This cache hunt brings you to Depot Hill Multiple Use Area in Beekman. It was set up to replace the now archived This one’s for Freedom cache which was plundered this past spring. You will have to work a little harder to get to this one. I placed this cache back in end of July and have been waiting to list it till I had a couple of other caches placed in the MUA to encourage cachers to explore the area. Please keep in mind that as a MUA HUNTING IS ALLOWED HERE, plan accordingly.
Now known as Depot Hill Rd., the road leading to this MUA used to be called Negro Hill Rd. and this area was called Freemanville as far back as 1856, when Charles Freeman, an African American freed slave settled here and created a safe community for freed slaves to settle.
This recreation area is 5 miles from where I call home. The Appalachian Trail cross through this state owned land. Depot Hill Rd. becomes a dirt road entering the MUA. There is a parking area where the road turns to dirt. You should have a high clearance vehicle to drive down the dirt road but keep in mind it won't shorten the hike. The trails within the MUA are mostly abandoned woods roads with a crudely marked (orange tape and old yellow spray paint) trail connecting the AT to the trails within. In the couple of months that I’ve been scouting the area I’ve come to think of it as my backyard and have had fun exploring it trying to think of ways to make the hunt a fun experience. This is the first in My backyard series that will bring you on a 3.5 mile loop if done consecutively. I hope you enjoy.