Geocaching

Geocaching: Use your GPS to Find a Buried Treasure

The game is afoot. You're getting closer to the treasure, you can feel it. "It's supposed to be right here," you say, "the location is marked on my GPS!" You move a rock leaning up against a nearby tree, and suddenly there it is, the cache you've been hunting for, hidden inside. Success!

What is this adventure, you ask? It's called "Geocaching," and it's a growing phenomenon. Around 2000, global positioning satellites became much more accurate at pinpointing a target's location. Nerdy GPS enthusiasts took advantage and created the game for challenge and entertainment. The fad has been growing ever since.


Players hide a treasure or "cache" anywhere in the world, then they post clues to its location online for others to discover.  Today, there are over 2 million active caches hidden around the world, many right in your own backyard. Locations vary from drive up and pick up, check-in style caches, to intricately hidden, wouldn’t possibly find it if you didn’t know it was there hiding spots. Caches have been hidden on street signs, inside public statues, under sewer grates, camouflaged to blend into the environment, you name it.

What’s in a cache can vary widely depending on the creativity of the treasure hider.  Traditional caches will simply be containers with a log book, so you sign your name to your discovery when you find it.  Sometimes people include trinkets like bottle caps, poker chips or toy cars, while others add their own signature item to a box like a unique pin or crafted item.  When you find a cache you take the item and replace it with something of your own for the next hunter to find.

A multi-cache can send you to multiple locations, each one containing a clue to the final location like little bread crumbs to follow on your treasure hunt.  Mystery or puzzle caches involve complicated puzzles and intricate riddles you must solve before you can move on to the next location.

To get started, head over to Geocaching (www.geocaching.com) to get the low-down on geocaches in your area, download the official geocaching application to your mobile device and share your experiences with fellow treasure hunters.  Gloat to other geocatchers when you're the First to Find (FTF) a new cache.  The best part is it's totally free and it can get you exploring your world in ways you never imagined before.

Take the game one step further with Wherigo (www.wherigo.com), a platform where users create location-based adventures that are played out in the real world.  Wherigo asks the question, "what if you could take video games outdoors?"  Rather than playing an adventure game on your computer sitting in your La-z-boy recliner, play it in the park around the corner or while exploring the city on your next vacation.  Wherigo users also create and post innovative walking tours of the city sights, and custom scavenger hunts for around the neighborhood.  Use your imagination and you can make every trip outside your house an adventure.

Want to step it up a notch?  Mega-Event Caches are annual events attracting geocachers from around the world.  Attended by more than 500 people, they offer a day or more of planned activities for like-minded geocachers.  Find a list of upcoming events for 2013 on Geocaching's website.

[pullquote]Mega-Event Caches are annual events attracting geocachers from around the world.[/pullquote]

Nature lovers should check out EarthCache (www.earthcache.org), a partnership between The Geological Society of America and Geocatching.com.  Caches found are "virtual" in the sense that they're not a container, but rather a location of scientific or educational significance, highlighted so you learn lessons about our planet.  The fundamental goal of these caches is to educate the visitor and provide a unique experience when exploring our natural world.

Tread Lightly (www.treadlightly.org) is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to promote responsible recreation through education and training. It provides several suggestions for environmentally-responsible geocaching, such as:

Whether you're traveling by vehicle or on foot, stay on designated roads and trails.

Respect property owners by asking permission before tromping through their land.

Proceed with caution around horses and other pets on the trail, as sudden movements or noises can spook them.  Keep your own pets under control.

Lastly, and most importantly, educate yourself about where you're going before you simply wander off into the wilderness.  Obtain maps of the area you're heading into and plan out your route in advance.  Pack appropriately for anticipated weather conditions and for emergencies, making sure you have plenty of water and supplies, even for short trips.  Consider partnering-up with other geocachers so you reduce your vulnerability to accidents or mishaps.  If you insist upon heading out alone, make sure someone knows where you're headed and when you plan to return