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Update on Special Coronavirus Information effective April 6, 2021

Dear North Carolina Caching Community,

We feel that it’s time to update the caching community again - both cache owners and the folks searching - regarding changes in reviewing practices as a result of covid-19. The information presented here is accurate as of April 6, 2021. We expect it may change going forward. Our primary focus is to support the health and safety of the entire community, including cachers and non-cachers alike. We seek to comply with current and emerging information and requirements from health and government experts.

Recently the Governor’s Office announced that further relaxation of the Stay at Home Executive Order. What that means for geocaching is that we can now publish events. There are still limitations on public gatherings: indoors 50 or less and outdoors 100 or less. Since an event host cannot deny entry to an attendee nor control how many are coming it is prudent to hold off on publishing those. Hosts of events will be responsible for ensuring that their event venue can comply with the current limitations. All events will be considered on a case by case situation.

Here is a link to the NC DHHS COVID-19 Information page. https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/

Here is a link to the FAQ page for the Governor’s Office Executive Orders: https://www.nc.gov/covid-19/current-restrictions/faqs-eased-restrictions-under-executive-order-204#what-are-the-major-changes-under-this-order

Please remember to continue practicing social distancing and stay well.

Special Coronavirus Information effective April 2, 2020

Dear North Carolina Caching Community,

We feel that it’s time to update the caching community - both cache owners and the folks searching - regarding changes in reviewing practices as a result of covid-19. The information presented here is accurate as of April 2. We expect it may change going forward. Our primary focus is to support the health and safety of the entire community, including cachers and non-cachers alike. We seek to comply with current and emerging information and requirements from health and government experts.

Governor Roy Cooper issued a ‘Stay At Home’ order that took effect Monday, March 30, at 5 p.m. It will be in effect for 30 days, until April 29, but “can be revised or extended.” The order is mandatory. The order does make provisions for outdoor exercise. From the FAQ page: “People are encouraged to maintain healthy lifestyles, including outdoor recreational activity, such as walking pets and jogging. While exercising, individuals should maintain social distancing and continue to take protective measures to maintain their personal health and wellbeing.”

At this time, we will only be publishing caches in those locations which are consistent with social distancing, such as on hiking trails, and/or far from residential areas and businesses. We will not be publishing event caches, caches in or near residential areas, caches near businesses, or caches in locations that are officially closed (such as state parks). If we are unsure about a particular cache, we will not publish it. We realize this approach imperfect, but we feel it is both consistent with Governor Cooper’s “Stay at Home” order and preferable to stopping all cache publication.

Please remember that the guidelines state “Obey local laws: All local laws and land management policies apply. This refers to both the placement of the geocache and the journey required to reach it.” If there is a park closure or local curfew in place that is more stringent than the state orders, then you should follow that local law. Feel free to inform us of newly posted policies as this is an ever changing situation.

We will continue to monitor covid-19 information and communication and will continue to revisit which caches we can publish. Our commitment to look at each cache within 7 days of submission has not changed, though it’s possible that something may change between a first look and when a cache is ready for publication.

Thank you for understanding,

Dogwood_Reviewer/Rob and NCreviewer/Matt

Statewide Property Law: Purple Paint on trees=No Trespassing signs.

NC Wildlife Resources Commission (Game Land)

This policy applies to all WRC-allocated lands and those WRC-managed properties where the landowner has ceded authority for the management of recreational uses to WRC. On those lands which WRC manages under cooperative agreements which do not cede authority for management of recreational uses in general, geocaching activities are subject to control of the landowner:

(WRC)https://www.ncwildlife.org/Portals/0/Enjoying/documents/WRC-Geocaching-Policy.pdf

Catawba Land Conservancy (including sections of the Carolina Thread Trail)

 The properties they own and manage now require a permit for placement as of 3/1/14

Contact Sean Bloom, GIS Director Catawba Lands Conservancy to request a permit. Here's a direct link to that page: http://catawbalands.org/where-we-conserve/geocache-on-clc-preserves/
Tel: 704.342.3330 ext. 204
email: sean@catawbalands.org
http://catawbalands.org/

The Carolina Thread Trail OUTSIDE the Catawba Land Conservancy has no policy regarding the placement of geocaches.

http://www.carolinathreadtrail.org/

City of Cary

Geocaches are prohibited within Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve, within the Cary Dog Parks, on any sports field in a Town of Cary park, or in any landscaped area or plant bed in a Town of Cary park.  Besides that they stress following the geocaching.com guidelines. Here is a link to their posted guidelines. https://www.townofcary.org/recreation-enjoyment/parks-greenways-environment/geocaches

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City of Clinton Parks

Clinton Municipal Park require a permit for placement. Contact Judi Nicholson, the Director of Parks and Recreation for your permit. nicholsonjk@cityofclintonnc.us 910-299-4906.

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City of Fayetteville Parks

Clark Park Nature Center and the Cape Fear River Trail require a permit for placement. Contact the park office to request a permit.
631 Sherman Drive 910-433-1579

City of Fuquay-Varina

The city of Fuquay-Varina in Wake County has not allowed geocaches in the Hilltop Needmore Nature Preserve to date. If anyone presents permission from a park or town official for a cache placement it can be published.

