This Cache is placed as part of the 2016 New York State Park Saratoga/Capital District Regional Geocache Challenge. There are 76 geocaches hidden within 18 state parks and historic sites in this parks region, and geocachers finding 40 or more will be eligible to receive a commemorative, unique, and trackable geocoin. The first 100 people to find 40 or more caches will receive a special geocache challenge coin. If you are interested in taking up the challenge, you can pick up a geocache passport at any of the participating parks and sites or download it at www.nysparks.com New for 2016 – NYS Parks Central Region will be hosting a similar challenge!! 10 caches found in the Central Region Challenge can be used toward the Sara-Cap Challenge!
This cache contains a unique stamp which must stay with the cache. Use this stamp to mark your passport. This stamp is NOT a trade item. Some of the items in the cache are park souvenirs and do not need to be replaced with a trade item.
This cache is placed in the Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site in Fort Hunter, NY. The site is open from sunrise to sunset daily. The Visitors Center is open May 1st-October31st - closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Empire Lock - Geographically near the center of Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site, this double chambered set of Locks from the Erie Canal were originally constructed in the mid-1840’s and improved upon in the 1890’s. The southern lock was elongated to accommodate two barges at a time traveling east toward Albany. This lock terrifically shows the intense masonry projects that the canal required – not only to build but to maintain.
The Empire Lock area of the site is also the only place were two eras of Erie Canal alignments can be seen side by side, as a bit to the southeast are the capstones for Lock 20 of the original “Clinton’s Ditch” 1820’s canal.