Park Hill Ruins Traditional Cache
FindingNaMo_:
Absent. Thanks to all for playing.
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(regular)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
You are searching for a regular-sized canister hidden in a small park. Walking through this bit of urban wilderness will have you rechecking your GPS to make sure you're still in Yonkers. Please note when rehiding: In the summer, ivy will provide some natural camouflage, but you may need to cover it with strips of bark in the colder months. Cache is starting with a pen, but always bring your own.
Welcome to Sutherland Park. Begin your search at the parking coordinates opposite the overlook dedicated to Leslie Sutherland, mayor of Yonkers from 1897 to 1901. On this site once stood stately Henrick Hudson Hotel, which provided stunning views of the Hudson River below. Can you name some famous people who stayed in the hotel? No? Neither can I, because on March 31, 1901, just one month before its scheduled opening, it was destroyed by a fire. For years, the stone arches of its foundation remained at the site, known as the "Park Hill Ruins." Eventually, the arches were razed and replaced by the overlook and park. An excellent history of the site can be found here.
Now, follow your GPS toward a small trail leading away from the overlook. You do not need to go near the dropoff at its southwest edge. The cache can be accessed without leaving the trail.
As a side note, this park partially sits on the right-of-way of the Getty Square Branch of the New York and Putnam Railroad. Remnants of this branch are few and far between, but examination of a map makes its path obvious: From Caryl Avenue on the Bronx border (where a well-marked trail through Van Cortlandt Park terminates), north to Columbus Park, bounded by Van Cortlandt Park Avenue on its east and Saratoga and Western Avenues on its west. Eastern Avenue and Park Hill Terrace appear to sit directly on the right-of-way itself. But that's a lesson for another day, another cache...
Congrats to Team MSG on the fast FTF! Sorry we forgot to warn you about all the one-way streets.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Crecraqvphyne
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
Loading Treasures