Other

Geocaching & Letterboxing and rockhounding are available in the forest. 

Geocaching & Letterboxing

Geocaching is an outdoor activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers (called "geocaches" or "caches") anywhere in the world. A typical cache is a small waterproof container (usually a Tupperware container or ammo box) containing a logbook. 

Letterboxing is an outdoor hobby that combines elements of orienteering, art, and puzzle solving. Letterboxes hide small, weatherproof boxes in publicly-accessible places (like parks) and distribute clues to finding the box in printed catalogs, on one of several web sites, or by word of mouth. Individual letterboxes usually contain a notebook and a rubber stamp.

What You Need to Know

All the information here applies to geocaches and letterboxes. No permit is required to place a cache in the Chattahoochee or Oconee national forests. A cache may be placed anywhere except as noted below. The following guidelines will help you follow good outdoor ethics. Thanks for your help in caring for the land.

1. Caches must be at least ½ mile apart.  This will prevent the proliferation of caches around popular sites by different people.
2. A cache must not remain longer than one year.  A cache may be rotated to a new location, at least ½ mile distant, after 12 months.
3. Caches need to be for public view.  No members only subscription caches allowed.
4. Geocache containers must not be placed in Wilderness Areas, Wilderness Study Areas, Research Natural Areas, Chattooga Wild and Scenic Corridor, Hitchiti Experimental Forest, Appalachian National Scenic Trail Corridor, Rare Communities, Developed recreation Areas and Cultural/Heritage Areas.  You may use virtual caches in these areas.
5. To protect threatened and sensitive species and resources, caches must be at least 200 feet from water sources and should be placed in such a way that there is no ground disturbance( no burying or covering caches with soil).
6. Caches should contain relevant Leave No Trace (LNT) or Tread lightly (TL) education materials.  Encourage participants to practice LNT or TL techniques in placing and visiting geocache sites.
7. Do not cut vegetation to establish cache hiding spot.
8. Caches must not contain food, hazardous materials, illegal substances or weapons.
9. Cache containers must be no larger than one cubic foot and no smaller than a quart.  It is preferable that containers be made of clear plastic so that contents are visible.
10. Containers must be labeled on the outside so that it would not be mistaken as containing hazardous substances.
11. Information on how to contact the cache owner must be available either in the cache or on the originating website.

Rocks and Minerals

A "rock hound" is any amateur who hunts and collects rocks and minerals as a hobby. Within the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, rock hounds may find a wide variety of sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rock types, along with many individual minerals.  Recreational rockhounding may take place at areas where minerals are loose and free on the surface. 

Before selecting a site, rock hounds should check with the District Ranger offices to determine the following: 

• The location is on National Forest land.
• Rock hounding is permitted in the area. 

Special permission, permits, or fees are not required to take a handful of rock, mineral, or petrified wood specimens from the surface of National Forest lands for personal use. You can collect a specimen if you can see all or part of it exposed on the surface of the ground. You can remove up to 6 inches of soil immediately around the specimen you are collecting. Do not dig so much as to cause significant surface disturbance that leads to damage of natural resources. You may collect reasonable amounts of specimens. Generally, a reasonable amount is up to 10 pounds. You can only collect specimens for personal use and non-commercial gain. Commercial use involves any trading, bartering, or selling of rocks and minerals from National Forest system lands. 

Rock hounding must not be confused with commercial mineral activities which are governed by mining and mineral leasing laws. No mechanical equipment may be used and any collection must not conflict with existing mineral permits, leases, claims, or sales. 

You can download for free or purchase physical Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest maps . The best sources of information on minerals are State Geological Survey offices, university geology departments and libraries, mineralogical societies, and rock hounding/lapidary clubs. 

Causing ground disturbance or collecting minerals for commercial gain without a permit is punishable by fines and potential restoration costs. 

Can I take some fossils home from the national forests in Georgia? 

Yes, you can take a few fossil rocks home, provided: 

• you are not in a designated Wilderness area
• you are collecting for non-commercial purposes (such as hobby, recreational, or educational purposes)
• you do not create significant ground disturbance, and
• you are not using any mechanized equipment 

Fossil collecting for commercial purposes is not allowed. 

Search for Other Opportunities