City of Greenville

Pinewood Cemetery in the city of Greenville in Pitt County does not allow geocaches. It is privately owned and managed.

City of Mills River

The city of Mills River in Henderson County does not allow geocaches on town property including Mills River Park.

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City of Raleigh Parks

Generally OK. Exceptions:

Annie Louise Wilkerson, MD Nature Preserve Park: Although this is a city park which would normally allows Geocaching, apparently the way this specific parcel was deeded to the city is that it is to be used for educational purposes. Geocaching has been determined to be more recreational than educational, so Geocaching is off limits.

Additionally Horseshoe Farms Nature Preserve, Durant Park Nature Preserve, and Lake Johnson Nature Preserve are off limits for Geocaching as of June 2018.

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Mecklenburg County Nature Preserves

There is a formal permit policy with location and container restrictions. The policy can be found here: https://www.atlasquest.com/images/misc/mecklenburg-county-parks/MCPRGeocachingPolicy.pdf
Thirteen areas are off limits to cache placement.

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National Forests within NC

There is a formal permit policy with location and container restrictions. The policy can be found here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5288138.pdf
Designated Wilderness Areas and Experimental Forest areas are off limits to cache placement. Ammo cans are now prohibited.

Permission for virtual caches or earthcaches on National Forest land is not required.

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National Parks within NC

There is no longer a system wide ban on geocache placement within NPS lands. They have determined that permission for geocaching will be determined on a location by location basis. This change is due to the efforts of some very hard working geocachers who met with their local park managers and rangers and got several caches into the parks in Maine and Washington and elsewhere. However the management of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smokey Mountain NP have yet to allow any caches within their properties. Here's a link to the most current NPS guideline available: http://www.nps.gov/policy/gpsguidance.pdf

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NC Coastal Reserves

http://www.nccoastalreserve.net/

The sites of the NC Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve are Currituck Banks Reserve, Kitty Hawk Woods Reserve, Buckridge Reserve, Buxton Woods Reserve, Rachel Carson Reserve, Permuda Island Reserve, Masonboro Island Reserve, Zeke’s Island Reserve, Bald Head Woods Reserve, and Bird Island Reserve. Due to a rule that prohibits personal property from being left on the sites for greater than 48 hours, geocaching generally cannot be allowed at these sites. Contact the respective site manager to discuss options such as virtual caches or Earthcaches, which may be allowed in some areas under specific conditions. To learn more about the Coastal Reserve, please visit www.nccoastalreserve.net

Contact: Hope Sutton,  suttonh@uncw.edu

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NCDOT Rest Area / Welcome Center Properties 

Contact:  Paul Stankiewicz at DOT, 919 707 2929

Generally OK, but NOTHING should attached to posts. No fake birdhouses. 

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NC State Parks

http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/main.php

The North Carolina State Parks have a very restrictive and hard to find geocaching policy. Each park supervisor makes the decisions for their own property, and many simply deny them outright. You can ask to submit a special use permit which probably has a fee attached to it. Parks that have been receptive to geocaching are Eno River, Goose Creek, Merchant's Millpond, and Medoc Mountain.

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NC State University Forests and Duke Forest

NC State Research Forests and Duke Forest are both are off limits for geocaches.

https://cnr.ncsu.edu/fer/about/forests-and-facilities/

https://dukeforest.duke.edu/recreation/regulations-safety-considerations/

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New Hanover County Parks and Gardens

"New Hanover County Parks & Gardens is pleased to support geocaching. We also recognize the need to maintain safe and aesthetically pleasing parks while protecting our county's natural resources. If you plan to hide and/or seek geocaches in our parks, please be sure to read and follow our Geocaching Policies carefully. In order to hide a cache, you must submit a Geocache Registration Form for approval. Policies and forms may be found on our website at www.parks.nhcgov.com/programs/. 

All caches placed in our parks must adhere to the geocaching.com requirements and guidelines."

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Pitt County

The Town of Winterville contact is Eric Lucas, 252-215-2435 and he is the Director of Parks and Recreation. Blanket permission is given but Eric Lucas is very interested in it so he likes to get a list once a year of placement, if it changes.

The contact info for Pitt County Community Schools and Recreation is Rita Roy. Her number is 252-902-1975. Rita Roy has given blanket permission.

Jeff Polaski is the contact for the Town of Farmville at 252-753-6712.

Deb Higgins is with the May Museum in Farmville, 252-327-8859.

Pineville Cemetery in Greenville is off limits for caches.

 

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Rowan County Parks and Recreation Department

 Hides in all Rowan County Parks and Recreation Department facilities requires a permit for placement.

https://www.facebook.com/download/1140512415999018/FINAL-%20RowanCountyGEO%20permit.pdf

The purpose of this information is to provide guidance for the management of Geocaching on Rowan County Parks and Recreation  (hereafter referred to as "RCP")properties. A Permit process is necessary for safeguarding our green and historical space as well as accountability for upkeep of the geocache".

