Welcome to Montana!
You're in Big Sky Country - a varied landscape of rolling hills, steep mountains, deep valleys, and everything in between. Montana is filled with all manner of wildlife and people from all walks of life. No matter what you like to do outside, you can do it here in Montana. There are millions of reasons people fall in love with the Treasure State.
The Montana hide for the Cache Odyssey GeoTour (more details below) is located in none other than Helena, MT, the capital city. Helena has its roots in the gold rush days of the 1860s, as gold was discovered by four gentlemen along what became known as Last Chance Gulch. The vast store of gold was enough for many to stake their claim, and the town grew to over 3,000 people in just a few years. The arrival of the railroad and the declaration of Helena as the territorial capital in subsequent decades helped ensure the longevity of the town's prosperity, even as the gold was running dry. By 1888, Helena was home to some 50 millionaires, whose wealth is apparent in the lasting architecture seen downtown. Last Chance Gulch ultimately produced around $3.6 billion worth of gold in today's dollars. After the gold rush, Helena's central location provided useful for assisting with the transport and distribution of raw materials and goods from other nearby extraction industries. Agriculture in the area also helped keep the growth of the town sustainable. (More on the history of Helena)
Today, Helena remains a diverse and thriving community of people who love and care for the valley they call home.
The Cache
The Montana Cache Odyssey hide is located at the Helena Forest Service office, a place which welcomes everyone. This quaint location contains various rustic displays which provide a sample of what makes Montana unique. While the location is not quite a visitors center, it does have lots of information about the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. Since this is considered a federal building, there are a few important rules which must be followed:
Cache is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm MST, excluding federal holidays.
Stage One
At the posted coordinates, you will find a placard on a large rock, which you will need to view to determine the combination of the lock on the cache container.
Somewhere on the placard is the date "May AB, CDEF"
Lock combination: CBBE
Stage Two
The cache is located in the main lobby, and is near the listed waypoint. You do not need to speak with someone at the desk to find the cache. As a letterbox hybrid, this cache contains a stamp; in fact, the cache contains two unique stamps! Please leave both stamps in the cache, along with the provided ink pad. There are slips of paper in the cache so that you can stamp a page and take it with you if you would like. This cache is starting with a whole bunch of Montana themed swag; please trade up or trade even.
Congrats to MontanaDerik, MTBreeze, and MagentaNickles for the co-FTF!
Notable Places to Visit
- Along historic Last Chance Gulch, you can find the walking mall. This unique and wheelchair accessible experience draws together a myriad of interests from classic architecture and statues to modern art and thriving local business.
- On Capital Hill you can find the capitol building of Montana, whose halls are filled with brilliant artwork and many celebrations of Montana's rich history.
- You can find many gorgeous Victorian homes downtown, including the original governor's mansion, which offers tours.
- On the east edge of town, you can find the Archie Bray Foundation. This multi use facility that has several acres of larger-than-life clay and mixed media artworks, which can be toured for free year-round.
- Mount Helena is one of the most popular hiking destinations in the area, in part because it offers clear views of the city and surrounding valley.
- A few miles west of town, you can find Two Camps Vista. This scenic and wheelchair friendly location offers a self guided tour about the history of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Please exercise caution if visiting during the winter months.
Notable Geocaches in the Area
Welcome to the Cache Odyssey!
What is Cache Odyssey?
Cache Odyssey is a thrilling, nationwide geocaching journey like no other! Conceived by some of the top cache hiders in the U.S., this adventure brings a unique, highly creative letterbox geocache to every state.
These caches are designed with everyone in mind—from seasoned explorers to families with kids, and especially those geocaching in wheelchairs. Every cache is built to be fun, imaginative, and 100% accessible to all.
Where Can You Find Another One?
Here's the best part—there's a Cache Odyssey hide in every state! That’s right! From coast to coast, every state in America is part of this grand adventure. Once you track down the one closest to you, why stop there?
This cache is part of the Northwest Region Geotour. There are six exciting GeoTours making up this series which include a total of 50 accessible geocaches.
East Central Region GeoTour
Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Virginia
Midwest Region GeoTour
Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin
Northeast Region GeoTour
Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont
Northwest Region GeoTour
Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming
South Region GeoTour
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas
Southwest Region GeoTour
Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah.
Cache Odyssey Regional GeoTours Map
The Leaderboard!
For all you competitive geocachers who love racing to the finish line, we’ve got something just for you!
RetiredGuy has put together a leaderboard for anyone who starts the journey.
- Who will be the first to complete their region?
- Who will be the first to find all 50?
- Which cache will receive the most favorite points?
Click on the Leaderboard button to find out!
