Geocaching Is the New Hiking

In a simpler time, families spent quality time together outdoors. Parks around the country cleared hiking trails, routes into the depths of the forests and to the summits of mountains. During summer vacations and on weekends, you could find thousands of families walking these trails, talking to one another and marveling at the beauty of nature. Today, however, these trails are largely silent, and any families you see walking them are likely to contain at least one member who is glued to the screen of a phone or other device.

How can we get our kids (and their parents!) back into nature? It’s much more convenient and less tiring to simply plop down in a movie theater seat and spend two hours “with the family.” And most kids would be happier playing a new video game all weekend than walking through a forest filled with bugs and dirt. Hiking may not be a major draw for families any more, but another activity is quickly gaining the attention of even the most technology-hooked couch potatoes: Geocaching.

A Fad that Doesn’t Feel Like a Fad

Geocaching takes the “mission” aspect of video games and places it in the great outdoors. Accomplishing geocaching goals feels even better than beating tough game levels, and it deviously forces participants to get some great exercise while they do it. Here are the basics of geocaching, although many specific games include their own variations:

• Players are given latitude and longitude coordinates, which they must find in order to locate a hidden item.


• It is legal (and encouraged) to use a GPS tracking device to pinpoint the item’s location.


• The hidden item is usually a container with a logbook, in which the player can record his success in finding it.


• The container may also contain a token or a code, which the player uses to receive a prize.

Geocaching is catching on like wildfire, but you won’t hear about it often in the mainstream news. Participants love the feeling that they are engaging in an activity that the general public is unaware of. There’s something very exciting about following your GPS tracker to a vacant lot in a suburban area, ignored by most people passing by, and finding a geocache hidden under a loose rock.

A related idea to geocaching is the concept of a video game that uses real-life GPS data. Some games feature a virtual world that is closely related to the portion of the real world that the player lives in. Surrounding buildings, lakes, and other features might take on different identities in the game, opening opportunities as the player travels to the real-life locations. This kind of experience is not as outdoors-focused as geocaching, however.

A Great Example

The state of Oregon claims to be the birthplace of geocaching, and is still a hotspot for the activity. The Metro park system in Portland has launched a complex geocaching game that is expected to last for quite some time. The geocaches, hidden in meaningful spots within the parks, educate players about nature and history as they find them. After collecting codes from all the caches, victorious players claim their prize—a commemorative coin—at the park headquarters. 450 coins are available, for the first 450 intrepid geocaching adventurers who complete the quest. The similarities to a great video game plot are unmistakable, but this adventure takes place in the real world!

Here are some similar recent projects that communities have used to introduce geocaching to people:

Ashland, KY	Single-day event with 15 geocaches	Raises awareness for obesity and the Ashland downtown area
Anoka County, MN	2-3 mile route, held in the middle of winter	Aims to get kids outdoors
Alderney, U.K.	40 geocaches hidden on the island of Alderney	Project to attract tourists
Joondalup, Australia	Geocache trail designed by high school students	Draws attention to park and educates students about the environment

 

If you have been fighting the uphill battle to convince kids (or even your spouse) to get off the couch and take a walk outdoors, geocaching might just be the motivation you need. Check to see if there is a geocaching trail or event near your home, and the next weekend could see your family catch the geocaching bug. Before long, your kids might be pestering you to travel farther afield to take on greater quests.

Encouraging Outdoor Fun: Another Benefit of GPS

Too often, fitness advocates try to separate technology from nature and outdoor activities. There is a time to put down the devices and look around us, but perhaps a better approach is the one embraced by geocaching: combining technology with exercise, adventure, exploration, and fun in the great outdoors. After all, what other tool can convince a video game lover to spend hours hiking through the woods again?

Geocaching Is the New Hiking