WPSU Treasure Trek
Let’s Go Geocaching!
August 9 through October 1
Grab your WPSU KIDS and go geocaching this summer and fall! We have hidden 10 caches in Centre, Blair, and Huntingdon counties in easy places for beginner geocachers, ages 14 years and younger, to find while learning about maps, coordinates, and exploring nature.
There will be a sticker prize at each location that your little explorers can collect and put in the WPSU Treasure Trek journal. The caches don’t have to be done in any order and you can opt to complete all 11 or just a few.
All you need is a smartphone, a compass or other mapping application, a pen, and the WPSU Treasure Trek journal. Additionally, you may choose to bring along a flashlight or headlamp, camera, water and snacks, sunscreen and bugspray.
What is Geocaching?
Geocaching is a modern day, worldwide treasure hunt where participants can both hide and seek containers called geocaches. To find a geocache, enter the coordinates into Google Maps, your phone compass or another geocaching app to search for caches hidden in your area. Geocaching as a family encourages children to explore their surroundings, use observational skills, and have an adventure. Critical and creative thinking skills are necessary when seeking a geocache.
Treasure Trek Cache Locations
Complete location coordinates and a Google Map showing all cache markers is provided here. Coordinates listed below are formatted to Degrees Minutes Seconds (commonly used with web mapping and GPS). Need to convert the coordinates? For Decimal Degrees (commonly used on web mapping applications) enter the coordinates into Google Maps on your phone or web browser.
Fisherman’s Paradise, Bellefonte
Cache Location: N 40° 52’33” W 077° 47’25”
Description: A low stress stroll along Spring Creek on a shaded gravel road. Find the white frosted plastic box, take a sticker, and leave a note in the logbook. Look for the large, mossy boulder.
Hint: The white graffiti character on the tree is looking at the cache.
Parking: Go through the Fisherman’s Paradise gates and park in the lot named “PA Fish and Boat Commission HR Stackhouse.” The trailhead is beyond the yellow gate.
ADA: Yes
Musser Gap Trail
Geocaching.com link: https://coord.info/GC9EPGV
Cache location: N 40° 44.500 W 077° 50.850
Description: Follow the gravel trail from the parking lot up the hill, across the bridge and into the woods. Continue the trail up the hill into the woods. At the intersection of Mountain Mist Trail and Musser Gap Trail, look for a log about 10 steps into the woods.
Hint: Search for a log to the left of Mountain Mist Trail in the woods.
Parking: Parking located at Musser Gap Trailhead.
ADA: No
Canal Basin Park, Hollidaysburg
Cache location: N 40° 25’33” W 078° 23’38”
Description: Enjoy playgrounds and learn about the history of the Pennsylvania Canal while you seek this cache.
Hint: Look under the step decking.
Parking: Free parking at the visitor’s center, 101 Canal St, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648
ADA: Yes
Arboretum Pollinator Garden
Cache location: N 40° 48’18” W 077° 52’08.4″
Description: Visit the Arboretum’s new Pollinator and Bird Garden! The WPSU cache is on a wooden walkway in the garden.
Hint: Look around before you have a seat.
Parking: Paid parking is available behind the Law School building.
ADA: Yes
Hollidaysburg Library
Geocaching.com link: https://coord.info/GC9EPHF
Cache location: N 40° 26.469 W 078° 24.105
Description: Stop by the Hollidaysburg Library to seek this hidden treasure. Take a break on the gazebo and see what might be hiding there.
Hint: Under decking
Parking: Street and small parking lot at the Hollidaysburg Area Public Library.
ADA: Yes
Barrens-to-Bald Eagle Wildlife Corridor
Geocaching.com link: https://coord.info/GC9EPHX
Cache location: N 40° 47.837 W 078° 00.127
Description: After a drive through a neighborhood you’ll be greeted by this beautiful woodland area with various grasses and wildflowers to observe. Take time to learn about the conservation strategies for the multiple habitats led by ClearWater Conservancy.
Hint: Have a seat.
Parking: Small public parking lot at the end of a residential neighborhood. (236 Harness Downs Rd, Port Matilda, PA 16870)
ADA: No
Shaver’s Creek Raptor Center
Geocaching.com Link: https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC521A3
Cache location: N 40° 40.002 W 077° 54.563
Description: Registered with geocaching .com as “LTERP #7: Raptor Center.” This cache is co-located with an existing Shaver’s Creek cache. This cache is near, but not actually within, the raptor center at Shaver’s Creek which features many live animals! Please respect the animals on your visit — we are only open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please, no dogs in the raptor center.
Hint: Look near the classroom deck to find this cache.
Parking: Follow the driveway into the Center; at the stop sign continue to follow the road around the curve to the right and to our upper parking lots (4 small lots); ADA parking is the left at the stop sign, near the main building.
ADA: Yes
Shaver’s Creek Lake Perez
Cache location: N 40° 39.959 W 077° 54.677
Description: Registered with geocaching .com as “LTERP #6: Lake Perez.” The location of this Shaver’s Creek Cache is at the Lakeside “Sunset Point” Pavilion at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center. This structure, made from locally-sourced Black Locust, provides a scenic overlook for the Once-and-Future Lake Perez.
Hint: Look under, then up!
Parking: Follow the driveway into the Center; at the stop sign continue to follow the road around the curve to the right and to our upper parking lots (4 small lots); ADA parking is the left at the stop sign, near the main building.
ADA: No
Hartley Wood
Cache location: N 40° 48’29.9″ W 077° 52’29.0″
Description: Registered with geocaching.com as “Hartley Wood WPSU Treasure Trek #3” GC9EPG1 Take a walk on the Limestone Trail in Hartley Wood.
Hint: Hollow logs are great hiding places!
Parking: Park in the Sunset Park lot for closest access to the trailhead (998 McKee St, State College, PA 16803)
ADA: No
A Neighborly State College Fence Post
Geocaching.com link: https://coord.info/GC9FFFP
Cache location: N 40° 48.065 W 077° 50.298
Description: Head over to the Thompson Woods neighborhood and continue to the gravel parking spots near the woods. A “neighborly cache” can be found where “good fences make good neighbors.”
Hint: Look near the fence.
Parking: Free parking at the Thompson Woods Preserve
ADA: Yes
Pennsylvania Department of Education
These free summer learning resources and Learning at Home are made possible through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education
