NOTICE - UPDATE OF UNAVAILABLE CACHE STAGES - NOTICE
STAGE 3: Temporarily inaccessible January - April 2019 due to $1.1M park restoration project to control erosion of the stream bed.
Here is the Final Stage coordinate digit in Stage 3: W = 0.
STAGE 4: Temporarily down for maintenance.
Here is the Final Stage coordinate digit in Stage 4: B = 9.
Coordinates to STAGE 5: N 38o 55.560 W 077o 00.086.
HINT to STAGE 5: Hanging from hook 7 ft up birch tree; a little climbing may be needed..
Washington, DC is the capital of the United States of America and home to all three branches of our government - the Executive (White House), Legislative (National Capitol), and the Judicial (US Supreme Court). On July 16, 1790 the Residence Act passed, making a site on the Potomac River picked by George Washington our nation's new and permanent capital. President Washington himself oversaw construction of the White House, but it was not inhabited until November 1, 1800, when our second president, John Adams, took residency. Congress held its first session in the US Capitol building on November 17, 1800, while the building was still under construction.
Today the District of Columbia is home to more than 500,000 people who are deprived of voting representation in the US Legislature. In 1983, again in 1992, and then every year after, bills to grant statehood to the District have been introduced in Congress. [Source: Wikipedia]
The eight stages of this multi-cache begin in Ward 1 and lead you through Wards 2 - 7 in order. THE STAGES MUST BE DONE IN ORDER. The first seven stages contain parts of the solution for the coordinates of the Final Stage, and the full coordinates to the next stage (except Stage 7 only contains part(s) of the final solution). The solution for the coordinates for the Final Stage will take you to Ward 8.
Each Ward has one Letterbox Hybrid Cache and one stage of this multi-cache for the EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC GEOTRAIL. If you are attempting to complete all nine caches in the GeoTrail, for expediency you may want to start in Ward 1 and find both the Letterbox Hybrid Cache and multi-cache stage that are located in the same Ward, before moving to the other Wards in sequence.
COORDINATES FOR THE FINAL STAGE ARE:
N 38o AB.CDE W 077o VW.XYZ
EACH BISON TUBE AT STAGES 1 - 7 WILL CONTAIN PART OF THE SOLUTION FOR THE COORDINATES FOR THE FINAL STAGE, AS WELL AS THE COORDINATES FOR THE NEXT STAGE IN THIS MULTI-CACHE. The cache container at the Final Stage is a SMALL LOCK-N-LOCK CONTAINER.
ACCESS VIA MASS TRANSIT:
DC Metrorail
STAGE 2 - Dupont Circle Station on RED line
STAGE 6 - Waterfront - SEU Station on GREEN line
STAGE 7 - Benning Road Station on BLUE and SILVER lines
DC Metrobus
STAGE 1 - G2 stops at Bryant & #301, NW
STAGE 2 - G2 stops at P Street & 17th Street, NW
STAGE 3 - M4 stops at Loughborf Road & Glenbrook Road, NW
STAGE 4 - 70 stops at Georgia Avenue & Gallatin Street, NW
STAGE 5 - D8 stops at Franklin Street, NE & Glenwood Cemetery
STAGE 6 - P6, V1 stop at I Street & Wesley Place, SW
STAGE 7 - V8 stops at Benning Road & East Capitol Street, NE
FINAL STAGE - A8 stops at South Capitol Street & Forrester Street, SE and A8, A9 stop at South Capitol Street & First Street, SE
EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC GEOTRAIL
This geocache is one of nine caches (eight Letterbox Hybrids and one Multi-Cache) hidden by and maintained by the District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation (DC DPR). DC is the #1 ranked city nationwide when it comes to amount of parkland space per resident. DC DPR manages more than 375 parks, 76 recreation centers, 11 indoor and 19 outdoor pools, and numerous specialty centers that offer activities such as tennis, therapeutic recreation, senior centers, and even ice skating in the District.
