Table of Contents

General Information

This page contains specific geocaching land management policies for Mississippi. Naturally all other Geocaching.com guidelines, including obtaining adequate permission for any geocache placement, apply.  This listing is not all-inclusive as some land managers have instituted policies we are not yet aware of or may have amended their posted policies.  If you are a land manager with a geocaching policy which should be listed here please send a copy of your policy and contact information to isht kinta.

Submitting a Geocache for review

Include a complete Reviewer Note about your geocache

We ask all cache hiders to provide basic information in a Reviewer Note about their cache. In your Reviewer Note, please clearly and completely describe your cache in detail.

WHERE - Always describe the property your cache is placed on - both the ownership and the property use. Any cache should have permission as described in the Guidelines. (http://www.geocaching.com/about/guidelines.aspx#permission) Just because property does not have obvious No Trespassing signs does not mean that it's open to geocache placement without obtaining permission. For example, some subdivisions have green space trails or parks. However these may be restricted to residents only. We expect you to comply with the Guidelines, include documented permission of owners or management in your Reviewer Note. If a permit is required, attach an image of the permit to your reviewer note. If your cache is adjacent to a residence, please get consent from that home owner, even if your cache is located on property that is otherwise acceptable, since you're essentially inviting people to visit this location at all hours of the day and night.

WHAT - Clearly and completely describe the cache container. Just saying a "plastic container" or a 'Metal box" is incomplete.  Some containers are self explanatory like a 30 cal ammo can, a bison tube, a preform, a keytainer, or a magnetic nano but others need a complete description in your Reviewer Note. We want to know exactly what you've placed in case there is some question in the future by Law Enforcement or a property owner.

HOW - Explain how and where your cache is hidden. Please be specific any about camouflage and any attachment method to any object or the ground. For example, it might be a bison tube hung with a wire hook over a cedar limb about 5 feet off the ground. If your cache is on a sign post, or near a sign, please tell us what the sign says.

If you need to include a picture, please upload the image to a Reviewer Note as additional information. Photos are not a substitute for a written Reviewer Note.

When the cache is published, any images and all information in the reviewer notes will be hidden and not visible to the public.

Landowner Permission

Generally geocachers must obtain permission to place a geocache from the landowner.  All land belongs to someone. It may be a government agency, corporation, tribal land, or private landowner. Some sources to determine the landowner include:

• Internet searches for land owner parcel data or land owner parcel maps. Include the local town or county in the search criteria.
• Visiting the local land deed or tax office.
• Websites for parks, land trusts or other public or semi-public entities.
• Checking the links listed in the Regional Policies below.

Just because the public is generally allowed to use a parcel of land does not mean that geocaching is allowed on it. Landowners may have granted an easement for a certain use and geocaching is not included in that use. 

All roads are not publicly owned and those that are may have restrictions by the government entity that controls it.

Public bodies of water may be bordered by private lands and private structures may extend into the water.

Subdivisions may have public use areas that are either open to use by anyone or restricted to homeowner use.

Contacting Your Reviewer:

1. If you are contacting a reviewer about a geocache that is in the process of being reviewed, please post a reviewer note to the cache page.  This keeps all information together in case you need to forward the cache to Geocaching HQ for an appeal.

2. If you are contacting a reviewer about a geocache that has already been published or other matters, please use email at the link in their profile above. Be sure to include the GC number of the geocache. Cache names are not unique.

3. Please DO NOT use the message center. Most reviewers do not check the message center regularly, if at all, and the messages tend to run together which makes it difficult when discussing several issues.

National Park Service

Geocaches are not generally allowed on property managed, owned or operated by the United States National Park Service. Exceptions can be granted with the express consent of the Park Superintendent and the NPS. In Mississippi this includes:

Mississippi National Park Service Properties

• Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield
• Corinth National Battlefield (Part of Shiloh National Military Park)
• Gulf Islands National Seashore (See note 1 below). Geocaching is prohibited on Petit Bois Island, West Petit Bois Island, Horn Island, Ship Island and the NPS owned portions of Cat Island.
  
• Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument
• Natchez National Historic Park
• Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail
• Natchez Trace Parkway (Also in TN and AL) (See note below)
• Tupelo National Battlefield
• Vicksburg National Military Park. Physical caches are prohibited. Virtual and Earthcaches are permitted with permission of the Superintendent.
  

Gulf Islands National Seashore

The Davis Bayou unit of the Gulf Islands National Seashore has allowed one geocache in the unit as part of a tour of the unit. Currently they have not approved any other geocaches in the unit.

Natchez Trace Parkway

On August 8, 2012, the Rangers with the Natchez Trace Parkway introduced a geocache to the Parkway.  They are working with geocachers in other areas of the Parkway to allow geocaches on a limited basis.  You are not allowed to place a cache without asking for permission first. If your geocache is approved, you will be provided with additional information to be included with your geocache submission by the Park Service.

U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Geocaches are not generally allowed on property managed, owned or operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (National Wildlife Refuges). Exceptions can be granted with the express consent of the Park Manager and the NPS. In Mississippi this includes:

• Bogue Chitto
• Dahomey
• Grand Bay
• Hillside
• Holt Collier
• Mathews Brake
• Mississippi Sandhill Crane
• Morgan Brake
• Noxubee *See note below
• Panther Swamp
• Saint Catherine Creek
• Tallahatchie
• Theodore Roosevelt
• Yazoo

Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge

Prior to April 6, 2015 the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge allowed geocaches to be placed with permission. On that date the policy was changed and geocache owners were notified that all existing geocaches will be archived over a period of time. No new geocaches may be placed in the refuge.

Mississippi State Parks

Geocaching is allowed inside the Mississippi State Parks. Certain areas of the state parks may be restricted to users paying a fee to use that specific area and geocaching may be prohibited in that area to non-users. Check with park management before placing geocaches in such areas. The following restrictions apply to geocaches in the Mississippi state parks.

• No tree climbing is allowed to place or find a geocache.
• No screws, nails or similar objects may be placed into the trunk of a tree to attach a geocache.
• No wires, bands or similar objects may be placed around the trunk of a tree to secure a geocache to a tree.
• No digging in the ground to place or seek a geocache is allowed.
  
• Night caches may not pass near campsites, cabins or buildings.  They must be near hiking trails in the woods.

Paul B Johnson State Park

• No geocaches may be placed in the camping areas of Paul B Johnson State Park.

Roosevelt State Park

Roosevelt State Park Guidelines for Cache Placement as of November 15, 2019:

Approved Locations: The best places to hide geocaches in Roosevelt State Park are in the woods, and along the six main trails, and along the few smaller trails.

Other areas might be possible, but all hides must meet the following rules:

1. Do not hide geocaches in the camping areas, cabin areas, park ranger home areas, maintenance areas and the warehouse area.
2. Do not hide geocaches near buildings, houses, trailer homes, cabins, campsites, bathhouses, pavilions, deer pen, docks, swimming pool, and water slide.
3. Parking is not allowed on, or along side of, the paved roads at Roosevelt State Park. So do not hide any geocaches anywhere which would require (or encourage) a Geocacher to park anywhere other than a designated parking lot.
4. Do not hide any geocaches which would require (or encourage) a Geocacher to drive on the side-street which goes to the cabin area and warehouse area.
5. Do not hide any geocaches which would require (or encourage) a Geocacher to hike outside of the State Park Boundary line.
6. Do not hide any geocaches on the three levees

NOTE: Geocachers ARE allowed to drive into the campsite areas (not the cabin areas), park their vehicle at one of the bath houses, and then hike from a bath house to a trail head.

Mississippi Wildlife Management Areas

Geocachers seeking geocaches in Mississippi Wildlife Management areas must follow all permit and check in procedures. Users may utilize the MDWFP check in app which may be downloaded at this LINK. Hunter orange clothing may be required during certain periods of the year. Cache owners must include any such procedures in the opening description of the cache page. Some Wildlife management areas are closed to non-hunters during hunting season.  Geocaches may not be placed in any wildlife management area that is closed to the general public for six or more months of the year.

