This is a Work in Progress check back often. YOU can help by sending any reviewer new or changed policy info you come across.
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
The local laws and guidelines for geocaching placement vary from place to place. As community reviewers learn geocache placement policies for a certain location, they can add it here. This site may not be a complete or accurate list of land policies. These policies are made by the land owner or manager, they are neither the reviewer’s nor Geocaching HQ’s. This guide is just for reference, if no policies for the area you’re looking for are listed, that doesn't mean no policies exist. You must still obtain permission to place your geocache from the landowner or land manager, comply with all applicable laws, and follow the Geocaching Listing Requirements If you have an update, email the community reviewer(s) listed.
Table of Contents
PUBLICATION UPDATE FOR EVENTS AND GEOCACHES - COVID-19
Greetings fellow geocachers,
EVENTS
As the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) situation is evolving rapidly around the world, Geocaching HQ urges all Event hosts and attendees to prioritize the safety of themselves and their attendees.
At this time, we advise Event hosts to consult their regional health authorities to understand the guidance regarding gatherings of people. Generally, Geocaching HQ leaves the decision to Event hosts on whether to continue hosting the Event and to attendees on whether they will participate. Event cache owners are responsible for ensuring the number of people in attendance is in accordance with any local restrictions on gatherings.
- Event Caches take place at the posted coordinates.
- They last at least 30 minutes and are open to anyone.
The host cannot limit the number of people attending their event. Again, we advise Event hosts to consult their regional health authorities to understand the guidance regarding gatherings of people. GEOCACHING EVENT GUIDELINES / GEOCACHING HQ UPDATE
GEOCACHES
Geocaches will be published and it will be the responsibility of the geocache owner to determine if it is legal to do so for their area. If it is brought to our attention that the geocache is violating local laws the geocache will be archived.
Thank you for understanding,
Your Friendly Missouri Review Team
Geocache hiding guidelines
We encourage you to find at least 20 geocaches before hiding one. The more variety of geocaches you find, the better you will understand how to create an enjoyable experience for other geocachers. Find additional guidance about hiding caches in our Help Center. For publication, geocaches must follow these guidelines and any applicable Regional Geocaching Policies located on this page.
Contact the Reviewer for your area with questions or information.
Click on the name of the reviewer that you need to contact:
General Information
This page contains specific geocaching land management policies, location-specific areas, and information for Missouri. 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 Mongo.
Federal Agencies
Bureau of Land Management (BLM): ALLOWED with Permission from the area Manager.
Corps of Engineers: ALLOWED with Permission from the area Manager.
Mark Twain National Forest: ALLOWED with Permission from the area Ranger.
Many agencies require geocache instructions for finders. This welcome note explains what to do with the cache and how to learn more about geocaching. GEOCACHE NOTE TO BE PLACED INSIDE OF THE CONTAINER
Fort Leonard Wood: NOT ALLOWED
Mark Twain National Forest NATURAL AREAS: NOT ALLOWED.
National Parks Service: Generally NOT ALLOWED
National Scenic Riverways: NOT ALLOWED
US Fish and Wildlife Service: NOT ALLOWED
Whiteman A.F.B. NOT ALLOWED
Missouri State Agencies
Missouri Department of Conservation ALLOWED with prior approval from the area manager and permit.
- Click here to find the manager for the area.
- Information about the Special Use Permit
- MDC Special Use Permit Form
Missouri State Parks: ALLOWED with prior permission of the park manager and permit.
Missouri Department of Conservation - NATURAL AREAS. NOT ALLOWED.
Missouri State Parks Natural Areas: NOT ALLOWED
Many agencies require geocache instructions for finders. This welcome note explains what to do with the cache and how to learn more about geocaching. GEOCACHE NOTE TO BE PLACED INSIDE OF THE CONTAINER
Communities
This list is not every community in Missouri. These are the communities that we are aware of that do have a policy. If you have additional information please help your fellow geocacher out by forwarding that information to Mongo.
St. Charles City Geocaching Policy
Many agencies require geocache instructions for finders. This welcome note explains what to do with the cache and how to learn more about geocaching. GEOCACHE NOTE TO BE PLACED INSIDE OF THE CONTAINER
Boy Scout Merit Badge Information
For a geocache to be published in Missouri for the BSA Merit Badge for Geocaching the following will be required:
The name, address, phone number, and email address of the person in charge of the Geocaching Merit Badge program for that troop.
When maintenance is needed this contact person will be notified of any issues with the geocache. It will be their responsibility to ensure that maintenance is provided to keep the geocache active for the required minimum time. (90 days) The email address will also be left on the geocache page for people who could not find the geocache to follow up with the merit badge counselor or scoutmaster directly.
Boy Scout Merit Badge information
Bridges and Guardrails
Geocaches may not be placed on, over or under bridges located on federal roadways, interstate highways, U. S. highways and Missouri highways.
Geocaches generally may be placed on municipal and county road bridges with the following exceptions:
- Over or under federal roads, interstates, U. S. routes and Missouri state highways.
- Over or under railroads.
- On bridges containing active drawbridges as listed by the Corps of Engineers.
- 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 pipe 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.
Guardrail caches are not allowed on interstate highways, controlled access highways or as part of railroad signaling locations.
On U. S. and Missouri highways they must be placed on the portion of the guardrail away from the bridge structure.
For bridge and 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.
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. GUIDELINES ON RESTRICTED
Cemeteries
The following information is for placing a geocache where a cemetery is located. They may be placed in 1 of 2 ways in Missouri.
