Caching on the Appalachian Trail (AT)

[+Goblin]

I like hiking the AT. Has anyone compiled a list of which caches might be on, or very close (.5 miles) off the AT? I know one in VA (Lean2Rock) and 4 in MD (Hoffa's Cache, The Truth, Blair Witch Cache and Tinkers Folly #1) and two in NJ (Normanock and Night at the Leanto). Anyone know of any others?

[+ED634]

There's 2 more in Vernon on the AT trail

[+Metaphor]

Add Stonewall Regiment Cache 1, Clang, A Monumental View, and Lake View from 1700 to your Maryland AT List. This would be a cool project to buid a compendium of AT accessible caches...

 

"All of us are standing in the mud, but some of us are looking at the stars." Oscar Wilde

[+Goblin]

If you post a reply please name the caches so trips can be planned. Thanks.

[+Trudy & the beast]

You can locate these using any map with grid references. Mark the trail on the map, then mark selected waypoints along the trail. Determine the longitude and latitude for each WP in DD.ddd format. remember that longitude in the W. hemisphere is negative. Enter the coordinate sets in the appropriate boxes on the GC.com hide/seek page and it will return a list of caches with distance and bearing from the WP you have entered.

 

Using WP with L/L 39.480 -77.620 as an example, gives Stonewall Regiment cache 1 at 0.1mi N; A Monumental View at 1.4mi N etc.

 

Of course if you want to know which are viewed as the best, you will have to scan the logs or come to these forums for recommendations.

 

Keep on caching!

the beast

[+Goblin]

Beast,

 

A couple of the ones I listed I did in the manner you suggested. But then you have to bring up each cache page to see if it says it is on the AT (in may really be in a park near the AT but far enough off to not make it worthwhile) and/or bring up the TopoZone to see if it's on the AT. I was hoping people would just name then to make compiling the list easier.

[+Zhanna]

Some AT caches that I really enjoyed:

 

Rutherford View

(CoFR) Sticks and Stones

Smith Gap Cache

Appalachian Spur am Blauen Berg

BOK Joy

Mars Cache

Wolf Rocks

 

They're all in Pennsylvania except Rutherford View, which is in New Jersey.

 

Zhanna

[+geospotter]

You HAVE to include this one!

 

Check out my log for the cache.

 

geospotter

[+2dest]

There are many caches along the A.T. in my neck of the woods. I am in central VA. Here are some, although I am sure I left out some great ones. Sorry, you will have to cut and paste.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=38561

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=32292

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=32288

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=32301

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=39302

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=592

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=32427

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=41545

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=6059

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=10561

[+Waterboy]

There are plenty of AT caches. Below are a number that we have been to and have not been mentioned yet.

First in Pennsylvania:

Starbuckian Dream

Stony mt. Stash*

The General*

Ghost Town Cache

Five Hundred Steps

The Real Swatara Path?*

Not the Swatara Path

Oh Danny boy

No Hints #2

No Hints Cache

 

In New Jersey:

Dreamcatcher*

Rocky Mountain Way

PointPLMD*

Limpidity-2: ^^^ High Point ^^^*

Covert-002*

New York/New Jersey Multi-State Multi-Cache**

 

In New York:

Island View*

Anthony Wayne Trails*

 

* = Not within 200 yards of AT, but within 0.5 miles

** = One or more components of multicache is near AT.

 

Caches have been listed in order of South to North.

 

[This message was edited by Waterboy With Wife (www) on November 29, 2002 at 01:42 PM.]

[+Zhanna]

...for reminding me that I still need to get to your "No Hints" caches! I hear they're great.

 

~Zh~

[+Waterboy]

Posted in error

[mortonfox]

Dutchess County, New York:

 

Pearly Gates

The First Days Are The Hardest Days cache (not exactly on the AT but close)

Symmetric Hurd (under 500 ft from AT)

Bloop!

This One's for Freedom

Harley's Hide-away

HIGH way THRILLS

 

Litchfield County, Connecticut:

 

Tetazoo

Did it still make a sound?

 

Westchester County, New York:

 

n_Se (maybe only a few hundred feet from the AT but I did not use that approach!)

 

Rockland County, New York:

 

PERKINS DRIVE (short walk from AT)

Special cache..My 20th

Island View (not a long walk from AT)

Virgin Booty (about 700 ft from AT)

GREEN POND MTN # 2 (not a long walk from AT)

 

[This message was edited by StayFloopy on November 29, 2002 at 05:13 PM.]