Geocaching is prohibited in all or portions of the following Wildlife Management Areas;

• Calhoun County Wildlife Management Area - Designated restricted area
• Canemount Wildlife Management Area - Entire WMA
  
• Charlie Capps Wildlife Management Area - Entire WMA
  
• Charles Ray Nix Wildlife Management Area - Shooting range
• Graham Wildlife Management Area - Entire WMA
  
• Howard Miller Wildlife Management Area - Designated restricted areas
  
• Mahannah Wildlife Management Area - Entire WMA
  
• Muscadine Farms Wildlife Management Area - Entire WMA
  
• William C. (Billy) Deviney Wildlife Management Area - Entire WMA
  

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers properties

The Corps of Engineers has no objection to the legal pursuance of geocaching activity based on your understanding of the following conditions:

1. There will be no site disturbance, illegal substances or uses involving the geocaching on Corps of Engineers property.
2. Caches will not be placed in or near restricted or sensitive areas or those areas not open to the general public.
3. The Corps of Engineers may terminate this permission at any time.
4. This permission conveys no property rights, grants no exclusive use, and in no way restricts the general public's privilege of using Corps of Engineers properties.
5. The Corps of Engineers assumes no liability and undertakes no obligation or duty (in tort, contract, strict liability, or otherwise) to you or to any third party for any damages to property (real or personal) or personal injuries (including death) arising out of or in any way connected with your performance of activities which are the subject of this statement of no objection.
6. Permission must be obtained from the managing public or private entity in situations where the Corps of Engineers has granted land rights via license, lease, or easement for public or commercial purposes.
7. Caches will not be placed on or in the immediate vicinity of dams, locks and water control structures.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) properties

TVA has no objection to the geocaching activity based on your understanding of the following conditions:

1. There will be no site disturbance, illegal substances or uses involving the geocaching on the TVA property.
2. Caches will not be placed in or near restricted areas, dams, power generation facilities or equipment, substation sites, gated or signed areas, and/or transmission line sites, etc.
3. You will maintain a list of geocache locations on the TVA property which can be reviewed by TVA at any time.
4. TVA retain the rights to terminate this permission for the use of the TVA property at any time.
5. This permission conveys no property rights, grants no exclusive use, and in no way restricts the general public's privilege of using TVA public land.
6. TVA assumes no liability and undertakes no obligation or duty (in tort, contract, strict liability, or otherwise) to you or to any third party for any damages to property (real or personal) or personal injuries (including death) arising out of or in any way connected with your performance of activities which are the subject of this statement of no objection.
7. Caches should not be placed in or around cemetery areas.
8. Permission must be obtained from the managing public or private entity in situations where TVA has granted land rights via license, lease, or easement for public or commercial purposes.

Navigable waterways, Gulf Coast beaches, and islands

• Geocaches may not be attached to navigation markers or buoys.
• Islands along the Mississippi coast consist of property that are privately owned, owned by the State of Mississippi or included in the Gulf Islands National Seashore. The standard permission issues as if on the mainland apply for these islands.
• Islands along inland waterways generally are either privately owned or owned by the Corps of Engineers. Privately owned islands require permission of the landowner. Corps of Engineers islands are generally available for geocaching.
  
• Events located at the fire pits along the beach in Harrison County require a permit from the Sand Beach Authority.
• Geocaches may not be placed near marine restricted areas at ports (Homeland Security designated).

Military Bases

The following military installations in Mississippi do not allow geocaches:

• Camp McCain
• Columbus Air Force Base
• Gulfport Naval Construction Battalion Center
• Jackson Air National Guard Base
• Keesler Air Force Base
• Meridian Naval Air Station
• Pascagoula Naval Station

Camp Shelby

Camp Shelby and the military operation areas of the DeSoto National Forest do allow geocaches in certain areas. The guidelines for geocaching in these areas are as follows and are subject to change.

