SFGT: Grassland.2 Traditional Geocache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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This cache is part of the larger Santa Fe Trail GeoTour: santafetrail.org/geocaching
This cache is located on the west side of the road, in proximity to the Santa Fe Trail National Historic Trail CROSSING sign. There is a place to pull over and park along the edge of the road to seek the cache and there is a DAR marker on the east side of the road. There will be seasonal overgrowth and this area may have rattlesnakes, so be watchful.
Be sure to visit www.santafetrail.org/geocaching to learn about the PASSPORT ACTIVITY to accompany this Geo Tour. Containers on the Santa Fe National Historic Trail Geo Tour are military ammunition canisters, or Brochure-Holder boxes, with an identifying Santa Fe Trail Association yellow sticker on the top of the box, under the handle and the dark green geocaching.com ID is on the side of the boxes with the information that provides coordinates, who set the cache and who to contact for information. Each cache contains a logbook to sign, a variety of items that provide information about the Santa Fe Trail as well as swag items. If you are participating in the Passport activity, the code word is located on the inside of the box, on the top of the lid and is clearly identified as Code Word. Permission to set caches has been obtained. We ask that all cachers please respect all property at the sites where our caches are set. This cache is in the military ammo can, but is hidden with a camouflaged Sterilite container to deter thievery. Once you find the Santa Fe Trail crossing sign, you are near the cache. Be sure to look across the road at the DAR marker and the limestone fence post marker with a Santa Fe National Historic Trail sign on it. If you look toward the northeast of this limestone marker, you will see another limestone marker out in the pasture. These two limestone markers line up to show you the path of the Santa Fe Trail. If you follow that line, you can see where the ruts of the Santa Fe Trail go up and over the ridge to the northeast of the DAR marker. The Santa Fe Trail is marked by limestone markers containing the US Forest Service insignia at two mile intervals. Historic sites along the Trail are Middle Spring and Point of Rocks, a lookout along the Cimarron Valley for both Indians and traders, with one branch of the trail running between the rocky area and the river. This landmark remains as it was during the trail era, and it is still surrounded by grasslands, where wagon ruts can be seen. This is one of the few places you can enjoy a long distance of the Santa Fe Trail. The U.S. Cimarron National Grassland, north of Elkhart, is the largest parcel of public land in the State of Kansas. Trails allow visitors to see first-hand the native flora and fauna indigenous to the area. Wild turkeys, Prairie Chickens, rattlesnakes, elk and antelope can be spotted among the wildlife of the grasses. Also included in the 108,000 acres of the U.S. Cimarron National Grassland, are bird watching, fishing ponds and picnic areas. The Atwood Ponds, also known as the Cimarron Recreation Area, has been improved--it has a campground, drinkable (potable) water, rest room facilities, a dock accessible for persons with disabilities and a designated group area that can be rented. USDA Forest Service office, located on U.S. Highway 56 in Elkhart, offers information about auto tours, hunting and fishing. SANTA FE TRAIL CONNECTION: Twenty-three miles of the Santa Fe Trail cut across the grassland. Two of the best known landmarks along the entire Santa Fe Trail are located here. Point of Rocks is a flat-topped outcrop of light gray rock that overlooks the Cimarron River Valley. In fact, it is the third highest point in the state at the elevation of 3,540 feet. It was used as a lookout by both Native Americans and settlers. Middle Spring was one of the rare reliable sources of water in this area along the overland trail. A 30-mile self-guided auto tour takes you along the Santa Fe National Historic Trail.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Arne gur srapryvar