Table of Contents

General Information

This page contains specific geocaching land management policies for Tennessee, naturally all other Geocaching.com guidelines, including obtaining adequate permission for any geocache placement, apply.  This listing is not all-inclusive as some land managers have instituted policies we are not yet aware of or may have amended their posted policies.  If you are a land manager with a geocaching policy which should be listed here please send a copy of your policy and contact information to TheSeanachai at gmail.com.

National Park Service

Geocaches are not generally allowed on property managed, owned or operated by the United States National Park Service or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (National Wildlife Refuges). Exceptions can be granted with the express consent of the Park Manager and the NPS. In Tennessee, this includes:

Tennessee National Park Service Properties

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park
• Foothills National Parkway
• Natchez Trace National Parkway
• Appalachian Trail
• Blue Ridge Parkway
• Shiloh National Military Park
• Chattanooga and Chickamauga National Military Park
• Lookout Mountain National Military Park
• Russell Cave National Monument
• Andrew Johnson National Historic Site
• Stones River National Battlefield
• Fort Donelson National Battlefield
• Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
• Obed Wild & Scenic River
• Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail

Tennessee U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuges

• Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge
• Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge
• Chickasaw National Wildlife Refuge
• Lower Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge
• Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge
• Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge
• West Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Tennessee Sections of the Appalachian Trail

Generally, placements along the Appalachian Trail are not allowed as the National Park Service manages the AT in Tennessee. The current Appalachian Trail Conservancy policy can be found here. Exceptions can be granted with the express consent of the National Park Service, the Park Manager for the area and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

Tennessee State Parks

All caches placed on Tennessee State Parks property must have prior approval. This guide is to help you understand the requirements needed in order to have your cache approved by the state park and published on Geocaching.com  Once you have reviewed and followed these requirements, submit your permit application to the park where the geocache is located for park management approval.

 Research a cache location

When thinking about where to place a cache in a Tennessee State Park, keep these things in mind:

Will it be easy to get to? - Try to find a place that will take a bit of time to get to, preferably on foot – Do NOT bury the container or place it off-trail.

Will it be easy to find? - If it is too visible, or too close to busy roads, trails, etc. there's a good chance someone may stumble upon it. But don't make it too difficult!

Will the location disturb other park users or the environment? - Be respectful of the areas in which you are thinking about placing the cache. For example, if it's the location of an endangered species, or off-trail with delicate ground cover, keep in mind that others will be walking in these areas. Be mindful of protecting the fragile environment, as well as any and all historical and cultural resources found near your cache site.

Is the location unique or interesting? - The big reward for geocachers, other than finding the cache itself, is the location. A prime hiking spot, great view shed, unusual location, etc. are all good places to hide a cache.

Will your cache be traditional, micro, or other? – Depending on the location, decide whether to place a traditional, micro, or other cache. Which would work best for the area you’ve chosen?

Does it meet requirements to be listed on the geocaching web site? Make sure to review the guidelines on geocaching.com for listing a geocache on the website.

Preparing Your Cache

Use a water resistant container; for example, plastic buckets, Tupperware (or Rubbermaid) containers, film canisters, or watertight bags. Whatever the container, make sure to mark your cache so that someone who doesn't play can figure out what it is if they happen upon it. It is also recommended that you include a welcome note for the cache finder explaining the cache. Geocaching.com has a letter you can use in both Microsoft Word format and Text format. You can also put goodies in the cache. Keep it fun and family oriented. Some ideas of items placed in cache boxes:

(CDs, Trading Cards, gift certificates, dollar bills, trinkets, cheap toys, silly putty, action figures, etc.)

Do NOT put food or candy in a cache! Critters will bite, nibble or swallow your cache in an attempt to get the goodies.

No alcohol, tobacco, firearms, prescription or illicit drugs are allowed in any cache. The caching permit is subject to all rules and regulations of Tennessee State Parks.

Report the Cache

Submit your Tennessee State Parks permit application. You will be notified if your cache is approved. If your permit application is approved, you are then ready to report the cache to geocaching.com.

Maintain the cache

Once you place the cache, it is your responsibility to maintain the cache and the area around it. Tennessee State Parks permits are only valid for one year. You'll need to return as often as you can to ensure that your cache is not impacting the area, and to ensure that the cache is in good repair.

YOU MUST HAVE AN APPROVED PERMIT BEFORE POSTING IT TO GEOCACHING.COM

Tennessee State Parks

Geocache Placement Site Permit Application

Once you have submitted this application, you will be notified whether your request has been approved. Please follow all placement procedures in order to have your request processed quickly.

