Table of Contents

Arabia Mountain Davidson Preserve

No Geocaching permitted in the preserve unless placed by volunteer Tom Smith, tomkilliansmith@comcast.net Aka arabia

The County recently acquired a considerable amount of additional land south of Highway 212. The continuation of the Arabia Mountain Bike Path has just been completed on this land all the way to the South River. As with the land north of Brown's Mill Road, no caches should be approved along the bike path to the South River.

In the near future, we will probably place another interpretive cache along the bike path just north of the South River to interpret the new corten steel footbridge over the South River and the Lyon Plantation Home, the oldest house in County, built in 1830. It was part of the recent land purchase. Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area

Berry College

Moratorium on placing caches on campus.

Sandy O'Neal Posted on 22 Mar 2008 05:38 AM

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There was a subject posted on the Coosa Valley Geocachers Forum a couple of months ago about caches hidden on Berry College in Rome Ga. According to the Director of Forestry Operations at Berry, there are several caches hidden and listed on the Geocaching web site, none of which have permission from the college to be hidden on the property.  The college will be updating its land usage regulations in the coming months. At this point it looks like they will allow us to use the property for caches but they have not defined how they will log and control this type of activity or in which areas it will be allow ed.  FYI there are a few of the cache owners who think they got permission, but the people they got permission from do not have authority to grant such permissions. This information can be verified by contacting the office of Billy Yeomans, Director of Forestry Operations, Land Resources, Berry College 706-238-9041.

Cemeteries

No physical element for a geocache is permitted in any cemetery in Georgia unless expressed permission is given from the cemetery owner/care taker.  (Upload the written permission as a picture attached to a reviewer note)

No virtual elements or geocaching related activities for any National Cemeteries, Colonial Park, Laurel Grove North, Laurel Grove South, Bonaventure, or Greenwich cemetery's in Savannah GA, or in any of the three city cemeteries in Newnan GA. 

Chattahoochee & Oconee National Forest

The USFS for Chattahoochee & Oconee National Forest guidelines.

1. Proximity for geocaches must be a least 1/2 mile apart.

2. Geocaches needs to be made public (i.e. website) no 'member only' or premium subscription only geocache listings.

3. Physical containers can not be placed in Wilderness, research Natural Areas, Chattooga Wild and Scenic Corridor, Hititchi Experimental Forest, Appalachian National Scenic Trail Corridor, Rare Communities, Developed Recreation Areas and Cultural/Heritage Areas. Virtual caches have been permitted but must have expressed permission from the district Manager.

4. Geocache listings & containers should contain relevant Leave No Trace (LNT) or Tread lightly (TL) education information / material. Encourage participants to practice LNT or TL techniques in placing and visiting geocache sites.

5. To protect threatened and sensitive species and resources, geocaches must be at least 200 feet from water sources and should be placed in such a way that there is no ground disturbance. (no burying or covering caches with soil).

6. Do not cut vegetation to establish a geocache hiding spot.

7. Geocaches must not contain food, hazardous materials, illegal substances or weapons.

8. Containers must be no smaller than a pint in size.

9. Containers must be labeled on the outside and clearly marker as geocache with GC number and contact email. 

10. Special Use Permits are required for Recreational Events.

11. Failure to remove caches within 30 days of notice from Forest Service may result in a non-renewal of permit for geocaching.

12. All listing pages are required to have the following disclaimer...
Small note: As required by the USFS for geocaches hidden in the Chattahoochee National Forest. This geocache is prominently labeled as a geocache and the label includes the GC code and the owner's e-mail address.

Chattooga Wild and Scenic Corridor

Only virtual type geocaching can be permitted accompanied with expressed permission from district Manager.  CWSC map

Forsyth County Parks

The Forsyth's Parks and Recreation department requires a permit for any geocache. The permit number and *disclaimer will need to be noted on the listing page.

The Forsyth County Parks and Recreation form for a permit can be found by clicking here.

Forsyth's Parks and Recreation department requires a review of proposed geocache placements in the areas under their responsibility. These areas are, but not limited to:

Coal Mountain
Central Park
Sawnee Mountain View
Sharon Springs
Midway Park
Young Deer
Poole's Mill
Ducktown Park (geocaching prohibited)
Sawnee Mountain / Sawnee Mountain Preserve (geocaching prohibited)

No geocaching close to proximity of the Bike trails or the Disc Golf course in Central Park. All geocache listings in Central Park should clearly state, "stay off of Bike trails and out of Disc Golf areas."

*Disclaimer required for the bottom of the geocache page.