[+Goblin]

Thanks to everyone who replied. Here is what I have so far. Sorted on coords and in descending order.

 

State Cache Name Coords

Latitude Longitude

CT Did It Still Make A Sound? N 41° 46.886 W 073° 25.020

CT Tetazoo N 41° 40.269 W 073° 30.334

NY The First Days Are The Hardest Days Cache N 41° 38.149 W 073° 32.151

NY Pearly Gates N 41° 38.144 W 073° 32.883

NY Bloop! N 41° 36.183 W 073° 36.497

NY Harley’s Hide-Away N 41° 36.090 W 073° 38.800

NY Symmetric Hurd N 41° 35.645 W 073° 35.645

NY This One’s For Freedom N 41° 34.414 W 073° 40.647

NY HIGH way THRILLS N 41° 32.725 W 073° 43.120

NJ Limpidity-2: ^^^ High Point ^^^ N 41° 20.016 W 074° 39.083

NJ PointPLMD N 41° 19.879 W 074° 39.190

NJ One Down Forty-Nine To Go N 41° 19.264 W 074° 39.693

NY N_SE N 41° 19.111 W 073° 58.561

NY Perkins Drive N 41° 18.441 W 074° 00.147

NY Anthony Wayne Trails N 41° 17.062 W 074° 01.464

NJ Rutherford View N 41° 16.809 W 074° 40.825

NY Special Cache – My 20th N 41° 16.324 W 074° 05.688

NY Green Pond Mtn #2 N 41° 15.541 W 074° 09.244

NY Island View N 41° 15.511 W 074° 08.632

NY Virgin Booty N 41° 15.486 W 074° 08.688

NJ Rocky Mountain Way N 41° 14.896 W 074° 41.205

NJ Up On Top N 41° 12.725 W 074° 45.127

NJ Normanock N 41° 10.789 W 074° 46.757

NJ Night At The Leanto N 41° 09.204 W 074° 50.248

NJ Dreamcatcher N 41° 00.155 W 075° 04.068

PA Wolf Rocks N 40° 55.421 W 075° 13.464

PA No Hints Cache N 40° 51.020 W 075° 19.748

PA Smith Gap Cache N 40° 49.262 W 075° 26.193

PA Appalachian Spur am Blauen Berg N 40° 48.489 W 075° 31.027

PA Mars Cache N 40° 48.254 W 075° 33.139

PA (CoFR) Sticks and Stones N 40° 47.440 W 075° 35.866

PA Turnpike Gamelands N 40° 46.289 W 075° 38.678

PA BOK Joy N 40° 44.960 W 075° 44.024

PA Three County Trek - Almost N 40° 40.647 W 075° 53.431

PA No Hints #2 N 40° 40.606 W 075° 53.598

PA Oh Danny Boy N 40° 39.503 W 075° 56.705

PA None The Weiser 2 N 40° 36.633 W 075° 58.965

PA Weiser Trail N 40° 36.137 W 075° 58.506

PA The Real Swatara Path? N 40° 32.042 W 076° 12.787

PA Eagles Nesst N 40° 31.825 W 076° 09.120

PA Not The Swatara Path N 40° 31.715 W 076° 12.141

PA High Country N 40° 31.397 W 076° 16.700

PA Geocache N 40° 31.184 W 076° 19.811

PA Five Hundred Steps N 40° 30.490 W 076° 18.628

PA Ghost Town Cache N 40° 29.976 W 076° 35.897

PA The General N 40° 29.312 W 076° 38.573

PA Stony Mt. Stash N 40° 28.520 W 076° 40.614

PA Starbuckian Dream N 40° 26.872 W 076° 45.999

PA Mountain Creek Bike Trail N 40° 02.764 W 077° 15.243

PA Over The River & Through The Woods N 40° 02.510 W 077° 17.670

PA Steeple Chase N 40° 01.930 W 077° 16.020

PA Bass Ackwards N 40° 01.880 W 077° 17.510

PA Halfway AT Heaven N 40° 01.825 W 077° 17.226

PA Hairy Spring Cache N 40° 00.748 W 077° 23.821

PA Big Flat Ridge Cache N 39° 59.150 W 077° 26.063

PA Leaders’ Summit N 39° 49.138 W 077° 28.249

PA Raccoon Run Cache N 39° 48.885 W 077° 28.898

PA Deer Lick N 39° 45.980 W 077° 29.068

MD High-Rock N 39° 41.723 W 077° 31.395

MD Lakeview from 1700 N 39° 33.490 W 077° 35.920

MD Clang N 39° 32.131 W 077° 36.250

MD Welcome to Maryland N 39° 31.618 W 077° 36.247

MD A Monumental View N 39° 30.050 W 077° 37.398

MD Stonewall Regiment Cache 1 N 39° 28.871 W 077° 37.169

MD Tinkers Folly #1 N 39° 24.349 W 077° 38.368

MD Blair Witch Cache N 39° 24.345 W 077° 38.352

