Full of history, culture, and recreational opportunities, Marion County really is the Middle of Everywhere! From the rolling rapids of Valley Falls State Park to the Italian influence of local bakeries, there's so much to do while visiting the area. While you're visiting West Virginia, we invite you to join us for the Middle of Everywhere GeoTour! This officially registered tour highlights 20 of our favorite locations in the area, categorized by shops, history, murals, and parks! Find 16/20 caches to qualify for a limited-edition GeoTour coin. Find all 20 to get a unique souvenir added to your Geocaching profile.

For information regarding the GeoTour and a full list of caches, please visit our website.

MOE-GT #14: Black Diamond
Category: Marion's Mining

Mary Lou Retton park is named after the 1984 Olympic gold medalist from Marion County and features a variety of different activities and sport facilities. However, you're looking for a different type of diamond. Nestled in the center of the park is a life-sized coal miner statue surrounded by local counties throughout North-central West Virginia where mining took place. We hope this cache gives you a good overview on the impact coal mining had to this region.

TO FIND THIS CACHE, visit the coal miner memorial statue at Mary Lou Retton Park and take note of the 10 pillars surrounding the walkway depicting counties in North-central West Virginia. Stand beside the black podium and face the front of the statue; you should see the inscription: "We pause to remember the coal miner who lost his life in the mine." Number the pillars clockwise 1 through 10 (for example, 'Upshur and Webster Counties' would be 1). Now, match the following images to solve for the final coords.

If solved correctly, the cache should be a short walk away. This park has very high muggle activity, especially in the summer. Please exercise extreme stealth while retrieving the final container. As always, please replace the cache back exactly as you found it.

THANKS FOR VISITING!

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