, nice caches, and power trails. You could go anywhere in the country and find something that fits into this list. A more narrow list of locations or cache experiences would garner more accurate and helpful answers

[+humboldt flier]

You might wish to consider The Niagara Region.

 

Much to see in that part of the world ... you can even cross the border and garner some caches in Canada.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

You might wish to consider The Niagara Region.

 

Much to see in that part of the world ... you can even cross the border and garner some caches in Canada.

 

I agree that the Niagara region and the rest of the State of NY has a lot to offer but you're not going to find much in the way of power trails here. From the Niagara region you can drive a couple of hours to "The Spot", one of the oldest continuously active cache caches in the world. At that point you'll be in the heart of the Finger Lakes area where you can find dozens of wineries and a wide variety of caching opportunities.

[+briansnat]

Why not New England? I see you are in Europe, so fly into Boston. You can pick up six states and Canada.

 

There's a power trail in Maine (Stud Mill Road series) that I understand is not your typical trail of film cans.

 

There is loads of history, and great scenery. There are world class museums and sights to see.

 

RI has the only DeLorme Challenge you can complete in a day.

 

Wolf, how did I know you'd chime in on this one? Ed, there are so many things to see in the US that perhaps you should think about what uniquely American things you want to experience during your visit. NYC has so much to offer, and Central Park is full of highly-favorited caches. San Francisco is a beautiful, vibrant city that has tremendous cache density in Golden Gate Park. Washington, DC has some fantastic museums and you can't go more than few blocks in any direction without tripping over a virtual cache. Power trails can be fun, sure...but why cross an ocean and most of a continent just to boost your numbers?

 

Figure out your tourism first, then cache around that! If you wind up in New England, feel free to look me up (and probably BBWolf, too!).

 

Ditto on New England and NYC. Starting in NYC also provides easy access to the Hudson River area where there are some awesome caches in the Hudson Highlands and the Hudson River Valley.

[+bflentje]

Why not New England? I see you are in Europe, so fly into Boston. You can pick up six states and Canada.

 

There's a power trail in Maine (Stud Mill Road series) that I understand is not your typical trail of film cans.

 

There is loads of history, and great scenery. There are world class museums and sights to see.

 

RI has the only DeLorme Challenge you can complete in a day.

 

I like the thought. Even being from the midwest, if I had a choice to go caching anywhere in the U.S., it would not be the ET Highway. What a waste of an experience. Unless of course all you want is 1000 of the lamest hides possible.

[+geodarts]

I like the thought. Even being from the midwest, if I had a choice to go caching anywhere in the U.S., it would not be the ET Highway. What a waste of an experience. Unless of course all you want is 1000 of the lamest hides possible.

 

The last time I was there, I was too busy looking at petroglyphs, checking out abandoned buildings, seeing ghost towns, finding trilobites, visiting the lunar crater, looking at a boot hill and other old cemeteries, discovering history, talking to the folks at the Inn in Rachel, and sky watching to stop for any of the repetitive caches. And it is very near the Valley of Fire, the Old Santa Fe Trail, and within reach of the Toroweap overlook (not to mention other places on the North Rim, Zion, or Bryce). There was enough caching for me -- with several favorites among them. The experience is what you make of it.

 

Of course my general advice for any traveler is to find places you want to visit and let the caching follow.

Edited September 17, 2012 by geodarts

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

I like the thought. Even being from the midwest, if I had a choice to go caching anywhere in the U.S., it would not be the ET Highway. What a waste of an experience. Unless of course all you want is 1000 of the lamest hides possible.

 

The last time I was there, I was too busy looking at petroglyphs, checking out abandoned buildings, seeing ghost towns, finding trilobites, visiting the lunar crater, looking at a boot hill and other old cemeteries, discovering history, talking to the folks at the Inn in Rachel, and sky watching to stop for any of the repetitive caches. And it is very near the Valley of Fire, the Old Santa Fe Trail, and within reach of the Toroweap overlook (not to mention other places on the North Rim, Zion, or Bryce). There was enough caching for me -- with several favorites among them. The experience is what you make of it.

 

Of course my general advice for any traveler is to find places you want to visit and let the caching follow.

 

What geodarts said.

 

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is gorgeous, and has a fraction of the visitors of the south rim. A little harder to get to, but worth it.

 

Bryce Canyon is stunning.

