Placed a cache here at Bala Cemetery recently. There used to be a cache hidden here at one time, but was archived. Anyway, Bala Cemetery sits on a curve of US HWY 77 roughly 1/2 mile or so north of Douthit Gunnery Complex and on the west side of the highway. When you arrive on site, you will most likely see a big "Private Property No Trespassing" sign. The cemetery is open to the public and I have been told in the past that the signs are to warn US military personnel on exercises not to enter the immediate area. Also, as you travel inside the cemetery, you will see yellow/black signs indicating where the Fort Riley Millitary Reservatuon boundaries are marked. Bala Cemetery actually borders the military reservation to the north, west and south.
Anyway, for those of us that see a "No Trespassing" sign and do not particulary care to go beyond it, this cache is placed just a tad bit east of the sign close to where the previous cache was hidden. There is NO reason to enter the cemetery unless you want to go exploring.
About the immediate area: since Bala Cemetery borders the Fort Riley Military Reservation, there is a good possibility that you may see elements of the 1st Infantry Division or visiting National Guard or Reverve units on training exercises.The west side of US HWY 77 is a manuver area where units practice Force-on-Force (battling each other with blanks ammunition and lasers) exercises. Also, there is a hard-packed dirt airfield out west somewhere so you may see C-130 aircraft landing/taking off from that direction; possibility of seeing airborne troops parachuting into the nearby Landing Zone; see helicopters flying about; and/or see military vehicles out in the distance. Also, depending on time of year/visit there is a good possibility of hearing battles being fought in the distance to the west and southwest.
About 1/2 mile or so south of Bala Cemetery and on the eastern side of US HWY 77, there is Douthit Gunnery Complex. This is where LIVE FIRE exercises are practiced. This is where Abrams tanks and Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles will come to actually shoot LIVE AMMUNITION at targets and then manuveur to their next postions and fire again. So, do not be too surprised if you suddenly hear the loud "CRACK" of a 120mm main gun of an Abrams tank or the "WOMP-WOMP-WOMP" of a 25mm chain gun from a Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle. Also, about 3 miles south of Douthit Gunnery Complex and on the east side of US HWY 77 is considered a manuveur area so you may see military vehicles down that way as well.
Some safety tips: DO NOT cross any fences that are marked with the yellow/black military reservation boundery signs - IF you do you may have a bad day. DO NOT enter Douthit Gunnery Complex for any reason - IF you do you will definitely have a bad day (YES - there is a geocache placed at those 2 tanks on static display at the entrance to the gunnery complex and you can stop to search for it, but DO NOT go any further). DO NOT enter/travel any gravel roads on either side of US HWY 77 between Welsh Road and the town of Milford, KS, whether the gates are open/closed - IF you do you may have a bad day.
I spent many a day training at the manuveur area to the west/southwest of the cemetery and over by the gunnery complex - brings back memories whenever I travel this portion of US HWY 77. Day of cache placement I saw an AH-64 Apache Attach Helicopter buzzing around the area, so you may see one as well.
About the cache: In order to get to this cemetery, travel north/south on US HWY 77 between the towns of Milford/Riley, KS. Eventually you will come to an easy gradual curve. Cemetery is placed west side of that curve. There is an access road to cemetery and it is good hard-top and plenty of space to park safely. Coordinates should place you center-mass of the road and between 2 VERTICAL fence poles. It is up to you, the wiley geocacher that you think you are, to search for the container and make the eventual find - or will you?!?!?! I placed something roughly 2" long with circumference of a US quarter, but forget what the actual container is. May be considered a quick find for some, and not so quick for others so have fun!!