WARREN — Penn Soil Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Executive Director Wes Ramsey reports that all 28 new Allegheny National Forest (ANF) Centennial Geocaches were published on June 21, the first day of summer, to officially kick off the ANF GeoTrail.
“In the first week since the geocaches were published, all 28 new geocaches have been found at least once and interest level is high based on the fact that over 150 ANF Centennial GeoTrail Passport documents have already been downloaded from Penn Soil’s website,” said Ramsey. “The ANF Centennial Geotrail Rules are pretty straight-forward.
“All eligible ANF Centennial geocaches were officially published on www.geocaching.com. Participants will need to be registered on geocaching.com to retrieve the coordinates and other location information. Registration on geocaching.com is free. Before setting out to find the ANF Centennial GeoTrail caches, you will need an official passport document. Passports are free and can be obtained by downloading and printing the passport document from the Penn Soil RC&D website, www.pennsoil.org,” Ramsey explained.
Directions according to Ramsey: There are a total of 28 ANF Centennial Geocaches placed throughout the Allegheny National Forest. In order to complete the GeoTrail, a participant must find at least five ANF Centennial Geocaches in each of the four counties which include part of the Allegheny National Forest. Each cache will contain a unique laminated code word to be found in the logbook, to be written in the participant’s passport as proof of finding the cache. Please remember to write the code word on the passport before or after signing the logbook, and return it to the cache container when finished. The next person who finds the cache is also going to need it. Also remember to log all finds on geocaching.com after finding the cache and mention the adventure or anything found to be interesting during a visit. Please post pictures of any visits to the Allegheny National Forest as well with the log or on social media sites.
After a geocacher successfully finds a minimum of 20 ANF Centennial geocaches including at least five in each of the four counties and documents the code words in their passport, they are eligible to receive a free ANF Centennial Souvenir Token trackable on geocaching.com or a commemorative wooden coaster, while the supplies last. Presentation of the passport with a minimum of 20 validated caches from the ANF Centennial GeoTrail must be presented at one of the three offices of the Allegheny National Forest where the passport will be stamped and the trackable souvenir tag or coaster will be awarded. The passport is the property of the geocacher, to retain as a keepsake after the redemption process. Only one passport may be redeemed per registered geocacher identity on www.geocaching.com.
Sept. 24, marks 100 years since the establishment of the Allegheny National Forest. To commemorate this historic milestone, the ANF Centennial Geocache trail has been established to provide an opportunity to connect the American public to the outdoors, encourage families to explore the national forest, and provide educational and recreational opportunities for users of the trail. We encourage folks to join the fun, enjoy the adventure and learn more about their national forest while respecting and protecting its natural resources. The Allegheny National Forest includes land in four Pennsylvania counties (Elk, Forest, McKean and Warren Counties.) The project is co-sponsored by the Allegheny National Forest, Warren County Visitors Bureau, Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau, Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau, and Penn Soil Resource Conservation and Development Council.