Name___________________________________________________________

Address_________________________________________________________

Phone # (____)__________________ Fax # (____)_______________________

E-mail address____________________________________________________

Cache name _____________________________________________________

Name of Park_____________________________________________________

Nearest parking area (description and coordinates) _______________________________________________________________________________

Location (description and coordinates) ________________________________________________________________________________

Physical description of area _______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Physical description of container_____________________________________

Type of cache _________________________________________

(i.e.:  micro, small, etc.)  Please include a picture of the proposed geocache.

Permit is good for 1 year from the date issued. After that date, the permit will be reviewed to either extend the permitted location or the cache must be removed or moved to a new permitted location.

We require that you monitor this cache monthly and that you maintain it to be family friendly. This means the cache should contain no food, alcohol, firearms, drugs, dangerous items or adult items.

We also require that you direct people seeking your cache to follow established trails to your cache. In many areas, we do not allow off-trail hiking as it negatively impacts the environment.

Mail, fax or email the completed form to: 

Park Name:                ___________________________________

Park Address:            ___________________________________

                                    ___________________________________

Park Fax:                    ___________________________________

Email:                          ___________________________________

___  Approved        ___ Denied                           _______________________________

                                                                                    Signature: Park Manager

Once you have received an approved permit for your cache placement, you may submit your geocache for publication on Geocaching,com. Be sure to include your name and the name and contact information for the Park Manager, in a reviewer note, so that your reviewer may verify that the permit has been granted in accordance with Tennessee State Parks policy.

Tennessee State Natural Areas

Designated State Natural Areas are closed to new geocache placements, at this time. Any existing geocaches within designated state natural area properties remain active. Please refer to the Tennessee State Natural Areas Map.

Tennessee Cemeteries

Physical geocaches or stages are not allowed on cemetery grounds in Tennessee. It is a violation of Tennessee law to "play at any game or amusement" in or around a cemetery.  Under current state law this is a Class E Felony punishable with one to six years in jail and a fine of up to $3,000, in addition to any damages. Any geocaches that you may have found in the past inside or near Tennessee cemeteries were placed before this ban took effect.

As a result, all geocache placements in Tennessee must be at least 150 feet outside the apparent boundary of a Tennessee cemetery or on a separate piece of property beyond a clearly marked boundary. Geocaches may not be placed on a fence, plant or other structure which marks the cemetery boundary. Geocachers must be prepared to identify the property owner and provide contact information for the land manager granting permission for any geocache placed near a Tennessee cemetery.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) properties

TVA has no objection to the geocaching activity based on your understanding of the following conditions:
1.  There will be no site disturbance, illegal substances or uses involving the geocaching on the TVA property.
2.  Caches will not be placed in or near restricted areas, dams, power generation facilities or equipment, substation sites, gated or signed areas, and/or transmission line sites, etc.
3.  You will maintain a list of geocache locations on the TVA property which can be reviewed by TVA at any time.
4.  TVA retain the rights to terminate this permission for the use of the TVA property at any time.
5.  This permission conveys no property rights, grants no exclusive use, and in no way restricts the general public's privilege of using TVA public land.
6.  TVA assumes no liability and undertakes no obligation or duty (in tort, contract, strict liability, or otherwise) to you or to any third party for any damages to property (real or personal) or personal injuries (including death) arising out of or in any way connected with your performance of activities which are the subject of this statement of no objection.
7.  Caches should not be placed in or around cemetery areas.
8.  Permission must be obtained from the managing public or private entity in situations where TVA has granted land rights via license, lease, or easement for public or commercial purposes.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Properties in Tennessee (Nashville Region)

The Corps of Engineers has no objection to the legal pursuance of geocaching activity based on your understanding of the following conditions:
1.  There will be no site disturbance, illegal substances or uses involving the geocaching on Corps of Engineers property.
2.  Caches will not be placed in or near restricted or sensitive areas or those areas not open to the general public.
3.  The Corps of Engineers may terminate this permission at any time.
4.  This permission conveys no property rights, grants no exclusive use, and in no way restricts the general public's privilege of using Corps of Engineers properties.
5.  The Corps of Engineers assumes no liability and undertakes no obligation or duty (in tort, contract, strict liability, or otherwise) to you or to any third party for any damages to property (real or personal) or personal injuries (including death) arising out of or in any way connected with your performance of activities which are the subject of this statement of no objection.
6.  Permission must be obtained from the managing public or private entity in situations where the Corps of Engineers has granted land rights via license, lease, or easement for public or commercial purposes.