- They may not be placed within the interior of the cemetery, or among the graves without the person(s) who is in charge approval. Owning a plot within the cemetery does not mean you have permission to place a geocache at the gravesite. If a geocache is placed in the interior of the cemetery the following will be needed:
- Written permission from the person(s) in charge of the cemetery. Only that person(s) can give this permission. We will need the following:
- The name of the person(s) who you received permission from.
- Their title with the cemetery.
- A phone number, or an email address of that person.
- Upload the written permission as a picture attached to a reviewer note.
- Written permission from the person(s) in charge of the cemetery. Only that person(s) can give this permission. We will need the following:
2. Geocaches may be placed in cemeteries around the perimeter respectfully away from any graves. The reviewer assumes you have acquired proper permission when you submit the geocache page for review.
All geocaches placed in a cemetery will need all of the following.
- Photographs from the geocache location in all four directions. (N, S, E and W)
- Photographs towards the geocache location in all four directions. (N, S, E, and W)
- In a note to the reviewer please be as descriptive as possible in your information. The more descriptive you are the better idea the reviewer will have of what is here.
- Where the cache is hidden (In a tree, on a sign, inside of a log, etc.)
- What the container is (ammo can, 35 mm film canister, match safe, etc.)
- How the container is hidden (hanging from a tree, screwed to the tree, in a wall, in vegetation, etc.)
- Is the geocache container in place? (Yes or No)
- Is there a logbook inside of the geocache container? (Yes or No)
- The above requirements should be sent in a Note to the Reviewer when submitting the cache page for review. Note: All pictures and notes sent to a reviewer are deleted before the geocache is published. Do not email the reviewer with this information since we want to keep it with the geocache page in case we need it in the future.
- Since it is illegal to enter a cemetery after sunset in Missouri it is necessary that you use the appropriate attributes on your cache page. Find the Attribute information here. I.e. not 24/7, not recommended at night. Note: double click on the icon to turn into a no function.
- Include in the description the following statement. * It is illegal to be present inside of a cemetery from sunset to sunrise. Please do not place geocaching in jeopardy by doing so. *
NO PRECEDENCE IN PLACING A GEOCACHE
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.
Miscellaneous
Cracker Barrel
Cracker Barrel restaurants per their national office, no longer want geocaches on their property. For a time, they did expressly allow them.
Fire Hydrants
Hiding a cache on a fire hydrant could interfere with the hydrant's use in an emergency situation. A small cache container can become lodged in fire hose threads or fittings, for one example. Second, law enforcement officers are watchful of persons who appear to be tampering with a fire hydrant. And third, since dogs do what they do at fire hydrants, expecting cacher's to retrieve a cache that has been treated in that manner is a bad idea. If you have verifiable permission, please post it to a Reviewer Note.
Utility Equipment
Attaching a geocache to utility equipment, such as a piece of power equipment, water or sewer equipment, etc. will need permission. I'm sure they would not want to find a foreign object attached to something vital to the operation of their equipment.
Provide the complete contact information for who granted permission to place a cache at this location in a Reviewer Note.
Walmart Property
Walmart parking lots. Corporate office of Walmart will not allow geocaches to be placed on their parking lot unless the MANAGER has given permission.
- Make sure to get the following: Name, title, phone number or email address of the MANAGER of the store to place in a Note to Reviewer when submitting the geocache page for review.
Park Hours
If your cache is placed in any type of park we are now requiring the park hours in the description area of the cache page prior to publication.
Having the park hours in the description helps fellow geocacher's plan their trips and eliminates any reason for being in a park when it is closed. If it does have restrictions would you also indicate with an attribute it is not a 24/7 geocache. To make an attribute NO just click on the icon twice with your left mouse button. Attributes on Geocache Page
Playgrounds
The following information is for placing a geocache where playground equipment exists.
- Geocaches should not be placed anywhere on playground equipment.
- Geocaches should not be placed where it can be seen from the playground equipment.
- Geocaches should be placed a minimum of 150 feet away from any type of playground equipment.
- It is suggested that a picture from different viewing angles be sent along with a Note to Reviewer when submitting a geocache where playground equipment exists. All pictures sent to a reviewer are deleted before the geocache is published. GUIDELINES ON RESTRICTED
Railroad Property
Geocaches placed within one hundred (100) feet on each side of the central line of said railroad, including spur lines, are considered to be on property belonging to a railroad. Explicit permission from the railroad company owning the line must be obtained before a geocache will be allowed within that area. Exceptions are generally allowed for geocaches placed in public parks, recreation areas, parking lots, etc., especially where man-made physical barriers are provided between the tracks and the geocache's hiding spot. However, exceptions are considered on a case-by-case basis for the given situation and allowance of the placement should not be assumed by the cache owner. GUIDELINES ON RESTRICTED
Federal Definition of a Railroad Right of Way
Missouri Railroad Right of Way Defined
School Grounds and Proximity
We will not publish caches that are on school grounds, or near a school.
- The geocache container must not be closer than 150 feet from any school building, or property.
- Should be placed where the finder cannot be seen by any person within the school. This keeps suspicion from becoming an issue so the police do not get called.
Again, near school grounds and with GPS accuracy only being so good on the best days, most likely a cacher would end up on school grounds regardless. In many counties it is against the law to even be on school grounds unless you have been checked in through the office and have a visitors pass. GUIDELINES ON RESTRICTED
"When you go to hide a geocache, think of the reason you are bringing people to that spot. If the only reason is for the geocache, then find a better spot."briansnat, Charter Member
"Thanks for contributing quality to geocaching!"
Geocaching HQ and community volunteers are not in any way responsible or liable for caches or their placement. All aspects of your geocache and its placement are your responsibility, and you may be held liable for any resulting consequences. Use of Geocaching HQ services is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. These guidelines are subject to change.