The Official Site of
West Virginia State Parks & Forests

West Virginia State Parks is a part of an exciting International game known as Geocaching (geo-cashing).

• What is geocaching?
• Rules and Guidelines - Geocaching Participants
• Rules and Guidelines - Placement of Caches
• Existing Geocaches in WV State Parks
  
  *permits required in WV State Parks

What is geocaching?

Geocaching is an entertaining adventure game for GPS users. Participating in a cache hunt is a good way to take advantage of the wonderful features and capability of a GPS unit. The basic idea is to have individuals and organizations set up caches all over the world and share the locations of these caches on the internet. GPS users can then use the location coordinates to find the caches. Once found, a cache may provide the site visitor with a wide variety of rewards. All the visitor is asked to do is if they take something they should try to leave something for the cache

Visit the www.geocaching.com to learn more about it and join this international community.

RULES AND GUIDELINES to geocaching in WV State Parks

There is a permit application for those wishing to place caches in state parks and/or forests in West Virginia.

Geocaching Participants

• Use good eco-manners when seeking a cache.
  Examples: do not step on wildflowers or leave litter.
• Follow established trails.
  Off-trail hiking is discouraged as it negatively impacts the environment.
• Leave something in the cache if you take something out.
• Absolutely no tobacco, alcohol, drugs, firearms, dangerous items, adult items or food.
• Cache in - trash out.
• If there is a camera in the cache, please take a photo of yourself
• Please report blocked trails or abuse or misuse of an area to the park office.
• Log on to the web site www.geocaching.com to register your find.
• Please leave the cache where you found it. Others will be looking for it.

Have a great time exploring WV State Parks!

Placement of Caches

Persons placing a cache must have a permit issued by WV State Parks, Programming Office prior to placing the cache.

Download and print the application here Adobe Acrobat Reader required.

Permit is good for one year from the date issued.

Cache permits are good for one year from the date of approval.  Cache permits must be renewed on a yearly basis.  When the permit expires, cache owners may apply to renew the cache permit for the original location, subject to review and approval by the area superintendent to ensure that a cache does not create a negative environmental impact.

Monitor your permitted caches on a quarterly basis. This ensures that the cache is family-friendly. The cache should contain no food, alcohol, firearms, drugs, dangerous items or adult items.

Please use established trails for your cache. Off-trail hiking is discouraged as it negatively impacts the environment. Digging holes or disturbing the existing environment is not permitted. There is to be no earth disturbance or vegetative impact.

As a cache seeker or owner, observation of park hours, rules and regulations is applicable.

All approved caches should have an "Official Geocache" sticker with the cache. This sticker is received when the placement permit is approved.

Unauthorized geocaches on WV State Park or Forest lands will be removed and treated as abandoned property.

Babcock State Park:

• Mary’s Domino Cache
• Old Stone Building
• Glade Creek Waterfall
• Divide Girl Scout Gems

Beartown State Park

• Goldilock’s Worst Nightmare Earthcache 

Beech Fork State Park:

• Bikers Mile
• Road Closed

Berkeley Springs State Park

• Berkeley's Soothing Springs

Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park

• ExploreWV Geocoin Challenge #14 – Blennerhassett 

Cacapon Resort

• Cacapon Oriskany Sandstone Earthcache
• The Walk
• The Hike
• The Stroll
• Cacapon Mountain – The Overlook
• Cacapon Mountain – The Meander 
• Cacapon Mountain – The Trek
• Cacapon Mountain – The Journey’s End
• Nature Center @ Cacapon State Park
• Cacapon – The Beach 
• Cacapon State Park – Welcome
• Stone Gate

Camp Creek State Park

• My Favorite Penny
• My Favorite Kennedy
• My Favorite Washington

Canaan Valley Resort State Park

• Mossy Oak Cache
• The Links
• Easy Does It
• Triple Club
• Scenic View One + Two

Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park

• Carnifex Mystery
• The Overlooks II
• Patterson’s Picnic

Cass Scenic Railroad State Park

• ExploreWV Geocoin Challenge #27

Cathedral State Park

• Cathedral Cache

Cedar Creek State Park

• Cedar Chest
• Three the Hard Way

Chief Logan State Park

• Chief Logan's Stash
• ExploreWV Geocoin Challenge #2

Coopers Rock

• Top of the Rocks
• Nevermore
• Mountain Bikers Cache
• Wanna Go To The Can On Ridge Trail
• Scott Run Excursion
• Clay Run Copper
• havelotsfun CLAYRUNHIKE
• Chestnut Ridge Lake Cache 

Fairfax Stone

• Fairfax Stone

Greenbrier River Trail

• ExploreWV Geocoin Challenge #9

Holly River

• Holly River Cache
• Dreamers Meadow Cache

Kanawha State Forest

• Tea Time
• The Road Not Taken Too Often
• Follow the River Home
• Polly Want a Cache?
• Logtown Hollow Cache
• KSF #1
• KSF #2
• KSF #3
• KSF #FORE
• KSF #5
• KSF #6
• Gator Bait Returns

Kumbrabow State Forest

• Hanging Around Kumbrabow SF

Lost River

• Cranny Crow

Moncove Lake State Park

• Devil’s Creek Cache 

North Bend Rail Trail

• North Bend Cache (NB Rail Trail)
• Buckeye Creek  
• Welcome to Salem
• Sherwood Like a Flashlight

Pinnacle Rock State Park

• Shepherd of the Trees

Tomlinson Run State Park

• ELPO Rock   
• Fairview Woolen Mill 
• Hartford’s Grist Mill 
• Mineral Springs
• New Manchester Turnpike
• The Poes Battle Bigfoot
• Thunder on the Run
• How’s Your Luck: TRSP Maple Trail
• Rocky Rest Stop
• Old Mystery Mill

Tu-Endie-Wei State Park

• Confluence – Ohio & Kanawha Rivers

Tygart Lake State Park

• Dogwood Trail

Valley Falls State Park

• Red Cardinal Cache
• Country Roads

Watoga

• Ranger's Cache
• Lenna’s Cache

Watters Smith Memorial

• Watters Smith Memorial
• Hershey-White Oak Trail
• The Proposal Cache

Geocaching is fun!

Map and compass meets GPS. Technology invites outdoor exploration. WV State Parks permits this activity for guests and visitors to enjoy. Our guidelines ensure a safe caching experience, encourage families and friends to get outside, and uphold the user expectations of geocaching.com.

This site is helpful for information and posting of placement coordinates once a permit is approved. WV State Parks use coordinates from geocaching.com to include your link on this state park website.

Happy Caching.