Abandoned Pensylvania Turnpike... Any Caches There

[+Sparrowhawk]

Just read a page on abandoned sections of the PA turnpike and found it facinating. Any caches there?

[+JMBella]

Very cool stuff. I'd like to know about that for the next time i'm in PA. BTW, what is that abondoned bridge that goes over route 80 (i think)? I see every time we go to Camelback.

[+Quest Master]

Here's one at the site of the old Laurel Mountain Tunnel in Western PA:

 

Spooky Tunnel

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=28669

 

There are three more on the abandoned section of turnpike east of Breezewood where there is also an abandoned tunnel.

 

PA Turnpike Cache #1

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...bf-59d0633c27e1

 

PA Turnpike Cache #2

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...bf-59d0633c27e1

 

PA Turnpike Cache #3

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...bf-59d0633c27e1

 

I need lessons on how to make hyperlinks....

[+The Leprechauns]

Johnny,

 

There is an abandoned rest stop near the series of three Turnpike Caches. Maybe you should hide an abandoned microcache there?

Edited January 2, 2004 by The Leprechauns

[+Quest Master]

Unfortunately, there's already one there and I wouldn't want to run afoul of the 528 feet rule. And I had a really good idea for a name too: Rest Not (But!) HOJO

[dan@vaxcave.com]

the 3 caches on the old turnpike east of breezewood are alot of fun but the best is #2. I'd advise you bring a bike and bright flashlights. the bike is not needed really if you can find the old access road to the abandoned rest stop.

 

Dan

[+TeamK-9]

I had ventured down to the tunnel with my brother and his friends before I had learned of geocaching, and it scared the crap out of me, I really would like to see what the guy who's blacktopping it is doing with it..

 

Edit: I just recieved info from a fairly reliable source that the tunnel and old turnpike is being turned into a bike trail. This is just a rumor, but I'm fairly confident in my source, and so I posted a note at the cache page and thought I'd say it here...

Edited January 3, 2004 by TeamK-9

[+IV_Warrior]

A bike trail through the tunnel?...now that would be a cool idea, and a great reason to hide a cache at the middle of the tunnel

[+Quest Master]

There is some confusion here. I do not believe that there is any plan for a bike trail through the abandoned Laurel Mountain Tunnel in western Pennsylvania although there have been reports of some kind of work going on in there. I believe that it is just some kind of salvage work and nothing more than that. I know this area very well and there is nowhere for a bike trail to go. The Sidling Hill Tunnel, on the other hand, and the abandoned section of turnpike on each end of it has already been converted to a ~10 mile bike trail. I believe that this is the source of the confusion.

[+Tonsil]

I just wanted to clear up some confusion about 'abandoned sections' of the PA Turnpike. Make sure you consult the available literature before assuming any particular stretch of highway is abandoned. The dilapidated quality of the road surface notwithstanding, many seemingly untouched sections of the Turnpike are still technically being maintained by PennDOT. Generally speaking, if tractor trailers are driving by, don't place a cache there.

[dutchmaster]

Thank you Sparrowhawk for your initial post and the link that started this all. Also thanks to Quest Master for the links to Cache #1 , Cache #2 and Cache #3 , on the abandoned PA turnpike. I really love old relics like this and these sites really got me all misty eyed because I'd been in Breezewood several times about as many years ago and never noticed the old section of hwy. (there must have been a distrubance in the force) Now it's almost 10 hrs away. I really enjoyed reading the logs of each cache and the pictures on the other websites are great but it's not quite like being there is it?

[+Stripes17]

I've read about the caches on the Breezewood section of the abandoned turnpike and it seems that the best way to hit these is in a small group (i.e. not alone), especially for safety reasons.

 

Is anyone else thinking about planning a small group trek into this area? My son & I are planning to go there one weekend this spring.

[+benjamin921]

Just a word of caution on the Laurel Mountain Tunnel area. ~100 yards or so is a shooting range for the troopers to go to and the way they shoot is toward the tunnel entrance. Now there is a very large hill that they shoot into so the chances of anything happening is very slim to none. Plus if you were in the area you would hear them anyway. This info is provided as a heads up, there is no reason not to visit the cache.

 

P.S. QM. I think that the range used to be a rest stop BTW

Edited January 5, 2004 by benjamin921

[+DeskJocky]

Just a word of caution on the Laurel Mountain Tunnel area. ~100 yards or so is a shooting range for the troopers to go to and the way they shoot is toward the tunnel entrance. Now there is a very large hill that they shoot into so the chances of anything happening is very slim to none. Plus if you were in the area you would hear them anyway. This info is provided as a heads up, there is no reason not to visit the cache.

 

P.S. QM. I think that the range used to be a rest stop BTW

I can't wait till they see Lep coming at them dressed in camo! I wonder what they will say when the question and then search him. How will he explain that cache of hampsters in his backpack?

[+programmer64]

I've read about the caches on the Breezewood section of the abandoned turnpike and it seems that the best way to hit these is in a small group (i.e. not alone), especially for safety reasons.

 

Is anyone else thinking about planning a small group trek into this area? My son & I are planning to go there one weekend this spring.

Definitely planning on hitting these caches in the spring myself,with my wife,son and granddaughter. Always cool to have another group along with us