The Hidden Box Hunt: All About Geocaching

The Hidden Box Hunt

1Somewhere in your town, there may be a small box tucked behind a fence post, wedged between rocks or hidden inside a hollow log. People walk past it every day without noticing. But some people know it is there, and they are trying to find it. They are playing a hobby game called geocaching.

2Geocaching is a treasure hunt that uses a GPS device or a phone. GPS stands for Global Positioning System. A GPS device picks up signals from satellites high above Earth and uses them to figure out where it is. Players look up the location of a hidden box, called a cache, as a pair of numbers. These numbers are the cache's latitude and longitude. Then the device points the way.

3The device can lead players close to the cache, but usually not right to it. It may stop a few steps away from the hiding spot. That is where sharp eyes come in. Players search for anything that looks out of place, such as a pile of sticks that seems too neat or a rock that sits a little crooked.

4Caches come in many sizes. Some are as small as a thimble, while others are as big as a shoebox. Almost every cache holds a logbook, a small notebook where finders write their names and the date. Larger caches may also hold trinkets, such as stickers, toy cars or key chains. A finder who takes a trinket is expected to leave something of equal or greater value in its place.

5Geocachers follow other rules, too. A cache is not buried in the ground, and it should not be hidden anywhere that could harm plants or animals. After signing the logbook, a finder puts the cache back exactly where it was, hidden just as well as before. That way, the next player gets the same fun of the hunt.

6The game began around the year 2000, when GPS devices became much more accurate for everyday users. Since then, players have hidden caches in cities, forests, deserts and parks around the world. Many families say geocaching turns an ordinary walk into an adventure.