GEOCACHING IN GILLEY TRACT

If you are not familiar with the sport of geocaching you have a little homework to do before this section will make much sense. First off you need a GPS (and with the size of the facility at Gilley Creek it is highly recommended you have one even if you are not geocaching). You can visit the official geocaching site at www.geocaching.com or you can visit the getting started page at http://www.geocaching.com/faq/ and get into the game. In a nutshell geocaching is an adventure game where geocachers search for caches, which are basically containers holding a log book to sign when found (and often trade or collector items), and these are hidden all over the world. You get the coordinates from the website, search for (and hopefully find) the container, sign the log and report your find online. Basically it’s high tech treasure hunting and quite addictive.

Jimear1, BillZ, Paddler Found and Lighteye seeking some infiniteMPG caches

The caches can be extremely small all the way to large ammo boxes. They can be just a single container hidden somewhere (regular caches), a series of steps to find the cache (multi-cache) or a puzzle to solve to find the cache (mystery caches). Sometimes the containers are simply hidden and sometimes they are camouflaged or very trickily hidden. Cachers are respectful of nature and live by CITO (Cache In Trash Out) and help keep places clean. Caches can also be rural (in the woods or a nature park) or urban (hidden in some downtown spot or a business location). Check out the website if you’re not already into the game and happy hunting!

infiniteMPG checking on some Gilley caches

Much of the hiking and biking information provided directly relates to geocaching in Gilley Tract, this specific section is meant to give you a little help in charting your plan of attack on all the geocaches that currently reside in the tract. As more caches are planted (which if Treadmark and I have anything to say about it will be on a pretty regular basis) the text will have to be altered to accommodate them. To date these are the current geocaches located within Gilley Creek Tract (in alphabetic order, not in order of seeking, just to use as a check list) :

A Bit of Shade in Nowhere
A Corner of Nowhere
A Line of Pines in Nowhere
Another Nowhere road to Nowhere
Detour to Nowhere - Multi
Doing a BIG 180 in Nowhere (new)
Don't Get Trapped in Nowhere
East of Nowhere
Far Corner of Nowhere
Hanging Around Nowhere
infiniteTread
Mail Me Home from the CrossRoads of Nowhere
Middle of Nowhere
Mighty Oaks of Nowhere
No Hair in Nowhere
North of Nowhere
Nowhere In Sight (Multi-cache)
Nowhere Like This
Nowhere to Eat
Nowhere to Go Hog Wild
Nowhere More Amazing (new)
Nowhere’s Point of No Return
Nowhwere's Pile of Rocks
Return From Nowhere
Somewhere In Nowhere (Mystery cache)
South of Nowhere
The Air in Nowhere
The Edge of Nowhere (Multi-cache)
The Enchanted Forest of Nowhere
The Far Edge of Nowhere
Turning Point in the Middle of Nowhere
Way Up There in Nowhere
Welcome to Nowhere
West of Nowhere
Where goes This road From nowhere ???

Parking for all the caches is in the only public parking area currently for Gilley Creek Tract located at N27 29.881 W82 18.695. This the recommended order to approach the caches assuming you were to make a run on all the caches in the tract (thanks to Treadmark for his work compiling this list for a previous caching tour. This listing originally ran cachers around the tract trails in the clockwise direction but I prefer to tackle the tougher terrain of the eastern paths first to allow for a more comfortable return trip. Feel free to alter these suggestions as you see fit).

Treadmark making quick time on the pasture trails

1- Welcome to Nowhere GCV5N3 located near the parking area
2- Mighty Oaks of Nowhere GCV83K heading down the southern trail
3- Doing a BIG 180 in Nowhere is just south of Mighty Oaks and can hold lot's of trade items
4- Detour to Nowhere GCV5N0 stage 1 of a 3 stage multi
5- South of Nowhere GCV4MD along the same pathway
6- Detour to Nowhere stages 2 and 3
7 - Nowhere More Amazing is around this same area but can be done on the return trip
8- The Edge of Nowhere GCTJYB follow trail north past South of Nowhere, at the pasture fence turn left (west) towards parking area to get stage 1. Then get stage 2 and 3 on the way back.
9- Nowhere to Eat GC102K1 in the pasture heading
10- Nowhere In Sight GCT75R stage 1 and then head to the northern section to find stage 2