 

Zion has lovely views and great hiking/climbing opportunities.

 

Death Valley is nearby to the ET trail as well. Go during the winter, and it is absolutely wonderful. At night, look up into the sky and you will see more stars that you thought you ever could.

[+SwineFlew]

I like the thought. Even being from the midwest, if I had a choice to go caching anywhere in the U.S., it would not be the ET Highway. What a waste of an experience. Unless of course all you want is 1000 of the lamest hides possible.

 

The last time I was there, I was too busy looking at petroglyphs, checking out abandoned buildings, seeing ghost towns, finding trilobites, visiting the lunar crater, looking at a boot hill and other old cemeteries, discovering history, talking to the folks at the Inn in Rachel, and sky watching to stop for any of the repetitive caches. And it is very near the Valley of Fire, the Old Santa Fe Trail, and within reach of the Toroweap overlook (not to mention other places on the North Rim, Zion, or Bryce). There was enough caching for me -- with several favorites among them. The experience is what you make of it.

 

Of course my general advice for any traveler is to find places you want to visit and let the caching follow.

 

What geodarts said.

 

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is gorgeous, and has a fraction of the visitors of the south rim. A little harder to get to, but worth it.

 

Bryce Canyon is stunning.

 

Zion has lovely views and great hiking/climbing opportunities.

 

Death Valley is nearby to the ET trail as well. Go during the winter, and it is absolutely wonderful. At night, look up into the sky and you will see more stars that you thought you ever could.

 

Thats place is on my list to do because its below sea level. Yes, I want to find a cache thats below sealevel someday. Theres only a few places in the world to do that.

 

Back to the OP, if you want boost your cache numbers, do the powertrails because it will very likely make you happy. Thats what most cachers goal is when they do the powertrail. If thats your goal, ignore all these powertrail haters.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

I like the thought. Even being from the midwest, if I had a choice to go caching anywhere in the U.S., it would not be the ET Highway. What a waste of an experience. Unless of course all you want is 1000 of the lamest hides possible.

 

The last time I was there, I was too busy looking at petroglyphs, checking out abandoned buildings, seeing ghost towns, finding trilobites, visiting the lunar crater, looking at a boot hill and other old cemeteries, discovering history, talking to the folks at the Inn in Rachel, and sky watching to stop for any of the repetitive caches. And it is very near the Valley of Fire, the Old Santa Fe Trail, and within reach of the Toroweap overlook (not to mention other places on the North Rim, Zion, or Bryce). There was enough caching for me -- with several favorites among them. The experience is what you make of it.

 

Of course my general advice for any traveler is to find places you want to visit and let the caching follow.

 

What geodarts said.

 

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is gorgeous, and has a fraction of the visitors of the south rim. A little harder to get to, but worth it.

 

Bryce Canyon is stunning.

 

Zion has lovely views and great hiking/climbing opportunities.

 

Death Valley is nearby to the ET trail as well. Go during the winter, and it is absolutely wonderful. At night, look up into the sky and you will see more stars that you thought you ever could.

 

Thats place is on my list to do because its below sea level. Yes, I want to find a cache thats below sealevel someday. Theres only a few places in the world to do that.

 

And as of a few days ago, Death Valley has been deemed the hottest place on earth.

 

Although Bryce Canyon is relatively in the same area as the ET Trail, it's still almost 300 miles away.

 

 

Back to the OP, if you want boost your cache numbers, do the powertrails because it will very likely make you happy. Thats what most cachers goal is when they do the powertrail. If thats your goal, ignore all these powertrail haters.

 

Ad hominum attack. Instead of addressing the numerous arguments against powertrails, just characterize those that make them as "haters".

[+Jumpin' Jack Cache]

I like the thought. Even being from the midwest, if I had a choice to go caching anywhere in the U.S., it would not be the ET Highway. What a waste of an experience. Unless of course all you want is 1000 of the lamest hides possible.

 

The last time I was there, I was too busy looking at petroglyphs, checking out abandoned buildings, seeing ghost towns, finding trilobites, visiting the lunar crater, looking at a boot hill and other old cemeteries, discovering history, talking to the folks at the Inn in Rachel, and sky watching to stop for any of the repetitive caches. And it is very near the Valley of Fire, the Old Santa Fe Trail, and within reach of the Toroweap overlook (not to mention other places on the North Rim, Zion, or Bryce). There was enough caching for me -- with several favorites among them. The experience is what you make of it.