MD Hoffa’s Cache N 39° 24.100 W 077° 38.428

MD The Truth N 39° 23.281 W 077° 38.676

MD Pterodactyl mountain exploration #1 (watch-tower) N 39° 19.917 W 077° 40.587

WV A Step Above N 39° 19.355 W 077° 43.996

VA Lean2Rock N 38° 52.798 W 078° 06.477

VA At The Rock N 38° 39.003 W 078° 19.056

VA Stony Man Cliff N 38° 35.911 W 078° 22.419

VA Viking Treasure Cave N 38° 31.575 W 078° 25.281

VA Big Flat Mountain N 38° 14.922 W 078° 40.438

VA Blackrock Basin N 38° 13.220 W 078° 44.430

VA Raven’s Roost Climbers Cache N 37° 56.024 W 078° 57.173

VA Raven’s Roost Non-Climbers Cache N 37° 56.019 W 078° 57.150

VA Tar Jacket Cache N 37° 45.931 W 079° 11.462

VA Hog Camp Cache N 37° 45.601 W 079° 11.795

VA Hog Wall N 37° 44.889 W 079° 12.090

VA Yakity-Yak Cache N 37° 28.867 W 079° 40.729

VA 9 Mile Cache N 37° 36.323 W 079° 23.275

VA CrachCache N 37° 44.562 W 079° 13.262

VA PG19 N 37° 34.480 W 079° 26.504

VA Little Ottie II / Bluff Mtn. N 37° 39.602 W 079° 20.795

VA Big Rocky Row N 37° 37.803 W 079° 23.656

VA Cold Mountain Geocache N 37° 45.058 W 079° 12.290

VE It is High, It is Far and It is Orange N 42° 58.670 W 073° 04.285

[enfanta]

I probably shouldn't open this can of worms but...

 

"You will be in violation of federal regulation by placing a cache in any area administered by the National Park Service (US)." (geocaching.com)

 

"... a summary of the rules and regulations set and enforced by the National Park Service (NPS) for the NPS-acquired A.T. corridor — approximately 500 miles along the length of the Trail." (http://www.appalachiantrail.org/hike/hike_info/regs.html)

 

Anyone else see a conflict here?? (Wait a sec, let me get into my asbestos suit... there! Flame away!)

[+MountainMudbug]

I just compiled a list of about 30 caches from the southern terminus in Georgia through North Carolina, Tennessee, and part of Virginia. After reading the 'can of worms' post I've decided I won't list them here so they don't fall into that. If anyone is interested, email me and I'll email the list to you.

 

______________________________________________________________________

Remember that happiness is a way of travel, not a destination. - Roy M. Goodman

[+briansnat]

Two more in NJ. Pochuck Bypass and the Vernon Cache.

 

"You can't make a man by standing a sheep on its hind legs, but by standing a flock of sheep in that position, you can make a crowd of men" -Max Beerbohm

[+ZingerHead]

Yep, you *shouldn't* place traditionals on NPS land. This virtual cache in CT is OK though.

[+Alan2]

Wait. I'm confused. Just because it a AT doesn't mean it's federal land, does it? I mean the AT travels through Harriman Park which is a NYS park. So what's this all about?

 

Alan

[+briansnat]

quote:

---

Wait. I'm confused. Just because it a AT doesn't mean it's federal land, does it? I mean the AT travels through Harriman Park which is a NYS park. So what's this all about?

---

 

The AT goes through a variety of public lands, administered by many agencies. There are some sections that are administered by the NPS. A section in NJ that comes to mind is the part that runs through the Delaware Watergap National Recreation Area.

 

Only a portion of the AT runs through lands controlled by the NPS. So most of the caches mentioned here are probably legal, since the NPS seems to agressively seek out and remove "illegal" geocaches.

