Geocaching along Arkansas’ Great River Road
Whether you have a week, a weekend or just a couple of hours, geocaching along the southern part of Arkansas’ Great River Road is a wonderful opportunity to experience the history and beauty of the Arkansas Delta.
What IS geocaching?
Called the “world’s largest treasure hunt, geocaching is a popular hobby with enthusiasts around the globe. It combines technology with nature to produce an exciting form of entertainment for those who like to be adventurous in their leisure time. In this modern-day treasure hunt, caches are hidden all over the world by individuals or groups. The location of each geocache is marked with Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates which are shared via the Internet. Enthusiasts use a hand-held GPS unit to hunt for the caches. Each hunt and the terrain around it vary in difficulty. Some caches contain only logbooks in small tins or film canisters, while others hold mini treasures inside containers such as ammo boxes. Standard geocaching protocol is to take something if you leave something.
Arkansas’ Great River Road
The Great River Road and the Mississippi River Parkway Commission were established in 1938. Marked by the familiar green Pilot’s Wheel, the Great River Road runs from Minnesota to Louisiana for almost 3,000 miles. In The Natural State, 10 counties along the state’s eastern border lie along the Great River Road National Scenic Byway. Throughout the region there are over 100 special Great River Road caches spread along the scenic byway that take cachers to historic sites, museums and attractions in the Arkansas Delta.
The Great River Road in the Lower Delta
Geocaching in Arkansas, especially along the southern section of Arkansas’ Great River Road, is a wonderful way to experience the beauty and the history of the state. Whether you’re a novice to the hobby or hard-core cachers, you’ll find an array of the “hidden treasures” throughout the Lower Delta, ranging from super easy to nearly impossible to find. Using clues and coordinates, geocaching provides fun for all ages and the thrill of finding the elusive cache. Grab your family or a few friends, your hiking boots and your GPS hit the road for a geocaching escapade! The modern-day scavenger hunt promises hours or days of fun for all ages.
While geocaching along the Great River Road in the Lower Delta, you’ll also find some of the most historic locations and towns in The Natural State. Historic Helena offers history buffs great options, like the Delta Cultural Center and the Helena Museum of Phillips County, to learn more about the river town. There’s also great restaurants and shops as well, not to mention a great vantage to see the Mississippi River itself.
Other communities located along the southern stretch of Arkansas’ Great River Road include St. Charles, site of the single deadliest shot fired during the Civil War; Gillett (home to Arkansas Post National Memorial and Arkansas Post Museum State Park); Dumas (you’ll want to stop for a visit at the Desha County Museum); McGehee (make sure and plan a visit to the WWII Japanese American Internment Museum); Arkansas City (check out the new southern trailhead for the Delta Heritage Trail State Park); Lake Village (do NOT miss Lake Chicot, Paul Michael Company, and Rhoda's Famous Hot Tamales); and Eudora. Geocaches are located within and along all these communities.
