Do you need a permit to hide a geocache in a state park? In this episode of Caching in the NorthWest, Chris, witzend, and LANMonkey compare Washington State Parks and BC Parks geocaching rules. Washington requires a cache placement permit, 90-day inspections, and bans food and hazardous items, while BC Parks’ policy allows most caches in open public-use areas without a permit, with visits every three years. The hosts also cover the trade-offs between permits and trust, how to report abandoned or damaged caches, and how BC’s permanent daylight time, in effect since March 2026, changes the clock for a Pacific Northwest cache trip. Whether you hide caches, hunt them, or plan a Cascadia cross-border adventure, this geocaching podcast helps you know the rules before you go. Live every Thursday at 7pm Pacific in Washington (8pm in BC) at CachingNW.com.
Links
- Washington rule, WAC 352-37-255, geocache placement in state parks: https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Law/WACArchive/2024/htm/WAC%20352%20-%2037%20%20CHAPTER/WAC%20352%20-%2037%20-255.htm
- BC Parks Geocaching Policy (2013 PDF): https://nrs.objectstore.gov.bc.ca/kuwyyf/bcpark_geocaching_policy_432b88f2f5.pdf
- BC Parks geocaching policy page: https://bcparks.ca/park-use-permits/policies/geocaching
- BC permanent daylight time: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/celebrating-british-columbia/daylight-saving-time
- CachingNW.com: https://CachingNW.com
- Patreon: https://Patreon.com/CachingNW