 

Of course my general advice for any traveler is to find places you want to visit and let the caching follow.

 

What geodarts said.

 

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is gorgeous, and has a fraction of the visitors of the south rim. A little harder to get to, but worth it.

 

Bryce Canyon is stunning.

 

Zion has lovely views and great hiking/climbing opportunities.

 

Death Valley is nearby to the ET trail as well. Go during the winter, and it is absolutely wonderful. At night, look up into the sky and you will see more stars that you thought you ever could.

 

Thats place is on my list to do because its below sea level. Yes, I want to find a cache thats below sealevel someday. Theres only a few places in the world to do that.

 

And as of a few days ago, Death Valley has been deemed the hottest place on earth.

 

Although Bryce Canyon is relatively in the same area as the ET Trail, it's still almost 300 miles away.

 

 

Back to the OP, if you want boost your cache numbers, do the powertrails because it will very likely make you happy. Thats what most cachers goal is when they do the powertrail. If thats your goal, ignore all these powertrail haters.

 

Ad hominum attack. Instead of addressing the numerous arguments against powertrails, just characterize those that make them as "haters".

"powertrail poohers" feel more comfortable?

 

OP, if you want to do ET, do it. I recommend spending at least one night in Rachel and looking at other caches in the area.

Ignore the "powertrail poohers". It's a big country, that's a beautiful part of it, as are many others.

Come to Appalachia, I'll show you a beautiful, green, temeprate rainforest (unless it's winter).

[Mr.Yuck]

You might wish to consider The Niagara Region.

 

Much to see in that part of the world ... you can even cross the border and garner some caches in Canada.

 

I agree that the Niagara region and the rest of the State of NY has a lot to offer but you're not going to find much in the way of power trails here. From the Niagara region you can drive a couple of hours to "The Spot", one of the oldest continuously active cache caches in the world. At that point you'll be in the heart of the Finger Lakes area where you can find dozens of wineries and a wide variety of caching opportunities.

 

Hey, here's another vote for my home region! Yes, no one is ever disappointed in GC39 The Spot. No one. Ever. And despite living about 100 miles away, I just visited a bunch of Finger Lakes Wineries for the first time in August. But as NYPC has opined over the years, there's really not all that many caches in the Finger Lakes region. Although there is a 20 or so cache rails to trails power trail between Canandaigua and Geneva. That would be your Finger Lakes numbers run.

[+JBnW]

If you're really into the numbers, and finding a good place to visit, check out the area east of Denver, CO Int'l Airport...sported the pre-ET record runs. And when you get tired of film cans, the Rocky Mountains are just to the west, and Mingo is a few hours down the road to the east.

[+Don_J]

Why not New England? I see you are in Europe, so fly into Boston. You can pick up six states and Canada.

 

There's a power trail in Maine (Stud Mill Road series) that I understand is not your typical trail of film cans.

 

There is loads of history, and great scenery. There are world class museums and sights to see.

 

RI has the only DeLorme Challenge you can complete in a day.

 

I like the thought. Even being from the midwest, if I had a choice to go caching anywhere in the U.S., it would not be the ET Highway. What a waste of an experience. Unless of course all you want is 1000 of the lamest hides possible.

 

You could also drive that same 100 miles, ignoring all of the numbered caches and finding the ten or so ammo cans that have been there for years, all while marveling at the amazing scenery. The ET Hwy has always been one of my favorite roads to drive, geocaches, or not.

[+bflentje]

I like the thought. Even being from the midwest, if I had a choice to go caching anywhere in the U.S., it would not be the ET Highway. What a waste of an experience. Unless of course all you want is 1000 of the lamest hides possible.

 

The last time I was there, I was too busy looking at petroglyphs, checking out abandoned buildings, seeing ghost towns, finding trilobites, visiting the lunar crater, looking at a boot hill and other old cemeteries, discovering history, talking to the folks at the Inn in Rachel, and sky watching to stop for any of the repetitive caches. And it is very near the Valley of Fire, the Old Santa Fe Trail, and within reach of the Toroweap overlook (not to mention other places on the North Rim, Zion, or Bryce). There was enough caching for me -- with several favorites among them. The experience is what you make of it.

 

Of course my general advice for any traveler is to find places you want to visit and let the caching follow.

 

What geodarts said.