Guidelines for placing and seeking geocaches at Camp Shelby:

• A photo ID and proof of automobile insurance is required to enter the base.
• Stay away from all buildings, historic or in use.
• Geocaches may only be placed in the designated public areas of the base.
• Do not park on the traveled portion of any roads. Park only on the shoulder or designated parking areas.
• Do not block any gates when parking.
• Do not use dummy or reconstructed ammunition as a cache or decoy.
• Do not drive down any roads that are not paved or gravel. Park and walk.
• If a sign indicates an area is currently restricted, do not enter the area under any circumstances. 
• You may only geocache between 6 A.M. and 6 P.M. Gates close at 6 P.M. and you must be off the property at that time.

Guidelines for placing and seeking geocaches in the military operations area of the DeSoto National Forest:

• Caches may only be placed in non-restricted areas. Restricted areas include but are not limited to: tracked vehicle maneuver areas, artillery/mortar firing points, aircraft landing zones, artillery and aerial bombing impact areas, military range areas, military buildings and their grounds, drop zones and tank trails.
• Do not use dummy or reconstructed ammunition as a cache or decoy.
• If a sign indicates an area is currently restricted, do not enter the area under any circumstances.

John C. Stennis Space Center

• Geocaching is prohibited on the lands of the John C, Space Center.
• Geocaching is prohibited on the adjoining Naval Training Center lands.
• The buffer zone land surrounding the space center is a mixture of Federal and private land. Generally geocaching is not allowed in the buffer zone, but it has been allowed on the right of way of a few of the public roads not immediately adjacent to the Space Center.  This is subject to change depending on law enforcement concerns in the area.
• Due to past landowner conflicts, geocaching is not allowed at the Point and Napoleon Cemetery areas.
• Geocaching is allowed at the Infinity Space Center with permission of the center.
• Geocaching is allowed at the rest area next to the Infinity Center.

U.S. Forest Service

The National Forests in Mississippi allow geocaching on their landholdings, subject to the restrictions listed below. There are private landholdings in all the National Forests. Geocaches may not be placed in those locations without the landowners permission.

There are six National Forests in Mississippi.

• Bienville
• Delta
• DeSoto
• Holly Springs
• Homochitto
• Tombigbee

Geocaches may not be placed in the following Wilderness or Military areas of the DeSoto National Forest:

• Black Creek Wilderness area
• Camp Shelby military operations area (see Camp Shelby above)
• Leaf Wilderness area

Universities and Colleges

Alcorn State University

Generally geocaching is allowed in areas where the general public is allowed to visit unrestricted.  Geocaches are not allowed to be placed near student housing, including Greek fraternity areas.

Belhaven University

Geocaches require permission from campus security.

Delta State University

Generally geocaching is allowed in areas where the general public is allowed to visit unrestricted.  Geocaches are not allowed to be placed near student housing, including Greek fraternity areas.

Jackson State University

Geocaching is only allowed on portions of the campus that are not fenced and the general public is allowed access.

Millsaps College

Geocaching is not allowed on the campus of Millsaps

Mississippi College

Geocaches must have permission of campus security.

Mississippi State University

Generally geocaching is allowed in areas where the general public is allowed to visit unrestricted.  Geocaches are not allowed to be placed near student housing, including Greek fraternity areas. Geocaching is not allowed at the Berryman Institute or College View complex.  Geocaching is allowed at the John W Starr Memorial Forest, Experiment Station and Flatwoods Forest except for areas with restricted access as marked by signs.

Mississippi University for Women

Geocaches are not allowed on campus.

Mississippi Valley State University

Geocaches are not allowed on campus

Tougaloo College

Geocaches are not allowed on campus

University of Mississippi

Generally geocaching is allowed in areas where the general public is allowed to visit unrestricted.  Geocaches are not allowed to be placed near student housing, including Greek fraternity areas. Geocaching is allowed on the grounds near the University golf course. Geocaching is not allowed at the University airport and some adjoining properties.

University of Southern Mississippi

Generally geocaching is allowed in areas where the general public is allowed to visit unrestricted.  Geocaches are not allowed to be placed near student housing, including Greek fraternity areas. Geocaching is allowed on USM lands adjoining the Longleaf Trace west of Jackson Road.

