Background: EarthCaches are a program of the Geological Society of America (GSA) in partnership with Geocaching.com, and other partners around the world intended to provide geocachers an educational lesson and experience in geology. EarthCaches are a great alternative to placing and finding physical containers in areas where they are not allowed or would be detrimental to the environment, such as within National Parks and other environmentally-sensitive areas.
History: The first EarthCache was GCHFT2 Earthcache I - a simple geology tour of Wasp Head, published on January 10, 2004. It was placed by Gary Lewis "geoaware", Director of Education and OUtreach for the Geological Society of America, at Wasp Head in Murramarang National Park, New South Wales, Australia.
The EarthCache was on an isolated coastal rock platform and headland that featured fossilized worm burrows, giant dropstones from ancient floating icebergs, and evidence of local weathering and past glacial/seismic activity. Instead of a physical container, visitors learned earth sciences by answering location-specific questions on-site.
10 years later, geoaware wrote an article for the Official Geocaching Blog about the first EarthCache as well as the decade since then.
My Experience with EarthCaches: The first EarthCache I logged online as "Found" was GC1Q5ZW Bubblicious, located in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania. That was on July 22, 2008, and since then I have been to, and logged an online "Found It" post for a total of 100 EarthCaches. I have also placed 6 EarthCaches, one of those, my first, GC1JPJH Helena Has Its Faults (hidden December 6, 2008), having been transferred/adopted by a geocaching friend, urd1_eeyore.
EarthCache Master Awards: The GSA provides recognition to geocachers for visiting and developing EarthCaches through its EarthCache Master Awards program. When the program first began, geocachers could submit an online form requesting recognition for each level, and receive in the mail a small letter of accomplishment, a window sticker, as well as a pin concurrent with the level achieved.
There are four EarthCache Master Award levels:
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Bronze EarthCache Master -
Requirements: Visit and log three (3) or more EarthCaches in two (2) or more states/provinces/ countries.
Visited & Logged:
GC1Q5ZW Bubblicious - Pennsylvania 07/22/08
GC1G3TF The Continental Divide - Montana 11/23/08
GC14ZQY Yellowstone Talus Slope - Wyoming 07/16/09
GC1G3TF The Continental Divide - Montana 11/23/08
GC14ZQY Yellowstone Talus Slope - Wyoming 07/16/09
States/Provinces/Countries:
Pennsylvania
Montana
Wyoming
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Silver EarthCache Master -
Requirements: Visit and log six (6) or more EarthCaches in three (3) or more states/ provinces/ countries and have developed one (1) or more EarthCaches.
GC14G6A Yellowstone Caldera at Madison Junction - Wyoming 07/16/09
GC14ZQZ Mammoth Hot Springs - Wyoming 07/16/09
GC1H7AW Big Springs - Idaho 07/16/09
GC1H93P Rouring Mountain of Yellowstone - Wyoming 07/16/09
GC1D9RQ Way Up On the Great Divide - Idaho - Idaho 07/16/09
GC1JY47 Rainbow's End: Grand Prismatic Spring - Wyoming 07/16/09
GC1E2ZT The 1959 Earthquake - Montana 07/16/09
GC10HZW Old Faithful Geyser at Yellowstone National Park - Wyoming 07/16/09
States/Provinces/Countries:
Idaho
Montana
Developed:
GC1C6E2 Ringing Rocks - Montana 05/14/08
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Gold EarthCache Master -
Requirements: Visit and log twelve (12) or more EarthCaches in four (4) or more states/ provinces/ countries and have developed two (2) or more EarthCaches.
Visited & Logged:
GC1YF6T Saint Anthony Falls - Minnesota 11/05/09
GCQV4P South Mountain Metamorphic Core Complex - Arizona 02/15/10
GC24TT3 Hey Look a Wall - Montana 05/10/10
GC18FEW Castle Mountain Fault - Houston, Alaska - Alaska 05/18/10
GC1FY8P Gros Ventre Landslide - Wyoming 05/25/10
GC1D3B9 Grand Teton - Wyoming 05/25/10
GC2BQCV Elkhorn Mountain Volcanoes - Montana 08/07/10
GC23PM1 The Land Before Time - Colorado 08/18/10
GC23F6P Red Rocks Unconformity Earthcache - Colorado 08/18/10
GC34DDD Souvenirs of the Ice Ages - Montana 05/07/11
GC1BGAJ Glacial Lake Missoula: Hellgate Canyon - Montana 05/07/11
GC2CTGR Tower Rock State Park Earthcache - Montana 06/18/11
GCQV4P South Mountain Metamorphic Core Complex - Arizona 02/15/10
GC24TT3 Hey Look a Wall - Montana 05/10/10
GC18FEW Castle Mountain Fault - Houston, Alaska - Alaska 05/18/10
GC1FY8P Gros Ventre Landslide - Wyoming 05/25/10
GC1D3B9 Grand Teton - Wyoming 05/25/10
GC2BQCV Elkhorn Mountain Volcanoes - Montana 08/07/10
GC23PM1 The Land Before Time - Colorado 08/18/10
GC23F6P Red Rocks Unconformity Earthcache - Colorado 08/18/10
GC34DDD Souvenirs of the Ice Ages - Montana 05/07/11
GC1BGAJ Glacial Lake Missoula: Hellgate Canyon - Montana 05/07/11
GC2CTGR Tower Rock State Park Earthcache - Montana 06/18/11
States/Provinces/Countries:
Minnesota
Arizona
Montana
Alaska
Wyoming
Developed:
GC1JPJH Helena Has Its Faults - Montana 12/06/08 (adopted by urd1_eeyore)
GC24TAQ Phoenix Zoo - Arizona Trail: A Geology Lesson - Arizona 03/01/10
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Platinum EarthCache Master -
Requirements: Visit and log twenty (20) or more EarthCaches in five (5) or more states/ provinces/ countries and have developed three (3) or more EarthCaches.
