Welcome to Fahnestock State Park! These 15 geocaches (10 challenge, 5 bonus) will take you on a virtual tour of some of the state parks and historic sites in the Taconic Region. We recommend completing the series in order, with numbers 1-10 of the challenge geocaches. The bonuses will be interspersed throughout. You may also want to read the descriptions of FA04— Lake Taghkanic State Park, FA09 — Margaret Lewis Norrie State Park, and FA10 — Fahnestock State Park, before beginning.
Margaret Lewis Norrie State Park adjoins Ogden Mills and Ruth Livingston Mills Memorial State Park and together, comprise more than 1,000 acres. Margaret Lewis Norrie State Park offers a full menu of exhilarating recreational opportunities and activities for visitors of all ages. The numerous trails that thread through the grounds of both Mills and Norrie State Parks are ideal for walking, jogging, hiking, cycling, cross country skiing, and snow shoeing - treating visitors to fabulous views of the Hudson River which runs directly along the parks' western boundaries.
The posted coordinates will take to a signboard that will provide the information needed to find the second stage. At the second stage, you will find a second signboard, from which you can obtain coordinates for the final.
Stage 1 puzzle:
A = # of z’s in the Black-throated Green Warbler song
B = # letters in the word that is repeated in Pileated Woodpeckers call
C = Sum of digits in the time since large-scale clearing of trees started
D = second digit in Hooded Warbler’s altitude above the ground
E = First number in the number of phrases in scarlet tanager’s song
F = First digit in the lower bound of elevation in the park (see grouse)
The second waypoint: is at N41 27.ABC W 72 49.DEF
Coordinate (3 digit) checksums: N-11, W-14
Stage 2 puzzle
In “Long distance travelers:”
G = Number of letters in first part of bottom left birds name
H = Number of letters in first part of top left birds name
I = Number of letters in last part of top right birds name
“In Year-round residents:"
J = Number of letters in second part of leftmost bird’s name
K = Number of letters in second part of middle upper bird’s name
L = Number of letters in first part of rightmost birds name
Final waypoint: N41 27.GHI W73 49.JK(L+1)
Coordinate (3 digit) checksums: N-15, W-17