 

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is gorgeous, and has a fraction of the visitors of the south rim. A little harder to get to, but worth it.

 

Bryce Canyon is stunning.

 

Zion has lovely views and great hiking/climbing opportunities.

 

Death Valley is nearby to the ET trail as well. Go during the winter, and it is absolutely wonderful. At night, look up into the sky and you will see more stars that you thought you ever could.

 

Agreed. I meant from purely a geocaching perspective.

[+Don_J]

I like the thought. Even being from the midwest, if I had a choice to go caching anywhere in the U.S., it would not be the ET Highway. What a waste of an experience. Unless of course all you want is 1000 of the lamest hides possible.

 

The last time I was there, I was too busy looking at petroglyphs, checking out abandoned buildings, seeing ghost towns, finding trilobites, visiting the lunar crater, looking at a boot hill and other old cemeteries, discovering history, talking to the folks at the Inn in Rachel, and sky watching to stop for any of the repetitive caches. And it is very near the Valley of Fire, the Old Santa Fe Trail, and within reach of the Toroweap overlook (not to mention other places on the North Rim, Zion, or Bryce). There was enough caching for me -- with several favorites among them. The experience is what you make of it.

 

Of course my general advice for any traveler is to find places you want to visit and let the caching follow.

 

What geodarts said.

 

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is gorgeous, and has a fraction of the visitors of the south rim. A little harder to get to, but worth it.

 

Bryce Canyon is stunning.

 

Zion has lovely views and great hiking/climbing opportunities.

 

Death Valley is nearby to the ET trail as well. Go during the winter, and it is absolutely wonderful. At night, look up into the sky and you will see more stars that you thought you ever could.

 

Agreed. I meant from purely a geocaching perspective.

 

It was geocaching that first alerted me to the ET Hwy. I was looking for a new way home from Cathedral Gorge State Park, NV, (cache gallery), because I had already found all of the caches on the other routes back home. Stopping every ten miles for an ammo can made for a pleasant trip. Also, Death Valley is one of the most amazing places. I camped there once during a new moon. You could literally read a book by starlight.

[+bflentje]

I like the thought. Even being from the midwest, if I had a choice to go caching anywhere in the U.S., it would not be the ET Highway. What a waste of an experience. Unless of course all you want is 1000 of the lamest hides possible.

 

The last time I was there, I was too busy looking at petroglyphs, checking out abandoned buildings, seeing ghost towns, finding trilobites, visiting the lunar crater, looking at a boot hill and other old cemeteries, discovering history, talking to the folks at the Inn in Rachel, and sky watching to stop for any of the repetitive caches. And it is very near the Valley of Fire, the Old Santa Fe Trail, and within reach of the Toroweap overlook (not to mention other places on the North Rim, Zion, or Bryce). There was enough caching for me -- with several favorites among them. The experience is what you make of it.

 

Of course my general advice for any traveler is to find places you want to visit and let the caching follow.

 

What geodarts said.

 

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is gorgeous, and has a fraction of the visitors of the south rim. A little harder to get to, but worth it.

 

Bryce Canyon is stunning.

 

Zion has lovely views and great hiking/climbing opportunities.

 

Death Valley is nearby to the ET trail as well. Go during the winter, and it is absolutely wonderful. At night, look up into the sky and you will see more stars that you thought you ever could.

 

Agreed. I meant from purely a geocaching perspective.

 

It was geocaching that first alerted me to the ET Hwy. I was looking for a new way home from Cathedral Gorge State Park, NV, (cache gallery), because I had already found all of the caches on the other routes back home. Stopping every ten miles for an ammo can made for a pleasant trip. Also, Death Valley is one of the most amazing places. I camped there once during a new moon. You could literally read a book by starlight.

 

I've been in the area and agree, it is pretty neat. But for more clarity, I was referring to the ET Highway (series of geocaches).

[+Viajero Perdido]

Death Valley is one of the most amazing places. I camped there once during a new moon. You could literally read a book by starlight.

I'll second that.

 

I camped once in Death Valley, and when I woke up, everything was covered in snow! (A courtesy to the Canadian passing through?)

[+BAMBOOZLE]

I've traveled the entire U.S. caching and agree with everyone above.....ALL the above mentioned areas are great places to cache.

I would scope out the country and decide on what areas you'd really like to visit.....then make PQ's for those and have a blast.