 A person must submit an Application to the Rowan County Geocache Reviewer (not associated with geocaching.com) by completing the form at this link, here , who will contact the appropriate property, as necessary. A paper copy or PDF version is available upon request of the ROCOGEO Reviewer at rocogeoreviewer@gmail.com.

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Triangle Land Conservancy

TLC requires a permit for placement. Contact Walt Tysinger, the TLC Land Manager for your permit. http://www.triangleland.org/ 919-833-3662 ext. 7003, details at http://triangleland.unraveltheweb.com/assets/images/uploads/GeocachePolicy.pdf .

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US Corps of Engineers land at Falls and Jordan Lakes.

The US Corps of Engineers owns the land around both Falls and Jordan Lakes; however, in most places the land is leased by the State of North Carolina and the Wildlife Resource Commission, which have their own geocaching policies. However, the areas near the dam at both lakes is land managed by the US Corps of Engineers.  For any future caches placed on USCOE land, USCOE have requested they are contacted and given the ability to review the cache location for approval on receipt of a free permit application. They  want to ensure that caches are not placed in any restricted areas such as the dam, the emergency spillway, etc.  Geocachers who have questions, or as directed by the NC Volunteer Reviewers, or want to place a cache on USCOE managed land can contact:

Stacee Henderson
Ranger, Natural Resources Specialist
Volunteer & Community Outreach Coordinator
US Army Corps Engineers, Falls & Jordan Lakes
919-846-9332 ext 232 (Falls)

 

 Stacee.L.Henderson@usace.army.mil

Here is the link to the permit... http://www.saw.usace.army.mil/Portals/59/docs/recreation/jordanlake/Geocache%20Permit%20Fillable.pdf ... which can be filled out online, or mailed/faxed in.

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Wake County Parks

The following Wake County Parks require permits for caches. Please submit your form to the park office prior to placing the cache and list the contact info of the ranger who granted permission in a reviewer note with your listing.

Bass Lake Park / Sugg Farm Park:  If you are interested in placing a cache at Sugg Farm please contact either Carolyn or Steve at the Bass Lake Park office, for location approval.

Phone (919) 557-2496
Email basslake@hollyspringsnc.us
Website http://www.hollyspringsnc.us

Blue Jay Point County Park:  Please send your completed http://www.wakegov.com/parks/bluejay/Documents/BJP_Geocache_Form.pdf application to bluejaypoint@wakegov.com . North Wake Landfill Park also requires permits.

Contact info is:

Chris Hill
Park Technician
Blue Jay Point County Park
(919) 870-4331
Chris.Hill@wakegov.com

Crowder County Park:  Please send your completed  http://www.wakegov.com/parks/crowder/Documents/Crowder%20Geocache%20Form.pdf application to http://www.wakegov.com/parks/crowder.

Contact info is:

Bianca G. Dubé

Park Technician of Education

Crowder County Park / Historic Yates Mill County Park

919.662.2850 park office

919.856.5638 direct line

4709 Ten-Ten Road, Apex, NC 27539

http://www.wakegov.com/parks/crowder

Green Hills County Park

To place a cache in the park Geocachers will need to contact us at Greenhills@wakegov.com and submit a request form. Our policy and request forms are located on our webpage:
https://www.wakegov.com/departments-government/parks-recreation-open-space/all-parks-trails/green-hills-county-park/green-hills-hours-information

Harris Lake County Park  http://www.wakegov.com/parks/harrislake/default.htm and the Wake County portions of the American Tobacco Trail require permits. The ATT ones can also be brought to the office at Harris Lake CP

Permit Form: http://www.wakegov.com/NR/rdonlyres/42D89371-6E08-4499-ABBC-2EA1D153DD14/0/HLCPGeocacheForm.pdf

Contact info is:

Rachel Solomon
Park Technician of Programs
Harris Lake County Park
American Tobacco Trail
Phone: (919) 387-4342
harris.lake@wakegov.com

Jackie Trickel
Assistant Park Manager of Education and Programs
Harris Lake County Park
American Tobacco Trail
Phone: (919) 387-4342
harris.lake@wakegov.com

Lake Crabtree County Park: permits are required.

Here's a link to their info and the form: http://www.wakegov.com/parks/lakecrabtree/Documents/LCCP%20Geocache%20Form.pdf

Contact info is:

Colleen Bockhahn Assistant Park Manager

Lake Crabtree County Park

1400 Aviation Parkway

Morrisville, NC 27560

919-460-2723

Robertson Millpond Preserve in Wendell is the newest addition to the Wake County Park system as of Spring 2016. Permits are required for cache placements on this property.

Contact info is:

Deborah Robertson Fowler
Nature Preserve Manager & Open Space Manager
337 S. Salisbury Street, PO Box 550, Suite 1000
Raleigh, NC 27602
Tel: 919-856-6083
Fax: 919-743-4853
deborah.fowler@wakegov.com

Yates Mill Park prohibits caches as it is on land owned by NCSU Forestry.

The rangers in the other parks like to know where the caches are in their parks. As courtesy please do stop at the office to let them know when you place one in their county parks.

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