Within the sleepy swamps of Chatawa, where the Tangpihoa River flows and the ringing of the old bell at St. Mary's echoes across the thick woods, a monster lurks, peeking around trees, swiping chickens, and being a household name for decades...
This cache is placed in the heart of the territory of none other than the Chatawa Swamp Monster. As you hunt for the cache, look around for trees with claw-like scratches torn deep into their trunks. That's the Swamp Monster's sign. Local rumors and legend state that there are three possibilities for how Chatawa became home to its own cryptid. The first comes from the nearby animal sanctuary and resort, Kramer's Lodge, that used to cater to the likes of Huey P. Long; a monkey or ape is said to have escaped into the woods and never been captured. The second details how a northbound circus headed from New Orleans to Chicago jumped the rails, wrecked, and released a variety of circus animals into the nearby woods; all were caught, save an ape or monkey, like in the first rumor. The final rumor comes from just up the road, from St. Mary of the Pines, where the older sisters and students would tell tales of a Bigfoot-like creature to scare their younger constituents.
Growing up, during Halloween, after all of the trick-or-treating was done, my older brothers and I would load up into my brother's old two-door Nissan truck and go out hunting for the Chatawa Swamp Monster, collecting water from the local artesian well, and then heading over to the local cemeteries to look for the ghosts of nuns and Civil War soldiers.
This cache is also placed in honor of the old earthcache that used to be here before the railroad bulldozed and covered up the artesian well. Take a moment to enjoy the old bridge, the quietness of the river and surrounding area. Many folks use this location for pictures.
CO's Note: There's plenty of parking on either side of the tracks and bridge. Watch out for cars taking the corners too fast.