HANOVER, PA — A new statewide geocaching trail launching this weekend will guide visitors through 25 Pennsylvania state parks, combining outdoor recreation with interactive history tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary.
What This Means for You
- A free, GPS-based scavenger hunt will run across 25 state parks through 2028.
- Participants can explore historical sites while hiking and earn a completion prize.
- The program is designed to boost tourism and outdoor recreation statewide.
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced that the DCNR America250PA GeoTrail began Saturday and continue through March 2028, with one of its featured stops at Codorus State Park in York County.
The GeoTrail uses geocaching — a GPS-guided scavenger hunt where participants enter coordinates into a smartphone or GPS device to locate hidden containers — to connect visitors with historical sites across Pennsylvania’s public lands.
Participants who locate all 25 caches across the state parks will receive a completion coin.
How the Trail Works
Each participating park includes a hidden cache tied to a specific historical theme, allowing visitors to learn about events and industries that shaped Pennsylvania.
At Codorus State Park, the trail highlights the Mary Ann Furnace, an ironworks established in 1762 that later supplied materials to the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.
Other locations feature themes ranging from early oil production and frontier life to Revolutionary War sites and industrial history.
A map included in the release shows the trail stretching statewide, from Presque Isle in the northwest to Washington Crossing Historic Park in the southeast, illustrating the geographic reach of the program.
Tourism and Economic Impact
Officials said the initiative is part of a broader effort to promote Pennsylvania as a destination for outdoor recreation and heritage tourism.
Pennsylvania maintains more than 14,000 miles of trails, 125 state parks, and 2.2 million acres of forestland, all open to the public at no cost.
State data shows outdoor recreation generated $20.4 billion in economic activity in 2024 and supported more than 177,000 jobs statewide.
“America’s story lives on Pennsylvania’s land,” Dunn said, noting the initiative is intended to connect residents with historic landscapes while expanding access to public lands.
Next Steps
Visitors can access coordinates, rules, and participation details through DCNR’s GeoTrail webpage at https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/what-to-do/geocaching/dcnr-geo-trail.
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