Letterbox/Geocache Rating System

Answer the following questions based on the most difficult parts of the hunt:

Specialized equipment required? Specialized equipment includes: Boats, 4WD vehicles, rock climbing gear, SCUBA, etc.
No
Yes

Overnight stay likely? Does the hike in, search, and hike back out take more than a day?
No
Yes

Length of the hike? This describes the length of the hike from the most logical parking area to the target.
Less than ½ mile (less than 1 km)
½ mile to 2 miles (about 1 to 3 km)
2 miles to 10 miles (about 3 to 16 km)
Over 10 miles (over 16 km)

Trail surface condition? This refers to the most difficult part of the path. If the destination lies within a few feet of a trail, don't worry about the last few feet.
Paved pathways (asphalt, concrete, or boardwalks)
Well marked/defined hardpack (Well packed dirt; You could use a standard bicycle or stroller on this trail)
Other trail types (Could be gravel, sand, mud, an animal trail, or the like; If you're riding a bike, it had better be a mountain bike)
Trail? What trail? (There is no real trail - Wheels are out; May be following a stream bed or be very rocky)

Does the path get bushy or overgrown? Overgrowth refers to any plant or other substance that impedes the path. Keep in mind that conditions change; rate based on your understanding of worst-case conditions.
Not at all (plants never grow into the path)
Some light obstruction (An adult could step over or around this)
Yeah, pretty overgrown (Waist-high or so, or it may be thorny or have poison plants)
Expect dense vegetation(Can't see the other side; You'll probably need a machete; Very likely to have thorns or poison plants)

Steepness of the terrain? This refers to the worst-case elevation change of the path, including the end point
Basically flat (Only slight elevation changes; Easy to do in a wheelchair, stroller, bike, etc)
Slight slope (Mild enough that someone could ride a bike along it)
Steep slope (Steep enough that most people could not ride a bike up this slope, but could push it up)
Severe elevation changes (Requires the use of hands to make it up the slope; Going down may require the use of your backside)

Ease of finding the Box/Cache? Please consider visibility, accessibility, and relative signal strength (if GPS required) due to tree cover or other obstructions when answering this question.
In plain sight or an obvious location
Several likely location (May need to look for a while)
Well hidden, multi-leg, or may require extra clues
Specific skills, knowledge, or preparation useful (May require multiple days or trips to find)
Very specialized knowledge, skills, or equipment required (A serious mental or physical challenge)


This rating system comes from criteria discussed on the Geocaching message boards. Thanks to ClayJar for permission to modify and rehost this less Geocaching-specific version of this page; who in turn thanks Scout, Markwell, and Brokenwing for their input, and to Brokenwing for providing his rating system source to use as a base. If you want the PHP source for this page, have at it.