Stony Point Overlook Traditional Cache
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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The Stony Point Overlook cache is located within the Allegheny National Forest. This cache will involve a short automobile ride over Forest Service roads, and from a parking area, a minimum 6-mile roundtrip hike. The latter half of the journey can be completed on foot, or alternately on horseback or mountain bike. Your hike will be rewarded with a gorgeous view of the Tionesta valley.
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 Cache In - Trash Out!  Dogs Allowed
 Bicycles permitted on paths  Long pants suggested  Hunting in area - use caution  Dangerous area - use caution  Snakes
 Equestrian Trail  Accessible in Winter
 Scenic View  Mud!  Compass Suggested / Required  Ticks  More than .5 mile from Trailhead  Wear bug repellant! |
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This cache was placed by Archaeologist-PA Due to her living in NJ I have adopted it. The original cache was stolen. Someone could have stumbled on to it. I replaced it in 2009 I hid it where it was pretty much stumble proof. The ammo box was stolen before any one even found it. I have just placed a third ammo box in yet a different location. Two other cachers helped me pick the spot. We matched coords with three different gps's so they should be right on. We all agree that there is no way anyone could possibly stumble on to it. So if this one comes up missing it will likely have been taken by someone with a gps and the coords. (lknox) The directions to the cache site begin with the town of Roses, just south of Marienville. While traveling on Rt. 66, turn onto SR 3004 and proceed past Muzette. From Muzette, turn right onto FR 212 (this is marked with a sign, but is still easy to miss).
Travel north on FR 212. Sometimes others travel upon these roads, including oil/mining and timber trucks, Forest Service personnel, hunters, etc., so proceed with caution, especially around turns. Public motorized access to FR 212 will end with a locked Forest Service gate. Just before this gate, you will see FR 210 veer off to the left (west), and a loop parking area where people often park their horse trailers. You can park in this loop, but please do not block others on the road, and especially try not to block the gate. FR 212 up to this point can probably be handled by most automobiles (unless you have a low-rider!), and 4WD probably isn't necessary. However, a caveat - after rains, these roads can get pretty slick, so use your judgement on what your vehicle is capable of handling.
You can proceed with this leg of the cache journey on foot, mountain bike, or horseback. 99% of the rest of your journey will be on developed (gravel) Forest Service roads, and the distance from the locked gate on FR 212 to the cache site is approximately 3 miles each way. These roads are generally easy to traverse, however, keep your eyes open for the occasional wet spots, potholes, fallen trees, and potential vehicle traffic. Exercise special caution during hunting season.
Continue north on FR 212. This road will eventually become FR 211, though the transition is not marked. You will eventually come to an abandoned and grown over quarry, where you will turn right (east) onto FR 484. This road is not marked, though there is a signpost where the road marker used to be. FR 484 will take you through a clearing where another quarry was once located. Continue on FR 484. Topo maps show this road ending sooner than it does in reality - it will bring you very close to the cache.
When you get close to the cache site, you will find a small path leading off the road to the right (north). There is also a primitive campsite located to the south. If you somehow missed the path to the cache, you will soon find that FR 484 will turn from being a road to a footpath/horsetrail. If you reach the footpath, you've gone too far. Don't worry, as the path to the overlook is very short (probably less than 20 ft from the road to the overlook), and you will likely not miss it.
The overlook is a big rock slab with a great view of the Tionesta valley and several mountains in the distance. How far can you see from this spot? This would be a great place to return to in the winter, as the view without any foliage would likely be breathtaking. Take time to catch your breath, take in the view, and maybe have lunch here. There is also another vantage point where you can take in the view a short distance from the overlook.
What can you see from this overlook? The large body of water below is the Tionesta, to your north/northeast. Salmon Creek drains into the Tionesta from the east. The town of Kelletville is located below you in the valley. This town has something of an interesting history - it isn't located where it used to be!
Historic photo of Kelletville in its original location
During its heyday, Kelletville had 1,300 residents, and boasted several industries including two sawmills, a hub factory, a kiln wood factory, and a tannery. The town was abandoned and many of its structures razed in 1943 to make way for the Tionesta flood control project. Ironically, it is said that the waters of the Tionesta never reached the elevation of the old townsite. From your vantage point, you can see where the town used to be, along the Tionesta just north of its confluence with Salmon Creek. The modern town of Kelletville now resides at a point to your northwest.
The cache is a green 7.62 ammo box at a location not far from the overlook. Please be sure to camoflague the cache's hiding place very well when you re-hide it, as muggles do frequent this area! T
Feel free to post photos of your journey to the cache webpage.
Remember to tread lightly in our national forest, and pack out any trash that you might find.
This cache is temporarily on loan for the Venango-Forest Kidz Kache (see sponsors below) This geo cache is part of the Venango-Forest Kidz Kache geotrail, a grant funded event designed to introduce youth to the interpretive, physical, and recreational benefits of geocaching. This geotrail is very kid-friendly and beginner oriented and each cache location contains historical, cultural, geological, or natual value. The Kidz Kache geotrail consists of twelve geocaches, six each in Forest and Venango counties. This cache contains a unique self-inking rubber stamp, which you use to stamp your Venango-Forest Kidz Kache passport to verify that you found it. When you have found a minimum of eight Kidz Kache caches, you will be eligible to have your passport validated and receive a gift bag with locally donated prizes and a commemorative pathtag. You must have your official Kidz Kache passport with you when you find this cache in order to stamp it. The event starts on July 15th, 2011. For complete details and to pick up a passport, visit these locations: in Forest county - Forest County Visitor’s Bureau and Marienville Ranger District; in Venango County - Lifelong Learning Programs and Oil Region Alliance. Please make sure you leave the rubber stamp in the cache so the next cachers can stamp their passport.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Qba'g sbetrg gb ybt lbhe svaq.