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Geocaching in Smithfield & Isle of Wight County
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Fort Boykin Historic Park on the StarSpangled Banner Geotrail
More than 30 sites in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.,
to Take Part in FirstofitsKind Adventure
Set to launch on February 27, 2010, the new StarSpangled Banner Geotrail is a unique journey through American history and across the landscapes of the Chesapeake Bay region. Participants will have the chance to visit forts, museums, battlefields, ships and parks with each site telling its own unique story. Intended to compliment and promote the congressionally designated StarSpangled Banner National Historic Trail, the geotrail commemorates the dramatic chain of events, people and places that led to the birth of our National Anthem during the War of 1812. The firstofitskind, multistate initiative is sponsored by Friends of Chesapeake Gateways, the Maryland Geocaching Society, and the National Park Service.
And Fort Boykin, located right here in Isle of Wight County, is a part of this trail system!
Geocaching is a worldwide phenomenon in which participants use a handheld GPS to plot map coordinates in order to locate a hidden treasure or “cache.” Searching for a cache is akin to going on a treasure hunt and can involve clues, riddles and visits to multiple locations. A geotrail is a series of caches tied together by a common topic or theme.
The StarSpangled Banner Geotrail includes more than 30 diverse sites that are all part of the landscape of the Chesapeake Campaign of the War of 1812. Some hold national prominence while others reflect the allencompassing nature of the conflict during which the British raided and burned communities throughout the Chesapeake region. In addition, the majority of participating locations are also designated Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails special places the share the story of the bay and its rivers.
In order to participate in the adventure, a geocacher must access the official geocache website at www.Geocaching.com. A basic membership is free. Once an account is established, the geocacher can use the advance search function to locate the StarSpangled Banner account and retrieve the map coordinates and hide details for each StarSpangled Banner Geocache. The next step is to head outside with a GPS to find geocaches along the StarSpangled Banner Geotrail.
A collectible, highly coveted trackable geocoin will be given to the first 400 geocachers who locate a minimum of 20 geocaches along the trail. To be eligible for the coin, geocachers must download a trail passport from www.friendsofchesapeakegateways.org, find and log on www.geocaching.com at least 20 geocaches from the trail and record the secret code word from each cache on their passport and post a picture of each cache location on the corresponding geocache webpage. After discovering the 20 required caches, geocachers may have their passports validated in person or via mail at the Friends of Chesapeake Gateways office.
For more information visit:
www.nps.gov/stsp
www.friendsofchesapeakegateways.org
www.mdgps.org
Fort Boykin Historic Park
The state's second oldest black walnut tree, over 200 years old,
named to the Remarkable Trees of Virginia Project is located at Fort Boykin.
7410 Ft. Boykin Trail, (757) 357-0115
Free Admission
Hours: Daily from 8:00 a.m.-dusk
Fort Boykin on the Virginia Birding & Wildlife Trail
Fort Boykin has been a part of American history since 1623 when a fort known as the Castle was constructed to protect the Jamestown colonists from Native Americans and raiding Spaniards. Atop a bluff overlooking the James River, the site’s commanding view makes it a keen observation point.
Today, Fort Boykin remains essentially intact and constitutes a well-preserved example of military architecture of the Civil War era
Fort Boykin is listed on Virginia Civil War Trails, Captain John Smith’s Trail, Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail and the eBird system, the bird database run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. Fort Boykin is home to the commonwealth's second oldest black walnut tree. This tree, over 200 years old, has been named to the Remarkable Trees of Virginia Project.
Fort Boykin Historic Park is listed on the following:
National Register of Historic Places
Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail
Captain John Smith’s Trail: Lower Oyster Loop
The Black Walnut Tree is listed on the Remarkable Trees of Virginia Project
Star-Spangled Banner GeoTrail - Frequently Asked Questions
Help! I don’t know anything about geocaching!
Discovering a geocache is very much like going on a treasure hunt. Geocachers use a hand-held GPS (Global Positioning System) to plot map coordinates to locate the treasure or “cache,” which usually consists of a container, a log book, trinkets and trade items. Geocache etiquette asks that each discoverer of the cache who takes a trinket, replace it with another item. Many of the caches along the Star-Spangled Banner Geotrail also include information about the host site.
Here is a link to two brochures you can download to learn more:
Friendsofchesapeakegateways.org
How does GPS work?
Each GPS receiver is a computer that receives signals broadcast from GPS satellites. A receiver needs to read signals from at least three satellites at a time to calculate its general location by a process called trilateration. With signals from four satellites, a GPS receiver can get a more accurate fix that includes altitude and the exact time, as well as latitude and longitude. The more satellite signals the receiver reads, the more accurate the position it reports to you.
