Washington's Geology: An Earthcache Challenge
“We learn geology the morning after the earthquake.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Washington State Earthcaches
As of December 6, 2025 there are 367 Earthcaches in the state of Washington.
The Challenge:
To find and log 52 of the earthcaches in Washington State. The seeker is also strongly encouraged, but not required, to develop and have published one earthcache, also in Washington State. A current (last updated December 6, 2025) list of Washington State's earthcaches can be found here.
The Fine Print:
- The object is to find 52 of the earthcaches in the State of Washington not owned by you. Why 52? When this cache was originally published, that was 50% of the earthcaches in the state. As of this update, that's more like one earthcache out of seven in the state. Consider it one earthcache for every week of the year.
- Archived earthcaches find count. The only real requirement is that the earthcache must be within Washington State.
- There are no longer any regional geographical requirements for this challenge. Any number of caches in any part of the state may be used. Having said that, if you don't visit many regions of the state in your search to uncover our state's varied geology, you are missing out. From the channeled scablands left behind by Missoula Floods to the wonders of the Olympic Peninsula and the beauty of our state's Cascade volcanoes, there are so many interesting and inviting places to visit and discover things, it's worth it to keep exploring.
- Wondering if you qualify? This cache was placed before the current requirement for a challenge checker was implemented, but Project-GC can still help you identify whether or not you qualify.
How To Log the Final:
- You may sign and log the cache as a "Write Note" at any time if you happen to be in the vicinity but have not yet qualified.
- The Project-GC checker will be used to verify that you've qualified if you claim a find, so if you log a find, by all means post your qualifications from Project-GC to save the CO the trouble of double checking it for you.
- The container is locked with a padlock and the code is 1234.
Miscellaneous:
- Generally accepted geocaching.com and earthcache.org rules, guidelines and conditions for logging geocache and earthcache finds apply.
- Please note that this is a Premium/Charter Member only cache.
- While you may have others with you when you log the final cache, only those who have fulfilled all of the criteria for this cache will be allowed to log it as a find. Find logs by other cachers will be deleted. A Write Note log is encouraged for those who have not yet qualified.
About the Final:
This is now the third location of the final spot for this cache. The original final, placed by FluteFace, was at a remote site in Snohomish County where you could find some fossilized rocks. When that spot became inaccessible, it got moved with reviewer permission to be in Lake Stevens at the site of the largest glacial erratic in the state of Washington, the Lake Stevens Monster which is over 210 feet in circumference, besting the Waterman erratic in Coupeville on Whidbey Island which has a circumference of a "mere" 155 feet (see picture above).
Unfortunately, after being in that location for a number of years, the homeowners association which owns the property that the erratic sits on decided to put up No Trespassing signs and so the cache had to be moved again. The current site in Seattle is near the site of an appropriately themed business and placed with permission.
