Geocaching and Benchmarks

At the GZ you will be able to find a geocache. Additionally, you will also be able to spot a benchmark that is listed on the Geocaching website. Whether you discover/log the benchmark is up to you, but this is why I named the cache a two-fer.

Benchmark History

Benchmarks are a part of human history. They “mark” our curiosity, exploration and discovery. A “benchmark” is a generic term (sometimes referred to as survey marks, geodetic marks, and control stations), to describe these unique things.

There are approximately 240,000 benchmarks gathered over the last two centuries in the United States (disclaimer – not all benchmarks are listed on the GC website. This is a longer story). From coast to coast dating back to 1832, benchmarks have been surveyed using a range of different techniques.

There are two main types of benchmarks: vertical control points and horizontal control points. Vertical control points measure latitude, longitude and elevation of the mark. Horizontal only measures latitude and longitude. You can see this information listed on the benchmark data sheet. Within these two broad types of survey benchmarks, there are many other different categories. This family of caches will also bring you to some different types of benchmarks you can discover … from survey marks, to water towers, to church spires, etc.

Logging Benchmarks

To see a list of “geocache logable” benchmarks, visit the geocaching website, visit an individual geocache page, and scroll down this page until (on the left side of navigation), you see “Find … all nearby benchmarks”. Click on that hyperlink and there is the list. Once there, click on the PID hyperlink to start your log. There are no “mandatory” rules on how to discover/log your benchmark, but some people post an image of the benchmark, try to tighten up cords if needed, etc.

Unfortunately, benchmark discoveries do not count toward your cache find total. To view how many benchmarks you have discovered though, click to get to “Your Profile” and then click on “Geocaches” within the horizontal navigation under your profile photo. If you look with the list of “Geocaches Found” you will see your total NGS benchmarks.