What are the rules in Geocaching? (Courtesy of geocaching.com)
1. If you take something from the cache, leave something of equal or greater value.
2. Write about your find in the cache logbook.
3. Log your experience at www.geocaching.com.
What is a Geotrail?
A geotrail is a series of caches tied together by a common theme. There is not a traditional itinerary. Instead, a geotrail is self-guided adventure. Participants can pick and choose which caches they wish to seek,
Along the Star-Spangled Banner Geotrail, all the sites have a connection to the War of 1812. Some are famous places known around the world; others reflect the landscape of the conflict – such as communities that were burned or points near water where residents could watch troop movements. The trail aims to connect contemporary visitors to the people, places, landscapes and stories of the conflict, in a way that is relevant to our lives today, while also encouraging the public to visit interesting and unique places throughout Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
Most of the sites are also designated as Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails.
Why is Friends of Chesapeake Gateways sponsoring the Geotrail?
Friends is a nonprofit that supports the objectives of the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network. Friends works to encourage visitation to member sites and to spread the message of Chesapeake conservation and stewardship. The Star-Spangled Banner Geotrail is a perfect way to promote both these goals. You can learn more about Friends at
Friendsofchesapeakegateways.org
Is the Star-Spangled Banner Geotrail the same route
as the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail?
No, it isn’t. Many of the sites are the same, but the geotrail extends beyond the boundaries of the National Historic Trail (NHT). The NHT recently started developing its management plan, a multi-year, collaborative process that sets goals and cements partnerships for future endeavors. If you want to know more about management planning, contact Suzanne Copping, National Park Service program manager for the trail at suzanne_copping@nps.gov
Does the National Park Service have a lot of Geotrails?
No, this is the one of the first multi-state projects the NPS has participated in and helped sponsor. This is an exciting partnership!
What is a cache “code word?”
All of the caches on the Star-Spangled Banner Geotrail contain a code word connected to the host site. These code words will be recorded by geocachers on a passport as they visit each a site. The code words are a secret so don’t reveal them!
What is a passport?
Geocachers who participate in the trail can download a passport and record code words from all the sites they visit. Once a geocacher locates at least 20 caches, enters in the code words and uploads a photo to geocaching.com, he or she can send the passport to the Friends of Chesapeake Gateways to earn a commemorative geocoin.
The address is 410 Severn Avenue, Suite 314, Annapolis, MD 21403.
See the passport.
What is a Geocoin?
Geocoins are special trackable coins created to commemorate special events or as a signature item to leave in caches.
We have developed a wonderful geocoin for the Star-Spangled Banner Geotrail. It will be given to the first 400 geocachers who visit and find at least 20 caches along the trail. To be eligible for the coin, geocachers must first download the passport at www.friendsofchesapeakegateways.org, www.mdgps.org or www.nps.gov.stsp. Then, as geocachers discover caches along the trail, they will copy a code word (available at each cache site) into the appropriate place on the passport and take a photo of themselves at the cache, to be uploaded later to www.geocaching.com. After visiting the minimum number of sites, geocachers will notify Friends of Chesapeake Gateways to have their passports validated and receive their collectable coin. Geocachers highly prize geo coins!
What do we need to do at our site?
Keep an eye on the cache. Make sure that it still has trinkets inside and that the container is hidden properly. Do not place food items in the cache! This is a bad idea. Animals have better noses than humans, and in some cases caches have been chewed through and destroyed because of food items in a cache.
The volunteer you worked with to place the cache may have showed you how to track visits at www.geocaching.com – check comments to make sure everything with the cache is going alright. Be sure to add your cache to your “watch list” on February 27th. If you need assistance, you can email Susan Kelley, our Geocaching coordinator, at Calvertcachers@gmail.com for instructions.
Can I move a cache at our site? Please, do not move the cache from its original location without consulting the volunteer cacher you worked with to get it placed. If you feel that the cache may not be located in the proper location, work with the volunteer so that all the information on geocaching.com can be updated as well.
Star-Spangled Banner Geotrail Launch Press Release from "Friends of the Chesapeake Gateway"
Smithfield & Isle of Wight CVB Staff:
Judy Hare Winslow, Director of Tourism
Lois Chapman, Marketing & Public Relations Manager
Cheryl Whitener, Visitor Center Manager
Terry Rhinier, Event Coordinator
Kristin Wilda, Farmer's Market Manager
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Smithfield & Isle of Wight CVB and the Isle of Wight Arts League are partially supported by funding from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the Virginia Tourism Corporation.
