Whether we are hiking, swimming, kayaking, or just taking a walk, my family and I always enjoy our time spent outdoors recharging our batteries via nature.
I belong to quite a few Facebook groups for individuals of a like mind and one of the most common questions that I see in these groups (and that I am asked personally) is “What is there to do for kids at (insert place here)?”
There is one activity that I always recommend in addition to family-friendly businesses and hot spots, regardless of the location: Geocaching.
Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunt that was born out of one man’s curiosity about the accuracy of GPS systems.
In May 2000 Dave Ulmer decided he wanted to hide something in the woods and posted the coordinates on the internet to see who could find it. That is pretty much the basis of the game still, though the method has changed for the publication of the treasures, called “caches”.
Why would kids be interested in tromping through the woods to find an ammo can? Well, you have something that is hidden and coordinates that you enter into a GPS (or cell phone) to find it, sometimes with the help of hints – it is like hide and seek, a scavenger hunt, and an adventure all in one. Personally, my kids LOVE it.
Every Kentucky State Park we visit has geocaches in or near it, and every Kentucky city we love has tons of geocaches waiting!
In addition to the geocaches that are placed by individuals in random places, there are also caches at key “interesting” places in most cities.
Georgetown has caches that were placed for the Tourism Center’s “Geotrot” event in 2017 at places such as Georgetown History Museum, Georgetown Cultural Arts Center, Old Friends Horse Farm, and Ward Hall.
Lexington’s Legacy Trail has caches scattered along it providing a bit of excitement for littles who are getting bored.
If you are a fan of the outdoors you can always find caches along popular trails or trails that are a favorite of the geocache’s owner, including places like Dog Slaughter Falls and Bark Camp Branch Falls in the Cumberland Ranger District of Daniel Boone National Forest. No matter your destination, you can bet there will be geocaches near.
To get started you simply create a free account on Geocaching.com. You don’t need a fancy stand alone GPS system or any special tools since Groundspeak has an app for Geocaching so that you can simply use your smartphone.
Once your account is created, just search the area near you or an area you plan on visiting to view the caches available! There are some caches that are only available through the app with a premium account for a minimal fee, but that wouldn’t be necessary until you and your family have tried “caching” and decide you really like it.
Not all caches are made the same and it is important to look at some of the details to determine if a cache is right for you to set out to find. A few of the most important details are:
- Size – Caches come in any size, from something the size of a pen lid to a 5-gallon bucket. Common containers are medication bottles, ammo cans, and watertight food containers. The smaller caches contain just a log that you sign when you find it and larger containers often contain little trinkets like pins or bouncy balls that are meant to be traded and swapped out by those who find it. Usually, the smaller the cache, the harder it is to find!
- Difficulty – This refers to how well the cache is hidden and how hard the creator thinks it is to find.
- Terrain – This is probably the most important rating of all because it details how difficult the cache will be to get to. Generally, a terrain rating of 1/5 would be a cache that is accessible by wheelchair while a 5/5 should be sought out only by someone very experienced in traversing the terrain where the cache is hidden (think rock climbers, scuba divers, and very difficult hiking trails).
- Attributes – These tell you some things you need to know about the cache. Things like “Park and grab”, “Snakes”, “Ticks”, “Dogs Allowed”, etc.
There are a few supplies every geocacher should keep with them to ensure an enjoyable experience.
A standard caching kit should include:
- A pen or pencil to sign the log
- Trinkets for trading in larger caches
- Bug spray
- Basic first aid kit
- Tweezers to extract logs from micro caches
- A small notebook for deciphering hints.
- For caches that require a hike or long walk, it is always a good idea to have water for everyone and a snack for kiddos. Just remember to CITO – cache in, trash out.
You have your account, have your supplies, and have selected a cache. Now what?
Go hunting!
Use the map to determine where you need to drive to in order to begin (caches on hiking trails usually have the info for the trailhead and parking). Once you have parked or are near “ground zero”, it is time to start searching.
If using the app on your smartphone, just tap “Navigate” and your phone becomes a GPS telling you the direction and distance to the cache. Use creative thinking when searching because caches are hidden in ways that makes them fun to find for you and hard to notice for non-geocachers, or “muggles”.
Once you make your find, swap any trinkets you want to swap, sign the log, and put the cache back exactly where you found it. You can then use the app to log your find and let the owner know how much you enjoyed the cache.
Marissa finding a medium-sized cache in Scott County, hidden and found during the “Scott County Geotrot” geocaching event. 
Chelsea holds a large gallon-sized cache located at Cave Run Lake State Park.
This is one of my family’s favorite pass-times and it is a wonderful way to spend time together, mostly unplugged, and I love sharing the game with others. If you get out and try it with your littles, please leave a comment letting me know about your experience.
Happy caching!
Check out Gayla’s other contributed post: Warning Signs: What You Should Know About COVID-19 and Type 1 Diabetes
About the Author
Gayla Wright
Gayla is a 30 something native of Eastern Kentucky, transplanted to Georgetown in June 2012. She is the mother of 3 children, ages 14, 9, and 3, one of whom is a Type 1 Diabetic. She is a paralegal by trade, and an avid sports mom on the side. She enjoys hiking around the state and has recently begun enjoying kayaking.