This is our 43th
Geocache and this one is for those of you who want to try something with a little more adventure. If
you want to explore something a bit different try this cache- as
it is located on the edge of the Buffalo Gap National Grassland,
just 15 miles east of Rapid City, near the top of Thompsons
Butte. It has an incredible 360-degree view of the Black Hills
and the badlands in the distant and is a tribute to the diversity
of the ecosystems in our area, as you can see coyotes, antelope,
deer, fox, prairie dogs and a whole host of other animals that
make their homes on the prairie grasslands.
Location: Thompsons
Butte is located 5 miles south west of the little town of Caputa
(just east of the Rapid City Regional Airport). For you Geology
fans the butte is an erosional remnant of the White River
formation. It consists of more than 280 feet of Chadron and Brule
Clays resting on a base of Pierre Shale, and is capped by 20 feet
of rounded ancient streambed gravel on the top. The butte
was named after an early rancher named Thomas Thompson, whos
son Albert later became a professional fossil collector and
preparator for the American Museum of Natural History in the late
1920s. As you travel the winding dirt road across the
grasslands there are areas of eroded and exposed rocks containing
agates, jasper and many other type of quartzites.
What you need:
You should be able to do this cache with any vehicle that has good ground clearance. If it is wet
out, you will want to do this cache on another day as sliding
around and the strong possibility of getting stuck would certainly not
be any fun.
To find the
cache: Drive east out of Rapid City along highway
44 past the regional airport, through Caputa and then past the
tiny town of Farmingdale. At about 14 miles you will want
to turn south onto Farmingdale-Folsom Road (N43 57.259 W 102 51.530).
Travel about 3.4 miles South (entering onto the Buffalo Gap
National Grasslands). When you get to N43 54.527 W 102 51.537
turn right or west onto the dirt road and begin your adventure.
The easier route is to take the northern route to the Farmingdale
Reservoir) Continue exploring as you go, as this is part of the
cache adventure. Park your vehicle when you reach the area
of N43 55.330 W 102 58.060 and begin your ¾ mile hike to
the incredible view at the cache.
Finding the
Cache Container: The cache is a 6x12 inch tube with a
logbook and is filled with souvenirs and trinkets. It is
hidden just below a convenient place to sit and view the scenery.
On the top of the butte is a Geodetic Survey marker (OTO782) you
can also log as a find on the benchmark area of the Geocaching
web site. We would recommend bringing binoculars on this
hike, as there will be lots of things to look at.
We hope you enjoy this cache as much as we
did creating it!
-Team Family Affair