Geocaching: The Modern Treasure Hunt

Looking for a fun, new way to enjoy the outdoors? Want to add some thrill to your hikes?  Try geocaching (“jee-oh-cash-ing”), the modern-day treasure hunt for family and friends alike!

So, what is it? Think of geocaching like a high-tech game of hide and seek!

What are the caches?

Caches are collections of little trinkets and knick-knacks, a logbook, pen or pencil, and sometimes even a disposable camera. All of this is usually stuffed into a little box and hidden under a rock, behind a tree or maybe even in a more urban locale. I’ve seen some great Caches hidden here around Las Cruces!

All you need:

Bring a smartphone via GPS, a set of coordinates and a friend to accompany you (the more the merrier)!  It’s just like a treasure hunt, but you’re looking for a collection of goodies above ground as opposed to pirates’ buried treasure.

The coordinates of these caches can be found posted on one of several webpages for fellow geocachers to follow. One of the first and still most popular sites is Geocaching.com. You should definitely check it out beforehand to find a cache near you, any updates, and photos/stories shared.

Geocaching location difficulties  are rated by a star system –  a single star being the easiest, and up to five stars being quite the challenge! Bring it on!

With geocaching, there isn’t a cost to join anything. All you have to do is log onto geocaching.com for access to hundreds of thousands of coordinates! Go ahead and give it a try!