U.S. Forest Service

Cherokee National Forest

The Cherokee National Forest has a permit system in place for all geocaches on this property. All placements are at the discretion of the Land Manager and are subject to the policies outlined here: Cherokee National Forest, Geocaching & Letterboxing Policy

You will need to contact the land manager of the appropriate district office of the area where you wish to hide your cache. The district offices and their contact information can be found on the webpage above.

The land manager may choose to issue permission for the cache placement on their authority, if so, you will need to include the name and contact information for the person granting permission for this geocache. If after the pre-screening of your application the land manager determines that a special use permit is required, then the permit will be a temporary permit (FS-2700-25) good for less than one year and the minimum fee is $59.00. There may be restrictions on where you can hide your cache and some off-limit places depending on the forest, so when you contact the district office you will need to have a good idea of where you want to hide it and then they can tell you what restrictions pertain to that particular forest. District personnel will provide you with the application, any documentation requirements and issue the permit and billing, if necessary.

In accordance with Forest Service policy, Traditional cache containers shall not exceed 12” on any side (height, width, or depth). Containers must be non-breakable, animal resistant, and have a closing mechanism to prohibit content exposure to wildlife and the environment. Containers must be permanently marked with the Holder’s permit ID, Name, address, and telephone number. Caches may not contain food, alcohol, tobacco, weapons of any type, fireworks, drugs, or other similar items. Caches may not be buried or hidden under water. Caches may not be placed in dangerous, inappropriate, or protected areas and habitats. Additionally, all geocaches should be placed in a manner consistent with Geocaching.com guidelines.

The determination as to whether a particular listing will require a special use permit lies entirely with the land manager, many mangers will issue permission for a listing on their authority without a special use permit or the associated fee. Once you have received permission and/or a special use permit, you may submit your geocache for publication on Geocaching,com. Be sure to include your name and the name and contact information for the Land Manager, in a reviewer note, so that your reviewer may verify their permission in accordance with National Forest Service policy.

Big South Fork National River and Recreational Area

"Establishment of geocaches is not allowed. No burial of containers, movement of natural items or other manipulation of the natural environment is permitted. The establishment of virtual geocaches is allowed. Virtual geocaching is defined as the activity in which a location is marked or specified by means of Global Positioning System (GPS), map or any means other than a physical marking or object placed at the site of the location, and which is done with the intent that such locations will be searched for or sought out by others." -CFR Title 36, Chapter 1, Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area 2018 Compendium

Physical geocaches and waypoints are no longer allowed. Virtual Geocaches, Earthcaches and waypoints within the Big South Fork boundaries, should have the permission of the ranger's office.

Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency Properties

Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA) is open to responsible geocaching on their properties, except for archaeologically or environmentally sensitive areas and the Haley Jaqueth area in region #2 which has a no geocaching policy.

Tennessee Colleges

Middle Tennessee State University

All geocache placements must have permission from the campus police.

Vanderbilt University

All geocache placements must have permission from the campus police.

University of Tennessee, all locations

All geocache placements at locations state-wide must have permission from campus police.

Tennessee Technological University

All geocache placements must have permission from campus police.

Tennessee City and County Parks

Metro Nashville and Davidson County Parks

All geocache placements must have a permit on file before publication. Metroparks permits may be downloaded here.

Permit will be reviewed on a regular basis and may be cancelled if circumstances warrant.  Metroparks requires that you monitor the cache monthly and you maintain it to be family friendly. This means the cache should contain no food, alcohol, firearms, drugs, dangerous items or adult items.  Metroparks also requires that you direct people seeking your cache to follow established trails to your cache. In many areas, we do not allow off trail hiking as it negatively impacts the environment.  All geocaches must be clearly marked and have a valid Metroparks permit sticker clearly displayed.

