Petersburg National Battlefield VirtualCache Program
Welcome to Petersburg National Battlefield’s VirtualCache Program! This National Park Service-sponsored recreational activity leads you to some of the park’s significant historical, cultural and natural resources. Using your own Global Positioning System (GPS) unit and a set of clues obtained from the website and hidden along the journey, you can guide yourself to a series of sites in the park.
To make your experience an unforgettable success, please read these guidelines and suggestions:
What you will need to participate:
1. GPS unit
2. Digital Camera (for some Cache tasks)
3. Information about the program obtained from the park website.
4. Trail Map and Petersburg National Battlefield Brochure
5. Piece of paper and pen
6. Compass (optional, but it may prove useful)
7. Logbook, if you are a letterbox enthusiast
8. Enthusiam to learn and explore Petersburg
National Battlefield General information:
1. This program requires the use of park roads. The main tour road in the park is a one-way road.
2. All of the sites are located on trails or hardened surfaces. There is no need to go off trail, and doing so will take you farther away from the site.
3. As with all Virtual Cache sites, there are no physical caches to be found. You do not need to find a physical box to continue the program. Instead, you will be required to search for hidden clues and be asked to answer a question or take a picture.
4. Parking is available at or near each coordinate.
5. As with all park visitors, you are required to pay the park entrance fee at the Eastern Front Visitors Center. The Petersburg Annual Pass, America the Beautiful Annual Pass, America the Beautiful Senior Pass, America the Beautiful Access Pass, or America the Beautiful Volunteer Pass can be used in lieu of paying the entrance fee.
There is no fee to participate in the Virtual Cache Program.
6. Park visitor center hours of operation: Petersburg National Battlefield is open 9:00 am - 5:00 pm every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Grant's Headquarters’ at City Point (804) 458-9504
Eastern Front (804) 732-3531 ext.200
Five Forks Battlefield (804) 463-4093
Poplar Grove National Cemetery The cemetery itself is open year-round Contact Station Open Mid-June through Mid-August
How the program works:
1. Use your GPS and provided clues to search for and find multiple Virtual Caches. You will be required to read a limited amount of background information and answer a question or take a picture at each site.
2. Keep a record of all answers, as you will need to provide them to claim your commerative coin.
3. With the successful completion of the at least 18 sites, you can obtain your Petersburg National Battlefield coin. If you complete less than 18 sites, you will receive a certificate.
4. This program will take you over much of the park, and you are guaranteed to see and learn about the history of Petersburg National Battlefield and the siege of Petersburg.
5. Most of all, HAVE FUN!
