State Involement in Caching

[+RenMin]

Title should read: State Involvement in Caching

 

For the second year now several NYS parks in upstate NY have entered the caching fray. Inside the department is apparently a geocache fan so they got the parks involved. Recently they published fifty caches scattered amongst historical sites and state parks with a challenge attached. Does anybody know of other state entities are getting involved in geocaching? Companies? And what are your thoughts? It seems like very good press for the hobby and opens up areas to caches that may have been closed or required permits. This current challenge spreads from Albany to Saratoga to Lake Placid.

Edited June 8, 2013 by RenMin

[+wimseyguy]

Several other state park agencies have been involved in placing their own caches sometimes as part of a passport program. Utah, Arkansas and Georgia come to mind.

[+ByronForestPreserve]

*cough cough* We've allowed geocaches for years, but lately most of the other nearby forest preserve and conservation districts are requiring permits. Some don't allow caches now at all. I printed out the logs to one of my older caches (now archived) and passed them around at a board meeting; they love the idea. I've even gotten permission to open new properties for caching before they're open to the general public.

[+niraD]

It isn't a state program, but the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District has a geocache series. Those who complete it get a geocoin.

[+Walts Hunting]

Texas State Parks has a program with one in every park. I got a couple while vacationing there

[+derektiffany]

Virginia: http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/geocachegame.shtml

 

Virginia State Parks have done this for several years, with a different "theme" each year, since at least 2010.

[+captnemo]

I've got state park finds in Texas, Mississippi, Florida, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. I think it's smart for the state parks to get on board the Geocache band wagon.

[+hydnsek]

Very timely topic.

 

Today Washington State Parks launched the Washington State Parks Centennial GeoTour - 100 caches in 100 parks to celebrate 100 years - in partnership with the Washington State Geocaching Association (WSGA). Woo hoo!

[+BluesHiker]

Louisiana has the State Park Geo Project (GC25HV7). We haven't completed the challenge yet, but we've discovered parks we didn't know existed. And we've seen some amazing sights. We're also pleasantly surprised at how well most of the parks are maintained. Cleanest campground bathroom EVER: South Toledo Bend S.P.

[+SparksWG3K]

It would appear that the Smithsonian Institute has found a friend in caching. The Natural History museum in Washington, DC, has several traditional and Earthcaches. Also the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center on the Rhodes River, off of the Chesapeake Bay, has several caches around it's property.

[+RenMin]

Very timely topic.

 

Today Washington State Parks launched the Washington State Parks Centennial GeoTour - 100 caches in 100 parks to celebrate 100 years - in partnership with the Washington State Geocaching Association (WSGA). Woo hoo!

 

Very interesting. I was sure NY wasn't the first to have parks departments get involved but wasn't sure just how many states are doing it too. This is good to hear.

[+ras_oscar]

The state of Delaware has placed a power trail along both sides of the chesapeake canal, which connects the Delaware river with the Chesapeake bay.

[+JL_HSTRE]

Does anybody know of other state entities are getting involved in geocaching?

 

I know VA, SC, GA, and AL have state-wide series set up. FL state parks are also involved, but on a park-by-park basis rather than a state-wide program. Some county park systems, county tourist bureaus, or county natural/environmental resource management organizations have have also gotten involved in VA, GA, and FL to name just the ones I know of off the top of my head.

 

I've been impressed how seriously most of these organizations seem to take their geocaches: good cache pages, good containers, good locations. The involvement of groups like this adds legitimacy to geocaching. If a park near you is reluctant to geocaching (or outright hostile to it), you can point them to all these other states where it has been a huge success.

[+ArcherDragoon]

Minnesota State Parks has had something going for a couple years now...

[+farrtom]

The Idaho office of the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) has gotten on board with geocaching and put together a state wide challenge.

http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/prog/recreation/what_do_you_want_to/Geocaching.html

[+J Grouchy]

http://www.geocaching.com/adventures/geotours/georgiastateparks

[+fantasiynomrah]

Maine seems to be getting involved as well. Just noticed this one today:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/adventures/geotours/maine-state-parks

 

Having a chance to win a canoe for getting all 8 stamps is appealing.