Do you and your children love the outdoors, exploring new places, and looking for interesting things?
Then you should try geocaching! It's a treasure hunt right in your own neighborhood.
My kids and I have been going geocaching since my 12-year-old was just a baby. By the time she was 3, she was starting to help look for the caches herself and had her very first find that summer.
How can your family get started with geocaching?
All you need to get started is a cellphone (or another GPS-enabled device) along with coordinates for a geocache, and a sense of adventure.
There are geocaches hidden all over the world including urban and rural areas. The containers range from very tiny (micro-caches), to small keychain pill holders, to large containers that hold special objects like toys and other trinkets.
When you find a cache, open it up, sign the log, and then put it back exactly as you found it for the next geocacher who comes along.
It's so simple and so much fun!
 ra-photos via Canva |
Geocaching rules
- Be discreet so you don't alert someone who isn't a geocacher to the location.
- Always be sure to put the cache back properly so it isn't easy for a passer-by to spot, but is right where it's supposed to be when the next treasure hunter comes along.
- If you take something from the cache, leave something of equal or greater value.
- Always sign the log in the cache and log your visit on www.geocaching.com or in the app.
You don't need much equipment!
The only equipment you really need is a cellphone or another GPS-enabled device, but there are a few other things that are good to bring along just in case:
- Exchange items - little trinkets you can swap in bigger caches (think kids meal toys and other small objects).
- Pencil - in case the cache's pencil is missing or it's too small to hold one.
- Gloves - sometimes you need to dig or move brush... it's easier to convince yourself to do it with gloves!
- Snacks and water - because we all know kids are always hungry.
- Notebook or a note-taking app - to keep track of the caches for the day in case you can't get online where you go searching.
 ra-photos via Canva |
To get started, download the official Geocaching® app or visit www.geocaching.com to sign up for a free account. I also recommend reading this article from Geocaching.com for some tips and other helpful info. Then search by your ZIP code to see how many caches are waiting to be found right in your town!
Check out these sneaky hiding spots!
Go Geocaching close to home!
1. The state of Georgia has 45 caches hidden in 45 spectacular state parks! Many are in our area and in north Georgia. Click HERE for a map of all the locations.
2. There are also many caches in many Gwinnett County parks. Click HERE for a list of them. Note: These are listed in no particular order, so you may have to search through several pages to find the closest ones to your location.
3. And finally, there are three Georgia GeoTours. GeoTours are are series of related geocaches designed to take players to interesting and important places they may have missed otherwise. You can spend the day treasure hunting all over these Georgia communities that have put together incredible GeoTours featuring historic sites, natural landmarks and great puzzles to solve
- The Georgia History Trail GeoTour, designed by Georgia State Parks, is a statewide geocaching tour includes prehistoric Native American settlements, military sites, museums and more. History slueths solve riddles to unlock geocaches throughout the state and collect trading cards to earn a prize.
- Earn trackable prizes while exploring the surreal landscapes and fascinating ecosystems within the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area. The Geo-PATH is divided into five series that each highlight unique natural features and historic spots.
- "Caching Duluth," is a series of 25 geocaches covering about 10 square miles right here in Duluth! The tour includes historic landmarks, playful venues and scenic parks for a full day of family fun!
Want to Save Time looking for things to do with your kids? Our Family Event Calendar is packed full of events, festivals, fairs, story times, and awesome local family fun. We proudly serve families in Duluth, Norcross, Suwanee, Johns Creek and Peachtree City! Sign-up for FREE!
