Getting Started with Geocaching

Geocaching is the intersection of old-fashioned treasure hunting and space age technology. Using a special geocaching app on your smart phone, you seek out caches hidden literally all over the world. The caches range in size from huge to micro. Getting started with geocaching is super easy!

The geocaching program shows you which way to walk. When you get within twenty feet or so of the cache, the programs dings to let you know you are close. Then you have to figure it out from there!

Caroline and David started geocaching as soon as the snow melted this spring and they love it! Fortunately they didn’t have to travel far to get started. There were geocaches right in our own neighborhood and a zillion of them all around our area. They could probably geocache regularly all spring, summer, and fall this year without needing to go more than a twenty mile radius from our home.

When You Find a Cache While Geocaching

When you find a cache, you can take something from it and leave something for someone else.

Sometimes the caches are smaller so you either leave something very tiny or just sign the log.

This one was hidden in an old apple orchard not far from our home.

Sometimes they can be hidden under bridges or boardwalks.

Such as this one…

Ta da!

And sometimes they are hidden in very unexpected places…

And are very tiny…

Getting Kids Outside with Geocaching

One of the benefits of geocaching is it gets kids outside, even kids who aren’t naturally drawn to the great outdoors. It also makes it possible to discover all kinds of new things such as this spring David and Caroline discovered not that far from our home.

I highly recommend checking out geocaching, especially if you have kids who need to get outside a bit more. It’s a fun way to get a lot of fresh air and exercise without even realizing it!