Travel Tips & Trends

Geocaching leads to hidden treasure

The sight of people circling carefully around the woods, electronic gadgets in hand, might send some running for the hills. But to members of a hobby called geocaching (pronounced "geo-cashing"), this behavior is perfectly normal. They are in search of treasure-hidden by other geocachers and free for the finding by anyone with a Global Positioning System.

Geocaches usually come in the form of a Tupperware container and hold a logbook with notes from previous finders. Most are also stocked with prizes—books, toys, bookmarks or other small souvenirs.

How does it work?

Someone makes and hides a cache, noting the coordinates with a GPS. The hider then posts the coordinates on a website such as www.geocaching.com. Seekers then use their own GPS to try finding it. The GPS will get the seeker to within 20 feet of the cache and then the search is up to them. If they find it, they sign the enclosed logbook, take a piece of the loot, and leave something in its place for the next finder.

Caches can be hidden practically anywhere and can take the seeker on a short suburban walk, a major wilderness hike, or anything in between. Some caches involve puzzle solving or research before they can be found.

Just how many hidden caches are there? More than 4,000 are listed in Colorado on www.geocaching.com, and hundreds of thousands around the world.

Roland Everitt, who has been geocaching for two years and has hidden about 15 caches himself, likes the technology aspect of geocaching and the chance it gives him to spend time outdoors with his eight-year-old granddaughter.

"The sport has taken us to some neat places that I never would have found on my own," he said.

-Megan R. Weeden