Geocaching Restrictions for New Hampshire

Should you plan on placing a cache in one of the following areas (if allowed), please ensure you follow their requests prior to submitting the cache.

Local town / city parks - Contact you local town or cities Parks and Recreation department for approval.

Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge – no geocaches allowed. -- Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge
4 Arboretum Drive, Newington, NH 03801 - Phone: 978-465-5753

BEAVER BROOK ASSOCIATION - Hollis – no geocaches allowed. -- The mission of the Beaver Brook Association (BBA) is to promote the understanding of interrelationships in the natural world and to encourage conservation of natural resources through education and land stewardship. They manage over 2000 acres with nearly 35 miles of trails. Maps can be found here: visit link

The BBA have had a strict NO CACHING policy until a recent cacher pioneered the path and received approval for a single cache. I don't want to say geocaching is permitted but can't say that it's not permitted either.
To discuss cache placement and environmental impact contact:
Celeste Barr - Education Director Beaver Brook Association - www.beaverbrook.org
117 Ridge Road, Hollis NH 03049, (603) 465-7787

THE NATURE CONSERVATORY - The Nature Conservatory manages 27 properties across New Hampshire. A detailed list of properties can be found here. visit link
Geocaching is allowed with appropriate written permission. TNC's official policy is listed below:
Quote: Geocaching/Orienteering- Placing of geocaches and formal orienteering “way posts” is usually allowed, but only with prior written permission of TNC. Such activities must be conducted in a location and manner that avoid disturbance or alteration to any significant natural feature or area of ecological concern.
A general contact at TNC is Krista Helmboldt. She will forward any requests to the appropriate land manager.

The Nature Conservancy (NH Chapter)
22 Bridge Street, 4th Floor, Concord, NH 03301-4987
Krista Helmboldt: khelmboldt@tnc.org
(603) 224-5853 Ext. 17 (Phone) -- (603) 228-2459 (Fax)

Society for the Protection of NH Forests - The Forest Society has published a policy for geocaching on lands under their management. Generally, a Geocache Identification Form is required to be submitted to the responsible Land Steward Coordiantor for approval. Caches will not generally be permitted within lands managed for non-recreational purposes, such as conservation of sensitive plant or animal communities, sustainable timber harvesting, and preservation of ecological processes or linkages. In some cases, these other uses will be incompatible with the placement of geocaches. The policy and Geocache Identification Form can be found here: visit link

For questions of a broad nature our primary geocaching contact is:
Carrie Deegan - Land Steward Coordinator Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
54 Portsmouth Street, Concord, NH 03301, E-Mail: CDeegan@forestsociety.org

APPALACHIAN TRAIL – no geocaches allowed. -- The AT is managed by the Appalachian Trail Conservatory and considered Federal land as part of the National Park Service. Geocaching is prohibited along the Appalachian Trail including the AT corridor which varies in width. Any caches within the AT corridor or that require access to the AT will not be published.

New Hampshire State parks - Geocaching is permitted in New Hampshire State Parks and campgrounds. A list of state parks (in alphabetical order) can be found here: visit link
**Always contact the local land manager before placing a cache.

MASSABESIC LAKE Watershed - Lake Massabesic is the water supply for the city of Manchester. Part of the lake and the adjoining land is restricted, and trespassing there is forbidden. A map is located below and can be used for reference. Note that West is up on this map. https://www.manchesternh.gov/Portals/2/Departments/water_works/Map%20of%20Lake%20Massabesic%20Watershed.pdf

WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST – no geocaches allowed. -- Geocaching is permitted in the White Mountain National Forest with permission from the local ranger district. Caching is prohibited in congressional designated wilderness or alpine zone areas.

The prohibited wilderness areas are:

Great Gulf Wilderness
Wild River Wilderness
Pemigewasset Wilderness
Presidential Range
Sandwich range
Caribou Wilderness / Speckled Mountain area (Maine)
Any Alpine Zone (with trees of 8 Ft or less)

The WMNF official policy is listed below:
Quote: Geocaching is not allowed within designated Wilderness or alpine areas of the White Mountain National Forest. (Alpine is defined as an area where trees are 8 feet tall or less.) This prohibition is designed to protect fragile areas from too much use or signs of human presence.

Geocaching is currently permitted in other parts of the National Forest. To help ensure that it stays that way, practice Leave No Trace ethics every time you go out.
**Always contact the local land manager before placing a cache. A map of these regions can be found here: visit link

White Mountain National Forest
719 N Main Street, Laconia, NH 03246
Phone: (603) 528-8721 - FAX: (603) 528-8783 - TTY: (603) 528-8722

If you know of another New Hampshire geocache placement policy or any above that has been revised, please contact the regional reviewer.