Rest Area caches

[+LostTruckDriver]

I travel through a lot of states as a truck driver. How do people get permission to place caches in rest areas, picnic areas or scenic view points?

[+The Jester]

It can vary by state & agency.  Some have an open to caching policy, others may need explicit permission.  And some CO's go by the "Frisbee Rule" - if you can play Frisbee there, you can play geocaching.

[+cerberus1]

You could check each state's Regional Geocaching Policy Wiki, and see if rest areas/highway properties are even mentioned.   

For example, in the regional wiki for PA,  there's no mention of "other" highways, and we've done a few rest area caches on 80 and 81, but all geocaches are banned on Pennsylvania Turnpike properties.

Edited September 5, 2020 by cerberus1
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[+TriciaG]

Geocaches are banned in Wisconsin rest areas.

[+Max and 99]

6 minutes ago, TriciaG said:

Geocaches are banned in Wisconsin rest areas.

Learned something new. All caches, or just ones with a container? I'm assuming all. 

[Keystone]

Virginia is another State that's banned all rest area caches. 

 

I was personally involved in the negotiations with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, which were ultimately unsuccessful.  My recommendations for those seeking permission are (1) to contact the State-level Department of Transportation, not a local maintenance worker who you meet at the rest area, (2) to emphasize the positive safety benefits of having people stop for a walk, and (3) to analogize to dog walking as an activity with higher impact.  Despite a well-presented permission argument, the responsible agency may simply decide to ban all geocaches, like the PA Turnpike did.  I wish they'd instead concentrate on problems like littering, prostitution, human trafficking and drug use.

[+Goldenwattle]

I have never placed a cache here in Australia in a rest area, but rest area caches here are common. In bigger rest areas there could be more than one. I think people just place them, and I have never heard of a problem with this.

Actually, I have never had to ask permission to place a cache. And I doubt many others have either. As long as they are not on private land.

[+thebruce0]

Another benefit to include could be the chance for visiting geocachers to help pick up stray trash, as some are wont to do.

[+JL_HSTRE]

10 hours ago, Keystone said:

Despite a well-presented permission argument, the responsible agency may simply decide to ban all geocaches, like the PA Turnpike did.

 

I would assume those opposed to it mostly consider it a security issue.

 

Most rest area caches I've found over my decade of caching have been away from buildings. But it's easier to do a blanket ban than deal with which ones are okay and which aren't, or with tourists worried about the strange people going into the woods / under the picnic table / fiddling with the fence.

[Keystone]

In the case of the PA Turnpike Commission, security never came up in the discussions.  It was all about lease agreements and contracts.  There are many reasons to ban caches, unfortunately.

[+TriciaG]

23 hours ago, Max and 99 said:

Learned something new. All caches, or just ones with a container? I'm assuming all. 

I don't know. I just know that traveling through Wisconsin without rest area caches is a sad experience.

[+Max and 99]

One of my favorite Earth Caches was at a rest stop.

[+G0ldNugget]

It seems that most rest stops here in California have caches. They are a pretty reliable source for a nice break and a quick smiley on long trips, especially along the major routes.

[+XHawk]

Minnesota banned caches in rest areas several years ago, but you will still find some that were placed before the ban.

[+frostengel]

Here in Gemany we have several caches at rest stops ("Autobahnparkplatz" :-)), too. They are usually micro caches wirh many finds (1000+) and rarely have any favourite points or get any good logs. I don't know why I would own such a thing.

 

Some weeks ago we did a small multi cache near a rest stop. We had to pass an awful area where some ..... people ...... had pooped on the street. Yikes!

 

Just don't do it - go and find a better place. You can take a rest while driving without finding a geocache. Yes, it is possible. :-)

[+terratin]

In the Netherlands carpool caches are a thing. And of course rest area caches. One of my first ever was a carpool cache *sigh* I usually ignore them all:put on nice music, sing along and just drive. But then distances tend to be smaller in Europe. When in Utah a few years back I rather made detours for virtuals. Soooo many old virtuals!!! Though I did get annoyed after the xth mormon memorial virtual.