Murfreesboro City Parks

The Murfreesboro TN Parks and Recreation Department now allows geocaching by permit ONLY. Contact the Program Director of Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation at 615.893.2141 for the permit, rules, and procedures

Athens City Parks

Athens City parks permission must be by Austin Fesmine Parks and Recreation Director 744-2704

Town of Bell Buckle parks and historic areas

All geocache placements must have permission for placement from the town through their Geocaching.com profile
Town of Bell Buckle

City of Chattanooga Parks and Greenspaces

All geocache placements in Chattanooga City Parks and greenspaces must have written approval from Robin Powell at Chattanooga Parks Division, 1250 Market Street Suite 2100, Chattanooga, TN 37402 or rpowell@chattanooga.gov

1. An individual wishing to place a geocache in a City park or public space must submit the following information in writing via email to the Parks Division.

a. Individual’s name, address, and phone number
b. Proposed location of geocache including park name and specific placement within park
c. Description of the container including size, materials, etc.
d. Item(s) to be stored in the container

2. Geocache must adhere to the following guidelines for approval.

a. Geocaches shall comply with all guidelines established by www.geocaching.com.
b. All geocaches shall be clearly labeled on the exterior as a “Geocache” and include a note describing the activity to an unintentional finder.
c. Geocaches shall be of a sturdy nature so that the container itself and its contents are not destroyed and become merely litter.
d. Geocaches shall be waterproof.
e. Geocaches shall have the ability to be secured in a fashion that will not allow wildlife to gain access to the contents of the geocache.
f. Geocache containers should be no larger than 8” x12” x4” in size.
g. The owner shall include his/her contact information in the geocache.
h. Geocaches shall not contain inappropriate, hazardous, perishable, or illegal materials such as flammables, explosives, food, or drugs.
i. All geocache owners shall monitor their geocaches, which includes checking the contents every three months, to ensure continued compliance with this policy.
j. The Department reserves the right to remove, or have removed, any geocache that it determines in its discretion to be inappropriate in location or content, hazardous, or in violation of any of the provisions of this policy or the guidelines set forth at www.geocaching.com.
k. The Department and City of Chattanooga are not responsible for any damage to, or loss of, geocaches or equipment.
l. Geocaches shall not be located in or at Coolidge Park, Renaissance Park, Ross’s Landing, Aquarium Plaza, Bluff View, or downtown parks and public spaces.
m. Geocaches shall not be placed in locations that could encourage erosion or trail damage.
n. Geocaches shall not be attached to or placed in any living or non-living natural resources including but not limited to birdhouses, nests, animal dens, trees or bodies of water.
o. Moving downed logs, debris or rocks to hide geocaches is not permitted.
p. Geocaches shall not be buried.
q. Geocachers shall not modify any geographical feature. Geocachers shall adhere to “leave no trace” practices to avoid damaging or modifying the grounds or vegetation while placing a geocache. Damaging of vegetation is not permitted.
r. Geocaches shall not be placed or attached to any structure, sign, fence, post, trail marker or amenity.
s. Geocaches shall not be placed on or near potentially hazardous locations, such as locations that pose a safety risk to individuals attempting to find the geocaches.
t. Geocaches shall not be attached to any historical, archaeological or geological feature. No geocaches are permitted within 300 feet of any historic properties or archeological sites.
u. Geocaches shall comply with all applicable laws and ordinances.
v. Geocaches placed in City parks shall comply with all park ordinances, rules, regulations, and policies.
w. Geocaching shall be conducted in a manner that does not damage the surrounding environment or place the safety of individuals at risk.

Hamilton County Parks

The Hamilton County Parks & Recreation Department strives to serve citizens through wholesome recreation programs and well-maintained facilities for all ages, abilities, and interests.   A full list of the parks maintained by Hamilton County can be found at http://www.HamiltonTN.gov

All caches placed in our parks must adhere to the Geocaching.com requirements and guidelines. We have developed our own specific process for obtaining permission to place a cache in our parks. 

The Geocache Placement Form is an application for registration and placement of a geocache on lands administered by Hamilton County. Forms for cache placement in any Hamilton County park or on properties maintained by the parks department can be obtained thru an email request to maureend@hamiltontn.gov or kylees@hamiltontn.gov. The geocache container and proposed site location are subject to review by the county parks and recreation administrative staff. 

Hamilton County Parks and Recreation Department retains the rights to terminate permission for the use of property at any time as it pertains to individual or all geocaches. 

The following guidelines apply to all geocaches on Hamilton County park properties or land maintained by Hamilton County Parks and Recreation Department. Placement of geocaches on lands administered by Hamilton County must be approved prior to placement by submitting a Geocache Placement Form. This authorization will be considered through a review process, with notice being provided within 10 business days of submission.  A geocache contact person responsible for necessary upkeep of the site must be identified prior to approval.

