Geocaching NSW: National Parks
Geocaching is permitted in some areas managed by the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service. Discover what is allowed in National Parks, how you can avoid stumbling into 'no-go zones' and keep up-to-date with news regarding the policy.
Geocaching NSW is pleased to announce that the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has released its new Geocaching Policy. This policy reverses the ban on geocaching that has been in place since 2002.
To place a geocache in an area managed by NPWS geocachers must apply for consent before posting it on the internet.
The NPWS Geocaching policy 2010 provides a detailed summary of where geocaches can and cannot be placed.
The following is a guide to filling in the NPWS Geocaching Consent Form. Before completing the form we recommend you contact the relevant Park Authority and discuss your geocache. They will highlight any areas considered off-limits for geocaches, as well as provide information that might assist you in completing this form.
The following list of questions and answers relate to the new NPWS Geocaching Policy (2010). If you have any further questions relating to the policy and hiding geocaches in NSW National Parks post a note on the Geocaching NSW forum or send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Since our last update in September, there has been some progress on the NSW National Parks policy on geocaching.
As a quick reminder, the first draft of the NSW National Parks geocaching policy was released to Geocaching NSW members in August 2010. A copy of the draft policy is available on our website.
Justin Clarke and I met with staff from the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (responsible for NSW National Parks) on 2 September and put forward concerns raised by association members, as well as sought clarification on several points. As a result of the September meeting, the department agreed to revisit two issues: size of geocaches and their contents (i.e. swappable items).
Geocaching NSW has recently obtained the latest Estate Data from the DECC for all lands controlled by them. It has been converted into a compatible KML for Google Earth. As geocaching in any form is not allowed in National Parks and other lands under the DECC's control, it makes it invaluable when plotting where you may be going to place a cache.