Welcome to Cache Across Maryland 2023. This year is the 20th anniversary of CAM. We have made this year a little special with a CAM cache in every county, plus Baltimore City.
This is one of the caches placed for Cache Across Maryland 2023. You must find a minimum of ten caches prior to the picnic held on Saturday, June 3, 2023 in order to receive a free Maryland Geocaching Society CAM geocoin.
Make note of the code word found inside each cache container. You must enter all the symbols into an online decoder in order to print your CAM certificate as well as print a claim form to submit and receive your geocoin at the picnic. More info on CAM is available here.
There are FIVE MANDATORY COUNTIES. THOSE WILL BE GARRETT, ST MARY'S, CECIL, WORCESTER AND ANNE ARUNDEL. You can choose any of the other five counties to find a minimum of ten CAM caches.
Pine Valley Park
Pine Valley Park is Manchester’s hidden jewel. The park is located on the northeast side of town and encompasses approximately 60 acres. Included with the park is Charlotte’s Quest Nature Center. The Nature Center is run by the Manchester Parks Foundation and provides a variety of programs for children. The park area was originally set aside to provide protection to surface water springs which are part of Manchester’s water supply. Through the efforts of local citizens and Town staff, the park has become a multi-use area providing almost 4.5 miles of hiking trails, a fishing pond, and an outdoor pavilion for picnicking.
Pine Valley Park is a wonderful place for birdwatching throughout the year, providing a mix of xeric oak forest, mixed oak/poplar forest, a spruce/pine plantation, managed meadow/old field, and young successional forest.
Two access points are provided to the park. The more commonly used access is via Wilhelm Lane, which is located on the north side of York Street across from the Manchester Fireman’s Activity Building and Carnival Grounds. This access takes you to a parking lot by the Nature Center. The second access, which is my preferred access, is via Walnut Street, which is located on the east side of MD Route 30 approximately 0.25 miles north of the MD Route 30-MD Route 27 intersection (the Sheetz Store), just prior to Bill Rohrbaugh’s bus yard. Follow Walnut Street down to the park pavilion near one of the town’s water treatment plants. Park along the fence just before the pump station. Behind you is the Walnut Street pond.
Pine Valley Park provides excellent year-round birding within the Town limits of Manchester. The park’s trails are not heavily utilized and most times I bird watch in total solitude. The diverse array of habitats make it possible to see a large number of species in a relatively small area.
The listed coordinates take you to a historic sign about the Native Americans who were the first people that lived in the Manchester area. Use this sign to find the coordinates to the final.
N39 40.ABC W076 52.DEF
A = First digit in the first number listed on the plaque
B = First digit in the second number listed on the plaque
C = # of words in the first line after the title of the plaque
D = # of letters in the last word of the first line of the plaque after the title
E = # of letters in the last word of title of the plaque
F = 3rd digit of the second date on the plaque
Checksum: 27
Follow the trail to the back of the park to find the cache about 10-15 feet from the intersection of two trails. The cache is in a hole in a tree, about 3 feet high. Trails may be wet and boggy. As you approach GZ, be aware of a downed barbed wire fence. You do not need to cross this fence though.
Access / Hours