• There should be no earth disturbance or vegetative impact to any approved site.
• The cache should be cleared marked on the exterior with the name of the cache, its waypoint, GC code and contact information. 
• All cache seekers and cache owners must abide by park hours and all other park rules and regulations.
• The cache may not be placed within restricted areas including cemeteries, historical or archaeological sites, wildlife viewing areas, species protection areas, in any body of water and not within 30 feet of a bunker at Enterprise South Nature Park. 
• The responsible party shall delete site location(s) from all publications and/or website(s) within seven days of removal.
• This permission conveys no property rights, grants no exclusive use, and in no way restricts the general public’s privilege of using public lands.

Hamilton County assumes no liability and undertakes no obligation or duty (in tort, contract, strict liability, or otherwise) to you or any third party for any damages to property (real or personal) or personal injuries (including death) arising out of or in any way connected with your performance of activities which are the subject of no objection. For more information call (423) 209-6892.

Clarksville City Parks

All geocache placements must have permission must be from the current Director of Parks and Recreation.

Montgomery County Parks (Clarksville)

New geocache placements are not currently allowed in Montgomery County Parks.

City of Fairview Parks, including Bowie Nature Park

The City of Fairview Parks Department has implemented a set of guidelines that work to allow geocaching while protecting the parks’ natural resources and the enjoyment of the park by all.
Geocachers are asked to follow the rules posted on the national geocaching website, www.geocaching.com, and follow the rules and regulations established by the City of Fairview Parks Department:

CACHE PERMITS
Each person placing a cache must sign a “Hold Harmless” agreement with the park.

Outside groups sponsoring a geocaching “Special Event” will be required to fill out a “Park Use Agreement”. Permission for the event must be obtained prior to the placement of caches.

Placement of a cache on park property must be secured with a permit. Any cache located on park property that does not exhibit the required permit number is unauthorized and will be removed. Non-permitted caches will be removed.

Permit applicants must have a valid address, telephone number, email address, drivers’ license number and the website address on which the cache will be posted.

All permits are for a specific location and are good for that location only. The permits are in effect for a period of six months from the date issued. After that date, the permit will be reviewed to either extend the permitted location or the cache must be removed or moved to a new permitted location.
Upon expiration of a permit, the permit holders are responsible for removing the cache and for removing the cache location from all websites and any information source. If the permit holder fails to remove the cache, it will be removed by park staff.

If it is determined that a cache has been the cause of environmental damage or disruption to park visitors, the cache will be removed by the park staff and the permit cancelled.

CACHE LOCATIONS
The exact cache location must be pre-approved by the Parks Department.

Caches cannot be located in places that may lead to the creation of a trail, may not be buried, nor can vegetation or soils be disturbed to place a cache.

Caches cannot disturb or disrupt wildlife or wildlife habitat.

All caches must be public, no member only or subscription caches are allowed.

All caches must be at least .5 miles apart and no more than 3 feet off of a designated trail. Tags are not permitted in Bowie Nature Park.

Caches may not be in or around a cemetery, underground, underwater or in a dangerous, inappropriate or protected area.
CACHE CONTAINERS AND CONTENTS
The Parks Department prefers logbooks over exchange items.

Cache containers must be non-breakable, have some form of latch or other closing mechanism to prohibit content exposure to wildlife and must be approved by park staff-no ammo boxes.

Each cache container must have an identification label affixed to the outside identifying it as an approved cache and containing the permit number and expiration date.

Caches cannot contain any items that may be inappropriate for children such as but not limited to food, medications, personal/hygiene products, pornography, sharp objects, lighters, matches or any item that may violate any rules, policies, regulations, City of Fairview or State laws.

If the cache causes disruption to the enjoyment of the park or the cache causes environmental damage, park staff will remove the cache from the site and notify the cache owner to pick up the cache and remove the site form the web.

COMPLIANCE
Failure to comply with this policy will result in the revocation of effective geocaching permits. Continued failure to comply with these guidelines will prevent the issuance of any further geocaching permits to non-compliant group or individuals.
If geocaching actives as a whole are found to have an adverse impact on park resources or if safety becomes an issue in geocache searches, the Parks Department may ban geocaching from certain areas or from the entire park.

Additional Prohibited Areas

Geocaching is specifically not allowed by the owners of these properties without special permission:

• All Cracker Barrel locations statewide
• Eastgate Mall and Hamilton Place Mall in Chattanooga
• Gaylord's Opryland Hotel and Opry Mills Mall in Nashville
• Stonecrest Medical Center in Smyrna