To educate cachers about the eight Wards that make up the District of Columbia and their local histories, and to also highlight nearby parks and facilities, DC DPR has placed the nine caches throughout the eight Wards. Hopefully cachers will find the geocaches informative, entertaining, challenging, and maybe even introduce cachers to before-unknown parks and facilities.
As you navigate through the Wards and discover the geocaches, make sure you bring your family passport and capture the various stamps in it along the journey. The passport can be downloaded here. Once you have filled your family passport with all nine distinctive stamps, mail your completed passport to the address shown in the passport to receive your free EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC GEOTRAIL geocoin (only one per family while supplies last).
Each Ward has one Letterbox Hybrid Cache and one stage of the Multi-cache from the EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC GEOTRAIL. Also the eight stages of the Multi-cache must be found in order. The Multi-cache begins in Ward 1 and leads you through Wards 2 - 8 in order. If you are attempting to complete all nine caches in the GEOTRAIL, for expediency you may want to start in Ward 1 and find both DPR GT#1 - Hobart Twins Park and Stage 1 of DPR GT#9 - Multi Wards. After completing Ward 1 proceed through the other Wards in order finding both the Letterbox Hybrid Cache and Multi-cache stage located in each Ward. Complete the GEOTRAIL in Ward 8 by finding both DPR GT#8 - Oxon Run Park and the Final Stage of DPR GT#9 - Multi Wards. A District of Columbia map outlining the boundaries of the eight Wards, and other helpful information to solve the Letterbox Hybrid Caches can be found at https://dpr.dc.gov/page/dpr-geocaching.
WARNING - the Letterbox Hybrid Cache and Multi-cache Stage in each Ward may not be located close to each other. Most geocachers will want to drive between the cache and multi-cache stage, or use mass transit.
GEOTRAIL RULES
- To hunt for the nine caches of the EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC GEOTRAIL, geocachers must be members of www.geocaching.com (BASIC membership is FREE). The web page for each of the caches can be found on the www.geocaching.com website and downloaded to a smart phone (using the Geocaching APP) or a GPS receiver. Additional information about geocaching can be found at https://dpr.dc.gov/page/dpr-geocaching and www.geocaching.com.
- Geocachers must abide by all DC DPR rules, regulations and other restrictions to make the treasure hunt safe and fun for all.
- Download your family passport for the GEOTRAIL here and carry it with you as you visit each cache.
- Geocachers must sign the log provided within each of the eight Letterbox Hybrid and final stage of the one Multi-Cache caches.
- Make an ink impression in your family passport using the unique rubber stamp and ink pad provided in each of the eight Letterbox Hybrid and final stage of the one Multi-Cache caches. Include in your passport the date you found/logged each cache. NOTE: If a rubber stamp and/or ink pad is missing from a cache, include a photo showing your group, the log, and surrounding area, as proof of find (no spoilers, please). Indicate in your on-line log that the rubber stamp and/or ink pad is missing from the cache.
- Do not take the rubber stamps/ink pads from the caches. There are a number of kid-friendly SWAG items in each cache, but please remember that if you take something, you should leave something of equal or greater value.
- Log your visit of each cache online at www.geocaching.com. Indicate in your online log the date you found the cache, if different than the date you logged the cache online.
- Once you have logged all nine caches and affixed the unique stamp from each cache in your family passport, mail your completed passport to the address provided in the passport to receive your free EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC GEOTRAIL geocoin (only one geocoin per family while supplies last).
GEOCACHES IN THE EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC GEOTRAIL
- DPR GT#1 - Hobart Twins Park (GC7FVEH)
- DPR GT#2 - Book Hill Park (GC7F91V)
- DPR GT#3 - Friendship "Turtle" Park (GC7F8V2)
- DPR GT#4 - Takoma Park & Aquatic Center (GC7F93W)
- DPR GT#5 - Chuck Brown Memorial Park (GC7F9GN)
- DPR GT#6 - Lansburgh Park (GC7F9QY)
- DPR GT#7 - Pope Branch Park (GC7FA2E)
- DPR GT#8 - Oxon Run Park (GC7FC2V)
- DPR GT#9 - Multi Wards (GC7FC6A)