[+Don_J]

I like the thought. Even being from the midwest, if I had a choice to go caching anywhere in the U.S., it would not be the ET Highway. What a waste of an experience. Unless of course all you want is 1000 of the lamest hides possible.

 

The last time I was there, I was too busy looking at petroglyphs, checking out abandoned buildings, seeing ghost towns, finding trilobites, visiting the lunar crater, looking at a boot hill and other old cemeteries, discovering history, talking to the folks at the Inn in Rachel, and sky watching to stop for any of the repetitive caches. And it is very near the Valley of Fire, the Old Santa Fe Trail, and within reach of the Toroweap overlook (not to mention other places on the North Rim, Zion, or Bryce). There was enough caching for me -- with several favorites among them. The experience is what you make of it.

 

Of course my general advice for any traveler is to find places you want to visit and let the caching follow.

 

What geodarts said.

 

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is gorgeous, and has a fraction of the visitors of the south rim. A little harder to get to, but worth it.

 

Bryce Canyon is stunning.

 

Zion has lovely views and great hiking/climbing opportunities.

 

Death Valley is nearby to the ET trail as well. Go during the winter, and it is absolutely wonderful. At night, look up into the sky and you will see more stars that you thought you ever could.

 

Agreed. I meant from purely a geocaching perspective.

 

It was geocaching that first alerted me to the ET Hwy. I was looking for a new way home from Cathedral Gorge State Park, NV, (cache gallery), because I had already found all of the caches on the other routes back home. Stopping every ten miles for an ammo can made for a pleasant trip. Also, Death Valley is one of the most amazing places. I camped there once during a new moon. You could literally read a book by starlight.

 

I've been in the area and agree, it is pretty neat. But for more clarity, I was referring to the ET Highway (series of geocaches).

 

The point I was trying to make is that the beauty of the Hwy is not spoiled by the power trail caches unless you are determined to stop every 528' and find them. There are plenty of regular caches to keep you busy and plenty of dirt roads that lead into the desert to explore.

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

Back to the OP, if you want boost your cache numbers, do the powertrails because it will very likely make you happy. Thats what most cachers goal is when they do the powertrail. If thats your goal, ignore all these powertrail haters.

 

Well, I am not a powertrail "hater"...just have no intention of ever doing one.

 

If I were traveling to another country, I would rather spend my time seeing the history/scenery than spending two or more days driving 100 miles of a single highway. There's so much to see/do here in the US, I would save caching as a side thing.

[+dakboy]

If I were traveling to another country, I would rather spend my time seeing the history/scenery than spending two or more days driving 100 miles of a single highway. There's so much to see/do here in the US, I would save caching as a side thing.

 

When traveling to a far-off place, I like to use geocaching as a way to get me to interesting things/places/activities that might not be in the AAA guidebook.

 

100 miles of highway in the desert isn't one of those things.

[+Don_J]

If I were traveling to another country, I would rather spend my time seeing the history/scenery than spending two or more days driving 100 miles of a single highway. There's so much to see/do here in the US, I would save caching as a side thing.

 

When traveling to a far-off place, I like to use geocaching as a way to get me to interesting things/places/activities that might not be in the AAA guidebook.

 

100 miles of highway in the desert isn't one of those things.

 

It'll only take you an hour and a half at 70 MPH, and there are a couple of unique little towns on either end. There are nature preserves and natural hot springs on the hwy that you take to get there out of Vegas. A right turn off the ET and 20 miles down a dirt road brings you to an actual ghost town, not some made up desert tourist attraction. Go 70 miles beyond the ET and you'll be in 10,000' mountain passes. It bothers me that people are willing to avoid all the desert has to offer simply because some people put 1500 film cans in it. I totally agree that spending three days in one 100 mile segment finding those film cans would be a waste of precious time. When they first came out I spent an hour and found 100 of them. Then I got bored and went on to do what I came there to do, which was to live in a tent for a few days.

Edited September 20, 2012 by Don_J

[+TJPost]

We have a spot in Michigan that has some of the most interesting caches. Photobug2 and farmboy & the teacher have spent hundreds of hours creating interesting hides in Newaygo State Park - about an hour north of Grand Rapids. You won't rack up huge numbers doing their caches, but you'll find fascinating multi's and regular caches that take some thinking to open.

[Tahosa and Sons]

Northern CO = From urban to some tough backcountry caches