One of the basic tenets of geocaching is not to place a cache without
approval of the appropriate land manager. Below is contact information for
several managers of Alaska's public lands.
IMPORTANT!!! If you don't see an area
where you want to place a cache listed below, you should assume there is not an
agreement with the land manager regarding geocache placement. You should
contact the land manager, obtain permission, and contact the GeocacheAlaska!
Webmaster with the details so this page may be updated. The
GeocacheAlaska! Advocacy Committee
can assist with information on how to talk to a land manager.
Anchorage
Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge (includes Potters Marsh) Joe Meehan, Program Coordinator, Lands and Refuge Program, Alaska Department
of Fish and Game
Caches are allowed in the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge with careful thought
regarding placements that won't lead to the creation of new "social"
trails or disturbing wildlife. Caches may be placed on the Potters Marsh
Boardwalk, but not adjacent to it.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Campbell Tract/Far North Bicentennial
Park Jeff Blume, BLM
Caches are allowed throughout Campbell Tract/Far North Bicentennial Park EXCEPT
within 150 feet of a waterway. The exclusion zone (for geocaches and all
other user groups) was created in order to protect the sensitive streamside
vegetation, stream banks, and bear feeding areas. Download this map
(pdf, 317KB) for the exclusion zones.
Chugach State Park All caches must have the blanket permit number on the inside and the outside
of the cache along with the cache owner's contact information. The current
permit number is #09-076, but check back here
for updates since the permit is reissued annually. Click here
to download a copy of the permit.
Ft. Richardson/Elmendorf AFB All caches are to be disabled or archived effective immediately (April 12,
2009) and must be physically removed by May 1, 2009. Affected caches have
had a "Needs Archived" note posted on their cache page. Download
this map (7MB pdf)
to view the extent of Ft. Richardson/Elmendorf AFB lands.
Contacts: Doug
Deese, CIV USA USARPAC, or James Wendland, CTR USA USARPAC, 384-1128.
Municipality of Anchorage Parks Municipality of Anchorage (MOA) parklands are open to geocaching.
GeocacheAlaska! and the MOA have a symbiotic relationship where we host CITO
events and teach geocaching as part of MOA's activities schedule and we get to
place caches in Anchorage's parks.
Interior Alaska
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Northern Field Office
White Mountain National Recreation Area, Randy
Goodwin Dalton Highway, Roger Delaney Fortymile, Jeff Kowalczyk Caches allowed without permit in most locations except Mt. Prindle,
Limestone Jags, Serpentine Slide, other Research Natural Areas, and Areas
of Environmental Concern.
Creamer's Field Migratory Bird Refuge Jason Caikowski or Mark
Ross Caches allowed where hunting is allowed.
Maps available at AK Fish & Game, 1300 College Road
Fairbanks North Star Borough Parks No caching is allowed on FNSB parks. Boy Scouts and similar
organizations may temporarily place caches that will be removed within a
few days to a week. If you wish to conduct a GPS or compass navigation
training exercise please contact Matt Steffy at Chena Lakes Recreation Area at
488-1655 or Ricky Borland at Birch Hill at 457-4488. The Fairbanks Parks
Superintendent is John Haas, 459-1198.
North Pole Parks Caches are allowed as long as " there is nothing
destructive that will occur to city property or cause a health or safety issue
to all park users, " per Bill Butler, Director of City Services (488- 8594
or bill@northpolealaska.com). City of North Pole managed parks are Terry
Miller Park located at 5th and Santa
Claus Lane, Hipple Park located at LaSalle Ave. and Homestead Road, and
North Pole Skate Board Park located at 5th and Old Richardson Highway.
Bill Butler may be contacted at 488- 8594 or bill@northpolealaska.com.
Southcentral
Alaska Railroad Right-of-Way The Alaska Railroad has a legal 100' Right of Way (ROW) on both sides of the
centerline of the tracks. Geocaches should not be placed inside this ROW
for safety reasons with the following exceptions (per Jim Adams, Alaska Railroad
Security Agent):
Land on the opposite side of the bicycle trail from the tracks where the
bicycle trail falls within the 100' ROW.
Land within the vehicle transportation corridor including pull outs that
falls within the 100' ROW. These areas are usually delineated by a
fence or guardrail.
People are discouraged from crossing or walking along the tracks for safety
reasons.
Note:Groundspeak imposes a 150' buffer between caches and
tracks unless specific exemptions are identified such as those above.
Mat-Su/Copper River Basin under Alaska State Parks
Jurisdiction A map for this very large jurisdiction may be found hereand a pdf list of locations may be downloaded from here.
A Special Use Permit downloadable from here
is required to place a cache. Cache
coordinates need to be provided on the permit. Fax to 745-0938. Phone 745-3975 with questions.
Chugach National Forest The ranger staff of Glacier Ranger District (based in Girdwood) of the
Chugach National Forest has visited many of the active caches on their part of
the Forest, as part of their backcountry patrols. They welcome caching as an
activity, as long as cachers keep their hides well-policed, don't create social
trails, don't promote otherwise illegal activity, and continue to practice CITO.
The rangers remind cachers as well as well as the general public that "it
is prohibited to possess or operate a motor vehicle on National Forest System
lands on the CHUGACH NATIONAL FOREST other than in accordance with these
designations (CFR 261.13). Violators of 36 CFR 261.13 are subject to a
fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment for up to 6 months, or both (18 U.S.C.
3571(e)). This prohibition applies regardless of the presence or absence
of signs."
So, know before you go by downloading Chugach National Forest Motor Vehicle
Use Map 1 and Map
2 (~1.2 MB pdfs).
Caches are not allowed in designated Wilderness Areas of Chugach National
Forest which is the designation given to much of western Prince William Sound
(east of Whittier). There are also Alaska Native Lands inholdings throughout the Sound
that need to be treated as private property. Download this map
to identify the Wilderness areas and refer to the map on page 6 of this Chugach
Visitor Guide to identify private lands.
