You have found your next adventure! Thank you for joining us for the "Visit Centre County" GeoTour (changed to Happy Valley PA GeoTour) as we show you some of our most favorite caching locations to include state parks, beautiful vistas, and historical points of interest! Our team of GeoTour planners have worked very hard to put together various cache types to keep the GeoTour interesting and challenging; however, no geocache should be beyond a 3/3.5 for terrain and/or difficulty! We are pleased to show you around our County and hope that you will enjoy the GeoTour and complete your passport to collect your custom GeoTour Geocoin (there is a minimum number of caches required to receive coin)!
Download your "Happy Valley PA" GeoTour passport. You’ll return your passport to the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau when complete and collect your prize if you meet the minimum requirements!
The "Visit Centre County" GeoTour / Happy Valley PA GeoTour is brought to you by Centre Region Parks and Recreation, the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, and Groundspeak, Inc. We are pleased that you’ll be joining us in Happy Valley soon! Bring on the Adventures!
About Autumn Meadow Park / Halfmoon Township
Autumn Meadow Park is a recently-renovated park in the Township of Halfmoon. The park features a pavilion with picnic tables, playground, walking paths, and a regulation-sized soccer field. Funding assistance for the park renovations was provided by the PA DCNR; the Bureau of Recreation and Conservation; the Keystone Recreation, Park, and Conservation Fund; and PA Dept of Community and Economic Development.
Historic Background: "Halfmoon Township, settled in 1784, was formally erected in 1802. It is said to trail that was located at the base of Bald Eagle Ridge. In 1784 Abraham Elder arrived from Burnt Cabins to become the first settler. He built a home and later a saw mill, grist mill, and tavern. The NE-SW road through Halfmoon Township was reportedly laid out in 1791, near where Elder’s and other farms were being located in the valley and must have been in place by 1792 when iron began to be shipped west to Pittsburgh. Originally, the whole east end of the township was known as Elders. It was named for the tavern owned by enterprising Abraham Elder and served as a stopping place for iron haulers. George Wilson began a migration of Quakers from Chester County in 1792. Among them were the families of Way, Moore, Taylor, Fisher, and others. Most early residents were farmers who sold their produce to nearby towns such as Tyrone, Philipsburg, and Centre Furnace. Late in the nineteenth century, some iron mining operations took place at Tow Hill at about the same time that Andrew Carnegie began his iron mining operation at Scotia in nearby Patton Township." (from Centre County Historical Society)
This location had originally been approved by Halfmoon Township in 2020 for the original VCC Geotour.
Please note the posted park hours. It is advised to avoid caching after dark, and please, no caching after the park is officially closed each evening.
Family Friendly: This is a great location for kids. The cache is relatively easy to find with plenty of room for swag to trade. The playground at the park can make for a great break during a day of geocaching. The picnic pavilion may also provide a great spot for a lunch, dinner, or snack break.
This location could be a high-muggle area during certain times of the day. Please use appropriate stealth when retrieving and returning the geocache container to its spot to avoid the container being taken / "muggled" by those not playing along with geocaching.
Many thanks to Denise Gembusia, Halfmoon Township Manager, for assistance in the original cache placement in 2020. (Note that a slight change to the hiding location was made in August 2025.)
Happy Valley PA GeoTour (GT4E2) member geocache