Trails

There are several hiking, bicycle and horse back trails in Mississippi. Listed below are some of the more popular ones:

Geocaching is allowed on the following trails.

• Boyle Rail Trail
• Crosstie Walk
• Duncan Walking Trail
• Hollandale Rail Trail
• Kitty Bryan Dill Memorial Recreation Trail
• Longleaf Trace
  
• Oxford Depot Trail
• Renova Heritage Walking Trail
• South Campus Rail Trail
• Shaw Rail Trail
• Shelby Trail
• Tanglefoot Trail. The cache page must state that access is limited to the hours between dawn and dusk.
• Tuxachanie Trail
  

The following trails have restrictions on placing geocaches.

• Blackland Prairie Trail. This trail is part of the Natchez Trace Parkway unit of the National Park Service. See the guidelines for National Park caches above.
  
• Chisha Foka Trail. This trail is a joint effort with the City of Ridgeland and the Natchez Trace Parkway. Caches placed on the portion of the trail inside the Parkway property must be approved by the National Park Service Ranger in Ridgeland. Caches on the city property are only required to meet the standard geocaching guidelines.
  
• Potkopinu Trail. This trail is part of the Natchez Trace Parkway unit of the National Park Service. See the guidelines for National Park caches above.
• Rocky Springs Trail. This trail is part of the Natchez Trace Parkway unit of the National Park Service. See the guidelines for National Park caches above.
• Yockanookany Trail .This trail is part of the Natchez Trace Parkway unit of the National Park Service. See the guidelines for National Park caches above.

Cemeteries

Most cemeteries are private property. There are a few cemeteries in the state that are owned by municipalities. Several states have banned geocaches in cemeteries due to disrespectful actions by geocachers.  Geocaches may NOT be placed near graves in Mississippi. You must have permission from the entity that owns or controls the cemetery to place a geocache there. Just owning a plot in the cemetery is not sufficient permission. When submitting the geocache, attach photographs of the geocache placement to the reviewer note looking at the geocaching from different directions.

Youth Camps

Youth camps are properties dedicated for the use of the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, special needs children, church camps or similar sites. Geocaches may not be placed on portions of these properties that are not open to the general public. A geocache placed on public portions of the camp must be placed with permission of the governing authority for the property and the contact information of the director granting that authority must be included in the reviewer note when the geocache is submitted to be published.

Privately Owned Prohibited areas

Geocaching is specifically prohibited by the owners of these properties.  Lease holders cannot override the corporate decision.  There may be a few grandfathered geocaches that were placed before the prohibition took effect.

• Berryman Institute grounds at Mississippi State University
• Broadwater Development property in Biloxi
• All Cracker Barrel locations
  
• Inside all gated communities
• Gulfport Premium Outlets (Simon Mall Properties)
• Harbor Walk property at the Ross Barnett Reservoir
• Mule Jail properties near Ridgeland
• The Outlets of Mississippi in Pearl
  
• Wildwood property at McNeill

Governmental Prohibited or Restricted areas

• Batesville Civic Center grounds
• Hattiesburg Pocket Museum.  Physical geocaches are not allowed in the middle portion of the alley. Geocaches may be placed north of the red door at the northern end.
• Kamper Zoo in Hattiesburg
• Southaven City Hall grounds and park complex
• A section of the Thad Cochran Research park in Starkville north of Research Blvd, west of the Farm and south of the railroad.

Bridges and guardrails

Bridges

Geocaches may not be placed on, over or under bridges located on Interstate Highways, U. S. Highways, State Numbered Highways and controlled access highways.

Geocaches generally may be placed on municipal and county road bridges with the following exceptions:

• May not be over or under federal roads or interstates.
• May not be over or under railroads.
• May not be on bridges containing active drawbridges as listed by the Corps of Engineers.
• May not be on bridges located over spillways or part of dams.

