Introduction

The Peters Creek Valley has a rich history of human habitation dating back thousands of years. European settlers made their way across the Allegheny Mountains in the mid-1700s. Reminders of their struggles and survival in what was then an untamed wilderness remain throughout the Peters Creek Watershed.

The watershed also contains abundant water resources in the form of streams, ponds and wetlands and harbors significant pockets of biodiversity. The forested steep slopes and floodplains surrounding Peters Creek are crucial to maintaining this biodiversity.

Much of the Peters Creek Valley is underlain by rich coal deposits. Extraction of this natural resource during a time of little or no regulation has led to an environmental legacy of metal polluted streams, dangerous highwalls and gob pile strewn landscapes. Irresponsible logging and development practices have also contributed to excessive erosion and sedimentation within the watershed's streams.

The Peters Creek Watershed Geocaching Circuit is a way to learn about some of the important Biodiversity, Environmental and Historical issues affecting the Peters Creek Watershed while also having a fun outdoor experience.

How To Participate

• Register to be part of the geocaching adventure. You will be assigned an ID to verify geocache finds.
• Find the 14 geocaching sites that are part of the circuit using GPS coordinates below.
• Sign the cache book.
• Retrieve card from cache, visit website on card and enter ID and geocache site code to verify find.
• Email peterscreekwsa@verizon.net with questions, suggestions and comments.
• Be safe out there and have fun!

The Geocache Sites

Acknowledgements

The Peters Creek Watershed Geocaching Circuit project is supported, in part, by a Spring grant from The Sprout Fund.