"Permission was granted for this geocache by the Forsyth Parks and Recreation Department. Permit number "XXX". Please observe / obey all park rules and park in the designated areas when searching for this geocache."

Georgia DNR - Wildlife Management Areas (WMA)

Effective Date: 01/23/2018 - Policy Number: WRD-G-003

Geocaching is permitted on state-owned Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) and Public Fishing Areas (PFA) pursuant to the following conditions:

1. Geocaching is not allowed on WRD Fish Hatcheries.

2. Geocaches shall not be placed near or upon archaeological, historical, or ecologically / environmentally sensitive areas. If there is any question as to a geocaches location in this respect, the individual placing the geocache should consult with the appropriate WRD region supervisor.

3. Geocaches should be hidden from plain view and in a manner that preserves the integrity of the natural resources. Geocache placement shall not exceed 100 perpendicular feet from a road or trail and shall not be hidden in a manner that requires an individual to harm plant or animal life. 

4. Geocache containers shall not be less than 1 quart in volume nor exceed the size of a 50 caliber ammunition box or container of similar dimensions.

5. Geocaches shall not be buried or attached to a post, tree, rock or other natural feature.  Temporary geocaches and night caching is prohibited. 

6.Geocache listings and containers should be designed and placed so any age group or entry level cacher will not be excluded from opening and signing the geocache. 

7. Geocaches shall not contain food, wildlife attractants, weapons, illegal substances, or items in violation of WMA / PFA regulations. Geocaches containing illegal substances shall be referred to the Department’s Law Enforcement Division.

8. Geocache containers are required to be labeled as being a geocache along with the GC code and the owner’s contact information.

9. Organized events that charge a fee to geocache require a right-of-entry agreement between WRD and the event organizer.

10. WRD retains final authority to approve whether geocaches are appropriate for an individual property and the locations of such geocaches on approved properties.  Unapproved geocaches found on-site and/or those that do not meet the standards in this policy will be removed.

11. Geocaching activity is prohibited during all quota and check-in hunts. Geocaching activity is also prohibited daily until after 10:00 AM during turkey season on WMAs. All geocache containers/cache pages shall be clearly marked with this information.

12. WRD Lands Pass requirements apply to all geocaching participants on applicable WMA’s and PFA’s. All geocache listing pages shall be clearly marked with this information.

13. From the DRN's site, https://gadnr.org/ the WMA / PFA web page will need to be linked onto the geocache listing page for information for visitors entering onto the property.

The following disclaimer is required for all geocache listing pages.  (copy and paste)

<p>Disclaimer: As required by the Wildlife Resource Division, either a hunting license, fishing license or a land pass is required to enter any Wildlife Management Area property.  These can be obtained <a href="https://georgiawildlife.com/licenses-permits-passes">online, by clicking here.</a></p>

<P>Geocaching activity is prohibited during all quota and check-in hunts. Geocaching activity is also prohibited daily until after 10:00 AM during turkey season.  WRD organizes hunting all year except for the months of July & August. See the <a href="https://georgiawildlife.com/hunting/hunter-resources">hunting info here. </a>

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More information about your WMA site can be viewed by clicking on the Georgia WMA Locations page or places by region.

Observe the WMA's Land Access Fee Chart

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Volunteer Public Access (VPA) are properties managed by the DNR's Wildlife Management Resources division who have teamed up with the land managers.  Some of these leases permit geocaching.  These are temporary leases.  More can be learned by reading this article.

Georgia Ports Authority

No geocaching permitted.

Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites

Geocaches, both physical and virtual, are only permitted with approval from the Park Manager.  Inmates are used for trail maintenance and other maintenance duties at some of the parks & historical sites. No knives and other contraband should be use as SWAG in geocaches.  Events at shelters require reservations. 

The following is the State Park guidelines / agreement for placing physical geocaches in any State Park or on a Historical Site.

1. Geocaches can not be closer than .1 mile or 528 feet from each other.
2. Containers will be the size of a quart jar or bigger.
3. Placement of the geocache can not be so as to create a trail in plant life or harm plant life.
4. A container may not in a way, creates a hole or pierces into the ground or into plant life.
5. Geocaches should not be placed more than 100 feet off of the walking trails.
6. Puzzle caches requiring online research or challenge Geocaches are not permitted.
7. Geocaches should be designed and placed so any age group and/or any experience level geocacher will have an successful experience finding the geocache. Field puzzles / 'interactive' or 'gadget' containers are not permitted.
8. All Geocaches must be approved by only the Park's manager and noted on the listing page as such.  eg 'The geocache was placed with permission from the Park manager.' Please include the Park's manager name and contact info in your reviewer note.
9. Geocache owners must live in close proximity of the park and properly maintain the geocache by making frequent visits to assure the geocache is in proper order.
10. Geocachers are to use ideal geocaching containers.
11. All containers must be labeled as a 'Geocache.'
12. Geocaching listing shall not be limited to 'Premium Members Only'.
13. Night caching is prohibited in any State Park or Historic Site.
14. The entrance fee is required to be noted on the geocache's listing page.
15. At anytime and without notice, Parks can remove any geocache from the property.  