Geocaches may be placed on bridges designed for pedestrian use only or former railroad bridges converted to pedestrian trails that pass over interstate or U.S. highways with the following restrictions:

• The geocache must be accessible by a geocacher standing on the surface area designed for foot traffic.
• Ammo cans or PVC containers are not allowed.
• Containers must be clearly labeled as being a geocache and designed where they could not be mistaken as an explosive device.

For bridge geocaches to be published, there must be a location available for a geocacher to park his vehicle completely clear of the roadway and the parking location shall not be in a curve or other visually obstructed area.

Geocachers should understand that all roadway bridges are inspected on a regular basis by government inspectors and any geocache found attached to the bridge structure will probably be removed by the inspectors.

In urban areas geocaches may be placed in parks and green spaces located under controlled access highway overpasses with permission of the government agency that manages the park or green space. The geocache may not be attached to or placed immediately next to structures supporting the overpass.

Guardrails

Guardrail caches are not allowed on federal highways, controlled access highways or as part of railroad signaling locations. The cache must be on the portion of the guardrail away from any bridge restricted as listed above.

For guardrail geocaches to be published, there must be a location available for a geocacher to park his vehicle completely clear of the roadway and the parking location shall not be in a curve or other visually obstructed area.

Little Free Libraries

Little Free Libraries are growing in popularity and geocachers are increasingly wanting to use them for geocache placement.

They are publishable with the following considerations:

• The libraries are privately owned and usually on private property so permission must be obtained from the library owner.
• The cache page should not be promotional of the Little Free Library movement. 
• They can use the term Little Free Library on the cache page.
• The http://www.littlefreelibrary.org/ website sells the library boxes and solicits donations, so it should not be included on cache pages.
• The logbook should be placed in a container within the library, and not just be paper "floating" around. 

Other restricted areas

Geocaches may not be placed near:

• Airports used for commercial or military flights. (Note: Jackson and Gulfport airports own land that is leased to private businesses. Lease land that is not directly accessible to the airfield may have geocaches placed with permission of the leaseholder.)
  
• Communication towers
  
• Dams
• Electrical generating stations, substations and transmission towers.
  
• Municipal drinking water facilities.
  
• Facilities restricted to access or approach by Homeland Security rules.
• Federal Courthouses
• Financial institutions including close proximity to drop boxes and ATM machines.
  
• Highways designated as controlled access by the Mississippi Department of Transportation.
• Hospitals 
• Nuclear facilities
• Post Offices. This includes blue postal service mail boxes and green postal service mail storage boxes. Virtual stages inside post offices require the permission of the Postmaster of that post office.
  
• Prisons and jails
• Railroads and their right of ways.  Depending on the location, right of ways range from 25 feet to 200 feet from the center of the track.
  
• Schools and day cares
  

Playgrounds

While there's no specific guideline against hiding a cache on playground equipment, many geocachers consider it a bad idea. It's perfectly normal for a 10 year old to be on a playground with their mom. But how normal would it be for him to go there without a parent and for someone who may be fifty something and doesn't have a kid with them to be prowling around the equipment? This might make most mom's kind of nervous.  If the playground is not part of a school or daycare the geocache can be published, but the cache owner will be asked to reconsider before it is published.

Land ownership information

Many of the counties in Mississippi have on-line resources that can be used to help you determine the ownership of land and obtain permission to place a geocache.  For the other counties, you may have to either visit the local courthouse or subscribe to a paid service to determine the land ownership.

Virtual Posted Coordinates

Generally if the posted coordinates for a multi-cache, puzzle cache or wherigo cache are virtual coordinates, they must not be placed in any restricted area listed above without permission of the landowner or authority controlling the property.  This helps avoid confrontations for new geocachers who may not understand what a virtual waypoint is.

No Precedent

Be aware that geocaching guidelines are subject to change. There is no precedent for placing geocaches. This means that the past publication of a similar geocache in and of itself is not a valid justification for the publication of a new geocache. If a geocache has been published and violates any guidelines listed, you are encouraged to report it. However, if the geocache was placed prior to the date when a guideline was issued or updated, the geocache is likely to be grandfathered and allowed to stand as is.