Cache-U-Nuts keeping track of the multi-caches

11- The Air in Nowhere GC102JX off a hidden away middle trail, just grab this and then head back to where you came from
12- The Enchanted Forest of Nowhere GCVKEA heading out the eastern trail towards the orange orchard
13- Return From Nowhere GCVKE0 just off the orchard fence line
14- East of Nowhere GCV4MX as you head around the orchard
15- infiniteTread GCVMJA stay well clear of the bee hives near N27 31.129 W82 16.800 as you head back to this one.
16- Nowhere Like This GC10AA4 down a border trail along Gilley Creek. From here you can backtrack and follow the road or do some light bushwhacking and head northwest to the road directly.
17- Mail Me Home from the CrossRoads of Nowhere GCVKCN at the cross roads
18- Nowhere In Sight stage 3
19- Nowhwere's Pile of Rocks GCV4N1 just what it says!

BillZ and Paddler Found tackling Nowhere's Pile of Rocks

20- No Hair in Nowhere GCVMTH just off the main trail north
21- Nowhere to Go Hog Wild GC10AA8 there is a way to this with no bushwhacking so no need to try to tackle the monster palmettos. Follow the hogs.
22- A Line of Pines in Nowhere GCVP3P don’t try to head straight here from Nowhere to Go Hog Wild unless you enjoy bushwhacking
23- Somewhere In Nowhere GC10AM8 head back to Nowhere’s Pile of Rocks to get out here. You will also pass thru some of the nicest oak hammocks in the tract heading here.
24- Nowhere In Sight stage 4 all the way down the pathway
25- Turning Point in the Middle of Nowhere GCVKD4 – some of this trail is soft sand and be careful of the sand spurs in your tires

Cache-U-Nuts lends a hand as Treadmark's tire falls victim to the sand spurs

26- Nowhere’s Point of No Return GC102JT even further north on the trail
27- Far Corner of Nowhere GC10AXZ the furthest northern corner of the tract
28- The Far Edge of Nowhere GCV4N7 you can either try to head straight south to this cache thru some fire break road, or head back to Turning Point and scoot east to this one and back to the main trail.
29- Don't Get Trapped in Nowhere GCVKDK along the more western trail loop heading south
30- Another Nowhere road to Nowhere GC10AXC when you return down the loop and cross a small creek, head south to this cache
31- Where goes This road From nowhere ??? GCV7KR further south from the previous cache but after finding this one head back to the main trail
32- Nowhere In Sight stage 5 (the final)
33- A Bit of Shade in Nowhere GCVKC7 head north from Nowhere In Sight final and loop around to this one. And a nice spot to rest a spell.

infiniteMPG taking advantage of some cool water on a hot day of geocaching

34- Way Up There in Nowhere GC10AAA off a northern side trail from A Bit of Shade
35- Hanging Around Nowhere GCV92R is a little side trip from the main trail, but head back to the main trail after you’re done.
36- North of Nowhere GCV4MK you will reach a cross road as you approach this location on the main trail, turn due north to get this cache
37- West of Nowhere GCV7KD when you head away from North of Nowhere you will head down a small side trail heading west to approach this one. There is a few ways to get to this so read the cache description

Paddler Found heading on the hunt for another find

38- Middle of Nowhere GCT8PC This will be the last cache you capture before starting to head out. You are still about 2-1/2 miles from the parking area so pace yourself.

Always hide the cache containers as well as you found them. If there are any problems with the containers or the logs, please contact the cache owner so they can be repaired. If you take something, leave something, so the caches don’t get emptied. This isn’t the easiest place to maintain a cache! Always practice CITO (Cache In Trash Out) and never discard empty drink bottles, food wrappers, or any trash along the way. SWFWMD has been kind enough to open this area for exploration so respect it and treat it kindly.