Welcome to Cache Across Maryland 2025. This is one of the caches placed for the 2025 Cache Across Maryland. Each location was picked specifically to give geocachers a taste of the state and show you its beauty. By combining all ten, you'll be able to see why Maryland is truly "America in Miniature". We hope you enjoy them! You must find a minimum of ten caches prior to the picnic held on Saturday, May 31, 2025 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 words into an online decoder in order to print a claim form to print and submit to receive your geocoin at the picnic, as well as your CAM certificate. More info on CAM is available HERE.
Franklin Point State Park / Columbia Beach Area
Hours: Dawn to Dusk
No fee required
Franklin Point State Park is a beautiful 477 acre peninsula nestled among the Chesapeake Bay, Deep Creek and Flag Pond, in scenic southern Anne Arundel County. The Maryland Park Service has partnered with community members represented by the West / Rhode Riverkeeper staff to improve access to this natural waterfront property.
Franklin Point features a variety of marsh, forest and field areas, with sand shoreline overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. Passive enjoyment, including wildlife viewing and hiking, and paddling, are ideal activities at this site.
Future plans are underway with the help of the West/Rhode Riverkeeper staff to develop a soft launch and small day-use area off Dent Road. The water access at this facility is for non-motorized vessels only. The access site is located along the unimproved shoreline of a very shallow cove and is often inaccessible during low tides. Check a tide chart prior to going because the mud can be extreme.
Franklin Point is one of Maryland's newest provincial parks, opening after long-running efforts to prevent the area from being developed. The area was originally Deep Creek Airport which closed in the 1980s, and was then purchased by a real estate developer who planned on building 300 houses on the property. This effort was stopped by a local citizens group, who were later sued by the developer for defamation, but ended up winning the case. The property was then bought by Maryland Department of Natural Resources who turned it over the county, whose plan on developing the area included baseball diamonds and a parking lot. This plan was rejected by the Critical Area Commission owing to the sensitive shoreline. After this, the county lost interest in the project and the area stood unused for a decade. The park was later opened with the help of volunteers in 2015, who helped demolish abandoned structures and created trails as well as a boat launch
For the cache you seek, the final for this letterbox cache is about a quarter mile from the starting point.
1. Go to the posted coordinates and find an informational sign. Turn right and go past the gate and follow the gravel path about 200 paces.
2. Turn right and follow the curve of the beach until reaching the stone jetty.
3. Follow the stone jetty until it rejoins the land in about 100 yards. You may also turn right before the jetty and walk along the beach. This would be safer for some especially after rain. Straight ahead in the woods is a trail. The trailhead is to the right of a fallen dead tree.
4. After marking the coordinates of the trailhead, follow the well-trodden path which is marked with rock cairns.
5. About 0.1 miles from the trailhead the path turns sharply to the right and then sharply to the left. At this point a dead tree with a "widow-maker" branch is overhanging the trail. Turn right before the tree, over a log, for about 20 paces. The cache is in the hollow of a fallen tree.
Please use stealth and replace cache container with stamp and ink pad better than found.
