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How to Geocache

Treasure hunting isn’t just the stuff of adventure stories. Explore new places and hunt for hidden booty or containers holding logbooks and trinkets, using handheld GPS units in a game called geocaching. Over half a million geocaches lie hidden across the world—some may be as close as in your local park. You can find geocaches in cities, along trails, on mountains and just about anywhere. Anyone can play this high-tech hide and seek. Bring the kids and dog, too.

Things You'll Need

Internet access
Handheld GPS unit
Appropriate walking or hiking attire

Instructions

- 1
  Locate the Geocache website online (see Resources). You have to register to obtain the latitude and longitude coordinates for a GPS, but basic membership is free.
- 2
  Enter the ZIP code of the area where you want to geocache. A list will appear of nearby geocaches. Click on a selected geocache to find the navigational coordinates, descriptions, maps and logs posted by other geocachers who have found it. Note the 5-star ratings for difficulty of finding the geocache and roughness of the terrain.
- 3
  Download or manually enter the geocache coordinates onto your handheld GPS unit. Note location of trailheads and parking.
- 4
  Set your GPS unit to navigate to the geocache. Hit the trail and follow the coordinates. Remember that GPS points to a target “as the crow flies” and your approach may be longer and more circuitous.
- 5
  
  Use your eyes, too. GPS can get you within a range of the target area but you have to look closely to find the geocache. Geocaches may be as small as an eraser or as large as a bucket.
- 6
  Find the geocache and sign the log. If there are trade items in the container, take one and leave one that you’ve brought. Re-hide the geocache where you found it.
- 7
  
  Log your find on the Geocaching web page for the geocache. If you picked up a trackable item with a numbered tag, log that item on its tracking page.

Geocaching