Takoma Park & Aquatic Center is located in the Takoma neighborhood. In addition to the park and aquatic center, there is also the Takoma Community Center, a full-service facility. The building offers programs, such as fitness classes, personal enrichment, and summer camps. It is equipped with an indoor pool, a computer lab and multi-purpose rooms. Outdoor facilities include basketball and tennis courts, and a multi-purpose athletic field. [https://dpr.dc.gov/page/takoma-community-center] Originally Takoma, DC and Takoma Park, MD were developed together as one community, Takoma Park. The area was first developed in 1883 as a commuter suburb on the Metropolitan Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad line. The Seventh-day Adventist Church established their world headquarters in Takoma Park, DC until relocating in the 1980s. It was promoted as an area of "clean living" away from the "malarial swamps" of DC. It is also home to the Takoma Theater, built in 1924. In recent years, mainly since the opening of the metro, the Ward 4 neighborhood has become differentiated from its MD neighbor as "Takoma"; however, some buildings in the historic district still bear the name Takoma Park, such as the Takoma Park Library. Ward 4 is a beautiful and diverse collection of neighborhoods stretching from the northeast neighborhoods of Lamond-Riggs to parts of the Chevy Chase community west of Rock Creek Park. It borders Ward 1 to the south along Spring Road, Ward 5 to the east, and Ward 3 to the west. [Source: Wikipedia]
THE CACHE IS NOT LOCATED AT THE POSTED COORDINATES. The posted coordinates will take you to a Takoma Community & Aquatic Center sign. TO FIND THE CACHE, BEGIN AT THE POSTED COORDINATES AND TRAVEL 220 FEET ON A MAGNETIC AZIMUTH OF 21o. Be careful crossing the street.
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.
ACCESS VIA MASS TRANSIT:
DC Metrorail - Takoma Station on RED line
DC Metrobus - 62, 63 stop at 5th Street & Underwood Street, NW
EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC GEOTRAIL
This geocache is one of nine caches (eight Letterbox Hybrids and one Multi-Cache) hidden by and maintained by the District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation (DC DPR). DC is the #1 ranked city nationwide when it comes to amount of parkland space per resident. DC DPR manages more than 375 parks, 76 recreation centers, 11 indoor and 19 outdoor pools, and numerous specialty centers that offer activities such as tennis, theraputic recreation, senior centers, and even ice skating in the District.
To educate cachers about the eight Wards that make up the District of Columbia and their local histories, and to also highlight nearby parks and facilities, DC DPR has placed the nine caches throughout the eight Wards. Hopefully cachers will find the geocaches informative, entertaining, challenging, and maybe even introduce cachers to before-unknown parks and facilities.
As you navigate through the Wards and discover the geocaches, make sure you bring your family passport and capture the various stamps in it along the journey. The passport can be downloaded here. Once you have filled your family passport with all nine distinctive stamps, mail your completed passport to the address shown in the passport to receive your free EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC GEOTRAIL geocoin (only one per family while supplies last).
Each Ward has one Letterbox Hybrid Cache and one stage of the Multi-cache from the EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC GEOTRAIL. Also the eight stages of the Multi-cache must be found in order. The Multi-cache begins in Ward 1 and leads you through Wards 2 - 8 in order. If you are attempting to complete all nine caches in the GEOTRAIL, for expediency you may want to start in Ward 1 and find both DPR GT#1 - Hobart Twins Park and Stage 1 of DPR GT#9 - Multi Wards. After completing Ward 1 proceed through the other Wards in order finding both the Letterbox Hybrid Cache and Multi-cache stage located in each Ward. Complete the GEOTRAIL in Ward 8 by finding both DPR GT#8 - Oxon Run Park and the Final Stage of DPR GT#9 - Multi Wards. A District of Columbia map outlining the boundaries of the eight Wards, and other helpful information to solve the Letterbox Hybrid Caches can be found at https://dpr.dc.gov/page/dpr-geocaching.
WARNING - the Letterbox Hybrid Cache and Multi-cache Stage in each Ward may not be located close to each other. Most geocachers will want to drive between the cache and multi-cache stage, or use mass transit.
GEOTRAIL RULES
- To hunt for the nine caches of the EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC GEOTRAIL, geocachers must be members of www.geocaching.com (BASIC membership is FREE). The web page for each of the caches can be found on the www.geocaching.com website and downloaded to a smart phone (using the Geocaching APP) or a GPS receiver. Additional information about geocaching can be found at https://dpr.dc.gov/page/dpr-geocaching and www.geocaching.com.
- Geocachers must abide by all DC DPR rules, regulations and other restrictions to make the treasure hunt safe and fun for all.
- Download your family passport for the GEOTRAIL here and carry it with you as you visit each cache.
- Geocachers must sign the log provided within each of the eight Letterbox Hybrid and final stage of the one Multi-Cache caches.
- Make an ink impression in your family passport using the unique rubber stamp and ink pad provided in each of the eight Letterbox Hybrid and final stage of the one Multi-Cache caches. Include in your passport the date you found/logged each cache. NOTE: If a rubber stamp and/or ink pad is missing from a cache, include a photo showing your group, the log, and surrounding area, as proof of find (no spoilers, please). Indicate in your on-line log that the rubber stamp and/or ink pad is missing from the cache.
- Do not take the rubber stamps/ink pads from the caches. There are a number of kid-friendly SWAG items in each cache, but please remember that if you take something, you should leave something of equal or greater value.
- Log your visit of each cache online at www.geocaching.com. Indicate in your online log the date you found the cache , if different than the date you logged the cache online.
- Once you have logged all nine caches and affixed the unique stamp from each cache in your family passport, mail your completed passport to the address provided in the passport to receive your free EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC GEOTRAIL geocoin (only one geocoin per family while supplies last).
GEOCACHES IN THE EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC GEOTRAIL
- DPR GT#1 - Hobart Twins Park (GC7FVEH)
- DPR GT#2 - Book Hill Park (GC7F91V)
- DPR GT#3 - Friendship "Turtle" Park (GC7F8V2)
- DPR GT#4 - Takoma Park & Aquatic Center (GC7F93W)
- DPR GT#5 - Chuck Brown Memorial Park (GC7F9GN)
- DPR GT#6 - Lansburgh Park (GC7F9QY)
- DPR GT#7 - Pope Branch Park (GC7FA2E)
- DPR GT#8 - Oxon Run Park (GC7FC2V)
- DPR GT#9 - Multi Wards (GC7FC6A)
