Parking

[Susan35]

I am so proud of my self.  I found my first cache.  I have a question about parking.  On my second cache, I got within about 20 feet but it was off a hard road with no parking within 3/4 mile and no pull offs. Any suggestions? Is there a way to filter so you only get caches in parks or accessable areas?

[+cerberus1]

4 hours ago, Susan35 said:

I am so proud of my self.  I found my first cache... 

Is there a way to filter so you only get caches in parks or accessable areas?

Curious why you haven't logged your first cache yet.   

There are Parking Available and the Park and Grab attributes, but IIRC,  as a basic member you can't do filtered searches.  But you can view them on caches you're looking for to see if there are any.

Caches viewed on the site would easily show if there are any additional waypoints that are often coordinates for parking too.  

 

 

Edited October 3, 2017 by cerberus1
splelling

[+Touchstone]

4 hours ago, Susan35 said:

Is there a way to filter so you only get caches in parks or accessable areas?

I usually just look at the maps, then do a search on one of the caches that is centrally located in the park I'm interested in.

[+barefootjeff]

There are attributes you might find useful, like "Park & Grab" and "Hike shorter than 1km" but bear in mind that not all caches meeting these criteria will have those attributes set and "less than 1km" could still mean thick scrub on a hillside. Also look at the terrain rating - if it's more than 1.5 it'll probably require at least a bit of physical effort to reach. The map, of course, will show how far caches are from a road and the satellite image might help identify likely parking spots and the sort of terrain you'll need to cross.

[+CAVinoGal]

6 hours ago, Susan35 said:

 Is there a way to filter so you only get caches in parks or accessable areas?

Congrats on your first find!!

A bit of research before heading out is the best way - look at the cache description on the website, and check the attributes and waypoints for parking and accessibility information, especially if you are not familiar with the area you are caching in.  I try to find a pathway or trail of caches within a reasonable (for me, 2-3 miles) walking distance with a parking area nearby so I can park the car, and go for a leisurely walk while finding a few caches.

For those spur of the moment cache adventures, I use the app to see what's nearby wherever I happen to be at the time I decide to do a bit of caching, and then read the terrain and difficulty readings, and previous logs to see if I really want to attempt those neaby at that particular time.

Edited October 3, 2017 by CAVinoGal

[+J Grouchy]

On 10/2/2017 at 8:53 PM, cerberus1 said:

Curious why you haven't logged your first cache yet.   

There are Parking Available and the Park and Grab attributes, but IIRC,  as a basic member you can't do filtered searches.  But you can view them on caches you're looking for to see if there are any.

Caches viewed on the site would easily show if there are any additional waypoints that are often coordinates for parking too.  

 

 

Wonder if Susan35 posted a 'Note' instead of a 'Found it' log.  It's a common mistake I see often.

 

There are lots of instances where, although a cache might be right off a roadway, it's actually intended to be accessed from a trail or unmarked drive coming from a different direction.  Maybe the one she mentioned was actually in a park that bordered the roadway and the parking lot for that area is a mile or two away.  Always advisable to get a little context from the map before going for a cache.  I've been foiled plenty of times when I thought I just needed to pull off the road only to realize that the cache was inaccessible from the road and I ACTUALLY needed to turn off an earlier road to get to the proper access point.