Visited & Logged:
GC2X6XE Adel Mountain Volcanics - Montana 06/18/11
GC2ZP1Z Dorothy's Popcorn - Bentonite EarthCache - Alberta, Canada 07/15/11
GC1H9ZG Star Coal Mine Earthcache - Alberta, Canada 07/15/11
GC2ZP21 Rosedale Burnt Shale EarthCache - Alberta, Canada 07/17/11
GC2ZP1X Atlas Coal Mine EarthCache - Alberta, Canada -7/17/11
GC2BN03 Dinosaur Ridge - Ripple Marks - Colorado 09/20/11
GC2BKPA Dino Egg or Alien Artifact? - Colorado 09/20/11
GCMQGG Dinosaur Ridge EarthCache - Colorado 09/20/11
GC2BZ3D Jefferson River Canyon - Montana 10/18/11
GC1GJ7E Garden of the Gods - Sentinel Rock - Colorado 10/20/12
GC1GJ7K Garden of the Gods - The Three Graces - Colorado 10/20/12
GC2176K 7-Minute Spring (of Manitou Springs) - Colorado 10/20/12
GCND0E Garden of the Gods Earthcache - Colorado 10/20/12
GC2QQH4 The Love Struck Camels - Colorado 10/20/12
GC2QQGY The Amazing Balanced Rock - Colorado 10/20/12
GC3P9RH Pikes Peak Granite - Colorado 10/21/12
GC1PPXP Lyons Sandstone Tafoni - Colorado 10/22/12
GC1PQTH More Fins Than a School of Fish! - Colorado 10/23/12
GC1PPXV Soil Formation in Red Rock Canyon Open Space - Colorado 10/23/12
GC1FG53 The Palisades of Cimarron Canyon Earthcache - New Mexico 10/25/12
GC331A3 Excelsior Geyser Crater - Wyoming 05/31/15
GC2ZP1Z Dorothy's Popcorn - Bentonite EarthCache - Alberta, Canada 07/15/11
GC1H9ZG Star Coal Mine Earthcache - Alberta, Canada 07/15/11
GC2ZP21 Rosedale Burnt Shale EarthCache - Alberta, Canada 07/17/11
GC2ZP1X Atlas Coal Mine EarthCache - Alberta, Canada -7/17/11
GC2BN03 Dinosaur Ridge - Ripple Marks - Colorado 09/20/11
GC2BKPA Dino Egg or Alien Artifact? - Colorado 09/20/11
GCMQGG Dinosaur Ridge EarthCache - Colorado 09/20/11
GC2BZ3D Jefferson River Canyon - Montana 10/18/11
GC1GJ7E Garden of the Gods - Sentinel Rock - Colorado 10/20/12
GC1GJ7K Garden of the Gods - The Three Graces - Colorado 10/20/12
GC2176K 7-Minute Spring (of Manitou Springs) - Colorado 10/20/12
GCND0E Garden of the Gods Earthcache - Colorado 10/20/12
GC2QQH4 The Love Struck Camels - Colorado 10/20/12
GC2QQGY The Amazing Balanced Rock - Colorado 10/20/12
GC3P9RH Pikes Peak Granite - Colorado 10/21/12
GC1PPXP Lyons Sandstone Tafoni - Colorado 10/22/12
GC1PQTH More Fins Than a School of Fish! - Colorado 10/23/12
GC1PPXV Soil Formation in Red Rock Canyon Open Space - Colorado 10/23/12
GC1FG53 The Palisades of Cimarron Canyon Earthcache - New Mexico 10/25/12
GC331A3 Excelsior Geyser Crater - Wyoming 05/31/15
States/Provinces/Countries:
Montana
Alberta
Colorado
New Mexico
Developed:
GC2R3NE Dakota Ridge Flatirons - Colorado 02/27/12
CAWJ75 Crystal Park - Montana 08/14/2024
GCBQ1GM Tizer Dolmen - Montana 05/15/2026
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