The personal assessment of a Park Manager that may not fully understand the State Park Geocaching Policy cannot override the park system's policy.  This is necessary to show good faith with the state park policy makers and to protect geocaching in all of the other state parks.

Gwinnett County Parks

Since April 2012 Gwinnett County Parks requires a permit to place a geocache on their property. On their permit application form, you can find the county's geocaching requirements. Noting the permit number along with the disclaimer is required on the geocache listing page. The form can be found here. 

Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center

Contact Walter for application to place a cache. No ammo boxes, no caches near water treatment plant. Contact: Jason West Walter.West@gwinnettcounty.com

Gwinnett Tech

Administrator of Gwinnett Tech has asked that no geocaches be placed.

Jekyll Island Authority (JIA)

Jekyll Island Authority (JIA) has implemented new geocaching guidelines to place geocaches on the property.

• 1.) New caches may only be added with the written approval from the Jekyll Island Authority Lead Park Ranger. Email parkranger@jekyllisland.com to request permission to place a geocache within the boundaries of Jekyll Island State Park. This is the ONLY WAY to request permission.
• 2.) A note in the listing should include a statement – “This geocache was placed with permission from the Jekyll Island Authority (JIA).” Note the name of the JIA approver as – “Approved by: _________”
• 3.) Do not damage, deface, or destroy public or private property, especially archaeological or historical sites, when you place your cache nor place caches in a location that requires or encourages geocachers to damage, deface, or destroy public or private property, especially archaeological or historical sites.
• 4.) Caches cannot be hidden in any environmentally sensitive area such as wetlands, saltmarsh, or dunes. Extra care should also be taken in any Conservation Priority Area as listed in the Jekyll Island Conservation Plan (pgs.89-93).
• 5.) Placement cannot include the creation of a new trail. They must be placed near JIA- maintained portions of the existing trail network and installation, maintenance, or access cannot involve damaging plant life or piercing the soil.
• 6.) Containers must be large enough and reasonably non-breakable, water-resistant, and have some form of secure latch to prevent the contents from being exposed or tampered with, or possibly trapping of animals (quart size jar or larger) and cannot be nailed, stapled, screwed, locked, tied, or fastened in any way. 
• 7.) Caches shall not contain food, wildlife attractants, weapons, or illegal substances.
• 8.) Nothing can be installed as a marker, reflector, or hint, to guide people to a cache. 
• 9.) All containers must be labeled as a Geocache. The ID number and username of the owner/maintainer of the cache should be inside the container.
• 10.) Owners of each cache must frequently check on and maintain them to ensure it continues to meet these guidelines.
• 11.) Temporary caches and night-caching are prohibited in any state park, including Jekyll Island.
• 12.) All caches should be visible under basic accounts and not require the purchase of any upgraded membership to allow visitors/residents of all demographics and income levels to participate. Inclusion for all ages, education, and mobility variations should be accommodated to the extent possible.
• 13.) Leave all natural items (trees, plants, rocks, wildlife, etc.) as you find them.
• 14.) Follow all other applicable rules, laws, and ordinances as well as the general Geocaching Guidelines, Regional Geocaching Guidelines, Leave No Trace, and Tread Lightly.
• 15.) At any time and without notice, geocaches can be removed by the JIA.

Military Installments/Bases

No geocaching of any type on any military bases. Including and not limited to: Fort Benning and Fort Stewart. 

Mill Creek Nature Center

Geocaching is prohibited.

Simon Properties (Malls / Plaza's)

Geocaching is prohibited at the following locations.

Stone Mountain Park

No new publications for geocaching at this time. 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Geocaching around Allatoona Lake requires a permit and permit number noted on the listing page.  To obtain a permit and other Allatoona lake guidelines.  Other properties the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) manages also requires a permit such as Bethel Park on Lake Lanier.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)

No geocaching (virtual or physical) on properties without explicit permission from the District Manager.  The Georgia offices.

U.S. National Park Service (NPS)

No geocaching permitted.  Area's included but not limited to - Appalachian Trail (AT) - Area's along the Chattahoochie River. See the complete list.