Inside Fort Harrison

Welcome to the Richmond National Battlefield Park EarthCache Program! This activity will lead you on a tour through the historic Civil War battlefields of Richmond, Virginia and teach you about the natural wonders they preserve. You will use your own Global Positioning System (GPS) unit, a compass, and the clues found on the website and hidden around the park to guide you on this adventure. Please read these guidelines and suggestions to make your adventure a success.

What you will need

1. GPS unit

2. Compass

3. Straight edge

4. Park map obtained from a visitor center or from here.

5. A notebook and pen or pencil for taking notes and working out problems

6. Camera

7. Sense of adventure

General Information

1. This activity requires the use of the park map and a compass to locate the units within the park. The park is open year-round with the exceptions of Thanksgiving Day, December 25 and January 1. Keep in mind that the park units are open sunrise to sunset, so budget your time accordingly.

2. All of the sites are easy to access via public roads and park trails. There is no need to deviate from the designated roads or trails, and doing so will only lead you farther away from your destination. Keep in mind that the earthworks are extremely fragile structures, so please do not walk on them.

3. There are no physical caches to be found; the activity only requires the discovery of hidden clues through learning about the history and natural resources of Richmond National Battlefield Park.

4. Parking is available at each unit and there is no entrance fee.

National Park Service

The center of the compass is on Chimborazo Medical Museum, and the “N” is lined up with the line on the bezel. If the compass bearing you are given is 62°, then your next unit is Gaines’ Mill.

How the program works

1. At each stop, there will be a small poster on the unit’s bulletin board entitled Richmond National Battlefield Park EarthCache Program. This poster will provide some information on the site’s natural history, along with GPS coordinates and a clue. Follow the coordinates to find the information you will need to complete the clue and get the compass bearing that will guide you to the next unit.

2. To use your compass bearing, set the bezel on your compass to North (line up the “N” with the line under the bezel). Sit the compass on your park map with the center of the compass over the unit where you are. Make sure the North mark on the bezel is pointing North on the map. (This can be accomplished by making sure the straight edge of the compass is perfectly parallel to the straight edge of the map.) Find the provided compass bearing on the bezel, and use a straight edge to identify the park unit that lines up with that bearing. Compass bearing to next site is 62° 3. Keep a record of all your compass bearings. They will be required for completion of the activity.

4. At your final site, take a picture of you and your party in front of the park sign. Send this picture and the list of the four compass bearings you used throughout the program to the web coordinator (If you prefer, you can also mail her a hard copy picture and list of bearings at the Chimborazo Visitor Center at the above address). There will be no clues at this final location. However, if your picture is taken in the correct location, you will receive a personalized certificate of completion.

5. The estimated time the activity will take to complete is four to six hours.

6. The tour will guide you through many of the park sites, but you are encouraged to explore the other park units while you are visiting.

Introduction to Richmond National Battlefield Park

Richmond National Battlefield Park is composed of eleven units plus the Civil War Visitor Center at Tredegar Iron Works and the Chimborazo Medical Museum. The battlefields are those from the Seven Days’ Battles of 1862, the 1864 Overland Campaign and the Siege of Richmond-Petersburg. The park lands were set aside to protect and maintain the historic resources associated with the Civil War battles fought around Richmond. Today, the park units also preserve a variety of ecosystems that provide habitat to many different animals and plants. This activity will lead you on a self-guided tour where you will encounter wetlands, meadows, forests and other natural features of Richmond National Battlefield Park.