 

"You can't make a man by standing a sheep on its hind legs, but by standing a flock of sheep in that position, you can make a crowd of men" -Max Beerbohm

 

[This message was edited by BrianSnat on December 02, 2002 at 06:31 PM.]

[+briansnat]

According to the link posted by Enfanta, about 750 of the AT's 2,100+ miles are administered by the NPS. 250 miles of the trail are on the following NPS lands: Blue Ridge Parkway, C & O Canal National Historical Park, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Shenandoah National Park, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

 

The remaining 500 miles are broken into non-contiguious sections purchased by the NPS. These are often very narrow; sometimes not much wider than the trail itself.

 

"You can't make a man by standing a sheep on its hind legs, but by standing a flock of sheep in that position, you can make a crowd of men" -Max Beerbohm

[+briansnat]

oops, was trying out mypop

[+jonboy]

Technically, all the AT corridor that is not state or National Forest land is national park Land, whether or not it is administered by the NPS. In practice, it is very difficult to tell who owns the land of any particular part of the AT corridor, without inside knowledge. In New Jersey, apart from the Delaware Water Gap parkland, most of the corridor is state owned, as they aquired the land prior to the aquisitions under the National Scenic Trails Act. In New York, most of the land is NPS land, apart from the PIPC parkland in Harriman and a few easements where the land is still owned by the original owners, such as the Pawling Nature Preserve. On most of the land in our area, the trail is maintained by ATC member clubs and law enforcement is delegated to the local authorities. Due to these divided authorities, placements of caches on these lands have not routinely been challenged, but they remain outlawed under the overarching NPS authority. Such being the case, it might not be wise formulate long lists of caches of dubious legality on this discussion forum, less it provoke a crackdown by some websurfing NPS purist.

[+MissJenn]

I was about to start a thread MUCH like this one, but thanks to the awesome SEARCH function, I did not have to.

 

I guess I'll just bump it up.

 

-----

You must be present to win.

[+Berserkr]

Sorry to dig up an old topic, But would it be safe to say it is ok to place a cache on the AT trail that is owned by the State of Pennsylvania?

 

Thanks

Berserkr

[+Stripes17]

Add this one at the Maryland Pennsylvania border area:

 

Cache Name: AT Pen Mar

Waypoint: GCH4VD

 

It's an offset cache that we just did it yesterday. It's just up the trail from the High Rock cache you already listed.

[+gnbrotz]

I think it would be safe to place a cache accessible from the AT, but due to the fact that it is very hard to determine who actually owns the trail in a given area, keep it far enough off the trail that it wouldn't actually be on the "trail corridor". How far is that? I don't really know, but I'd say over 50' would be reasonable.

 

Also, if the location you have in mind (in PA) is on state park or state forest land, you will need to get the appropriate permission from DCNR.

[+briansnat]

I think it would be safe to place a cache accessible from the AT, but due to the fact that it is very hard to determine who actually owns the trail in a given area, keep it far enough off the trail that it wouldn't actually be on the "trail corridor". How far is that? I don't really know, but I'd say over 50' would be reasonable.

 

The width of the trail corridor varies. I second Jonboy's old post (why was this dredged up anyway?) and drop this subject.

[+JMBella]

Here's my cache just off the AT in Warwick, NYThe Waterfall. A fairly easy hike up a great little waterfall.

[+gnbrotz]

The width of the trail corridor varies.

I did a bit more digging, and while the goal of the ATC is to establish a 1000' trail corridor over the entire length of the trail (only 4 of 14 states currently completed due to much private ownership), their own site states that in some parts the corridor "is only a few hundred feet wide".

 

I agree that compiling a list in a forum is not the best idea, but being able to establish where the hard boundaries are in a given area would be a great asset for those cachers who do everything in their power to follow established polices as they apply to geocaching.

[+briansnat]

Such being the case, it might not be wise formulate long lists of caches of dubious legality on this discussion forum, less it provoke a crackdown by some websurfing NPS purist.

 

Agreed!

[+opey one]

Up In The Woods Cache GC26BD N 36 39.424 W 081 40.810

 

Creeper Cache GCEAA N 36 38.881 W 081 40.725

 

These two are intermingled with the Virginia Creeper Trail and are definately worthy of a visit.

Edited March 9, 2004 by opey one

[+carleenp]

Would someone please arrange for me to win the lottery so I can quit my job and backpack the AT? Thank you!