This cache is placed with permission. Please follow all park rules, noting that the park is open Sunrise to Sunset (no night caching, please).
Cell service will be limited in various areas on the AMNHA Geo-Path. Please plan accordingly.
Questions or need to share a challenge with a cache?
Send us a message through the Geocaching app
Remember to bring a pen, items to trade, and follow the recommended
Geocaching Etiquette.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ODDSQUADSIX FOR BEING THE FTF!
AMNHA Geo-Path Series
AMNHA: Stephenson Creek Headwaters
Passport: Past and Present Passages
Series: Past and Present Passages
Password: Located in the logbook
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Parking Options: See waypoints
Getting There
This cache is located just off the Meadow Loop Trail.
To visit, park at the Arabia Alliance parking lot on Klondike Road, where you can grab a trail map. From there, walk a short distance along the PATH Trail to a mowed path leading toward Vaughters' Farm barn.
At the barn, follow the south fork of the Meadow Loop Trail, marked with orange-tipped guide posts. The landscape begins to shift here, transitioning from open meadow into the quieter, tucked-away areas where the creek begins.
Bales on Vaughters' Farm Meadow - Twice a year, the grass is cut and baled, enhancing the open landscape.
Where the Creek Begins
Stephenson Creek is one of the smaller streams in the South River watershed, but like many headwaters, its story begins quietly.
The creek starts near Vaughters' Farm, emerging from a narrow strip of woods and flowing into a small wet meadow. These early sections are easy to overlook, but they play an important role. The vegetation here is adapted to saturated soil, creating a transition zone between land and water.
From these modest beginnings, the creek flows south through the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve, eventually joining Pole Bridge Creek before becoming part of the South River system.
A Protected Flow
Because most of Stephenson Creek lies within protected land, it remains relatively undisturbed compared to many urban waterways. This helps maintain clearer water, healthier habitats, and a more natural flow.
Along its path, the creek feeds into Retreat House Lake and Arabia Lake, while also supporting wetlands and wildlife corridors. Signs of beaver activity are common, especially between the lakes and downstream sections, where their work continues to shape the landscape.
Explore Further
As you continue exploring, consider visiting nearby areas where this water travels next.
There is a geocache near Arabia Lake
(GC135BC - AMNHA: Arabia Lake)
that shares more about one of the destinations fed by these headwaters.
What begins here as a quiet trickle becomes part of a much larger story as it moves through the landscape.
Are You Ready To Find More Geocaches?
Come explore the
Arabia Mountain PATH
and earn trackable prizes along the way.
The
AMNHA Geo-Path
is a geocaching program spread across more than 30 miles of trail. Many geocaches are waiting to be discovered.
Download the passports
Geocaching Adventures Passport
Each cache is classified in one of the following series:
• Adventure Labs
• Arabia Mountain Adventures
• Geocaching 101
• GeoTour
• Lands Less Visited
• Lithonia's Historic Hike
• Panola Mountain Pathways
• Past and Present Passages
• South River Stroll
Completed the passports?
Choose one of the following options to claim your prize:
Scan and email the Arabia Alliance Team
Scan and mail Arabia Alliance office
Additional Links
Trail Maps and
Landmarks
Learn and
Activities
Tips for Hiking in the Summer Heat
Tips for Avoiding Ticks
Winter Hikes and Winter Wildlife
Waypoints and
Adding or Viewing Coordinates
Trails Map Type Option