A couple of folks have pointed out this story which was discussed on Slashdot yesterday. It’s old news, really – current policy for the North Carolina state parks system is that while caches are discouraged (virtual caches are preferred), caches can be placed in a park for up to three months if a $25 fee is paid. The reasoning for this is valid, in my opinion – I have seen places where a path has been work to caches placed off-trail, and a lot of the local vegetation has been disturbed. (OK, the bit about caches having “inappropriate or dangerous items” is a load of crap, though, considering the typical cache contains stuff on the order of toys you’d get in a Happy Meal)

I think there’s a right way and a wrong way to post a cache clue and to place a cache. If placing a cache in the woods, the right way is to put it somewhat near the trail, in a location that will not lead to too much disruption of the natural area. This is an example of a bad cache placement – the cache was hidden in a depression in the ground, under some leaves. This led to lots of tramping around the area, poking into holes with sticks, and pretty much as much disruption as you can imagine.

Geocaching is a lot of fun, but it needs to be done right. “Cache in, trash out” is a good code to follow (pick up trash on your way out), and be aware of where you’re walking. If it looks like getting to a cache might cause damage to the local ecosystem, skip it, and note it on the website – maybe this will drive the cache owner to place it in a less damaging location.