News Release - Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor
Rose Harvey, Commissioner
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12238
For Immediate Release Contact: Bob Kuhn
May 24, 2012 (518) 584-2000
State Parks Saratoga/Capital District Region to Host a Geocache Challenge
11 State Parks and State Historic Sites Participating
Come out to State Parks – explore and discover geocaching – win valuable Prizes
The Saratoga/Capital District Region of New York State Parks is hosting 44 new geocaches in 11 state parks and historic sites, and will hold a drawing for valuable prizes for those participants who successfully complete a geocache challenge by finding any 35 of the 44 geocaches. The geocache challenge will begin Memorial Day Weekend and extend through Veteran’s Day, November 12th. The goal of the extended event is to bring people out to experience state parks and historic sites and to introduce our patrons to the fun and family-oriented sport of geocaching.
Geocaching is an outdoor sporting activity in which the participants use a global positioning system (GPS) or alternative mobile device and basic navigational techniques to find hidden outdoor containers, called geocaches. A typical cache is a small waterproof container containing a logbook, stamp, and small items for trading. The state park geocaches will also contain stickers, small prizes, and/or other items related to the host park or site for participants to keep. Geocaching is often described as a game of high-tech hide and seek, sharing many aspects with benchmarking, orienteering, treasure-hunting, or letterboxing.
Geocache passports can be picked up at the office of any participating park or site, or downloaded from the agency’s webpage at
http://www.nysparks.com. GPS coordinates for the State Park geocaches can be found at
http://www.geocaching.com. To participate, pick up a passport, get the coordinates, and start geocaching! Stamp your passport with the stamp found in each geocache. If you successfully fill your passport with stamps from 35 of the 44 geocaches before November 12, stop in at any park office for verification and to enter your name in the prize drawing. Participants 16 years old or younger will also be entered into a drawing just for kids. First prize for both drawings is an Eastern Mountain Sports Free Range Day Pack, a $100 dollar value. Second prize for the main drawing is a New York State Parks Empire Passport for 2013, a $65 dollar value, second prize for the kids drawing is a $30 Eastern Mountain Sports gift card. Third prize for both drawings is a New York State Parks fleece blanket. Also, all kids who successfully complete the challenge will receive a Ben & Jerry’s coupon for a free ice cream, a geocache button, and other souvenirs. Some parks will also have smaller prizes just for finding all of the geocaches in those individual parks.
For newcomers to geocaching, a number of state parks and historic sites will host Learn to Geocache workshops on the following dates and times. The cost to participate in the workshop is $3.00 per person. Please call the park for more information and to reserve a spot in the class.
Minekill State Park May 27, 2012 10:00 a.m.
Max V. Shaul State Park May 27, 2012 2:00 p.m.
Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site June 2, 2012 11:00 a.m.
Saratoga Spa State Park June 24, 2012 3:00 p.m.
Grafton Lakes State Park July 7, 2012 2:00 p.m.
J. B. Thacher State Park August 4, 2012 9:00 a.m.
For patrons who may not own a GPS there will be at least one hybrid geocache located at each park or site. Hybrids have coordinates so that they may be found using GPS, or clues are available at the park or site office so that the geocache may be discovered following the clues, for people who do not have a GPS. This is a great way to experience what geocaching is like, before deciding to buy a GPS unit.
There is no cost for the geocache passport or to participate in the geocache challenge. However, standard Vehicle Use Fees are in effect at some of the parks that are included in this event, and those fees will not be waived for participants in the geocache challenge. The Empire Passport, an annual pass providing unlimited day use vehicle entry to most of New York’s State parks, can be purchased for just $65 at your nearest state park office, on-line at
http://www.nysparks.com, or by phone at 518-474-0458.
State Parks and State Historic Sites participating in the Saratoga/Capital District Region Geocache Challenge include:
Cherry Plain State Park, Cherry Plain, Rensselaer County – (518) 733-5400
Grafton Lakes State Park, Grafton, Rensselaer County – (518) 279-1155
John Boyd Thacher State Park, Voorheesville, Albany County – (518) 872-1237
Johnson Hall State Historic Site, Johnstown, Fulton County – (518) 762-8712
Peebles Island State Park, Waterford, Saratoga County – (518) 237-8643 ext. 3295
Max V. Shaul State Park, Fultonham, Schoharie County – (518) 827-4711
Mine Kill State Park, North Blenheim, Schoharie County – (518) 827-6111
Moreau Lake State Park, Gansevoort, Saratoga County – (518) 793-0511
Saratoga Spa State Park, Saratoga Springs, Saratoga County – (518) 584-2000
Schodack Island State Park, Schodack Landing, Rensselaer County – (518) 732-0187
Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site, Fort Hunter, Montgomery County – (518) 829-7516
State Parks thanks Eastern Mountain Sports Stores in Albany, Niskayuna, and Saratoga Springs, and Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream for their sponsorship of the Saratoga/Capital District Region Geocache Challenge.
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