This cache is located in the Hypoluxo Scrub Natural Area. Hours are Sunrise to Sunset.
The barefoot mailman is an iconic Florida symbol. It refers to the carriers on the first U.S. Mail route (1885–1892) between Palm Beach and the settlements around Lake Worth on the north, and Miami to the south. The mailmen had to walk and travel by boat because there was no road connecting the 68-mile route from Palm Beach to Miami. Approximately 28 miles of the one-way trip was by rowing different boats, and the rest by walking along the firmer sand along the beach. The route was originally called the "barefoot route" and the carriers were called "beach walkists" or "beach walkers". It was not until around 1940 that the term "barefoot mailman" came into use.
A Star route to carry mail between Lake Worth and Biscayne Bay was established in 1885. The route involved a round trip of 136 miles from Palm Beach to Miami and back and took six days. The carrier would leave Palm Beach on Monday morning, traveling by boat to the southern end of the Lake Worth Lagoon. He would then cross over to the beach and walk down to Delray Beach, where he would spend the night. The next day (Tuesday) he would continue walking down the beach to Fort Lauderdale, where he would spend that night. On Wednesday the carrier traveled by boat down the New River to its inlet and then would walk down the beach to the north end of Biscayne Bay. Finally, he would travel down Biscayne Bay by boat to Miami. On Thursday he would start the return trip, arriving in Palm Beach on Saturday.
The first barefoot mailman was Edwin Ruthven Bradley, a retired Chicago newsman and Lake Worth resident, who won the postal contract in 1885 with a bid of $600 per year, equivalent to $21,500 in 2025. He and his son, Louie, took turns carrying the mail once a week for about two years. Others who served as barefoot mailmen were James Edward "Ed" Hamilton, Andrew Walton Garnett, Charles William Pierce, and Henry John Burkhardt.
LOGGING REQUIREMENTS:
To claim the find for this virtual geocache you must post a picure of yourself at the barefoot mailman sculpture. It is not necessary for your face to be visible.
LOGS WITHOUT THE REQUIRED PHOTO WILL BE DELETED.
Virtual Rewards 5.0 - 2026-2027
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between February 3, 2026 and February 3, 2027. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 5.0 on the Geocaching Blog.