Get More Out of Geocaching

Does your family like to go geocaching? It's an ideal way to turn any outdoor excursion into a totally cool treasure hunt. All you need is a handheld GPS or a smartphone loaded with the Geocaching.com mobile app.

To get even more out of your geocaching excursion, try seeking out these special geocaches. You can search for most of them using the advanced search function on Geocaching.com ("search by type").

Or just be open to a fun surprise when you set out on a geocaching expedition!

EarthCaches

An EarthCache is a locationless, or virtual, cache. Its coordinates are still listed on Geocaching.com, but it doesn't have a container or log book like many other caches do. To get credit for finding an EarthCache, you must learn something about the site where you found it. Every EarthCache is educational! Each one marks a unique geologic feature or demonstrates how earth scientists gather information about our planet.

Cache owners post science-related info and questions about their site at EarthCache.org. Answer the questions correctly and you can claim the cache for your geocaching log. (Posting a pic is optional—but fun for kids.) The EarthCache program is part of The Geological Society of America's Education and Outreach effort, and it celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2014.

One destination even created its own version of EarthCaches, called ColdCaches.

Visit the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin to discover them and learn all about trail landmarks and the geology of the region. The 1,000-mile Ice Age Trail is one of only a few National Scenic Trails in the U.S.

TravelBug

A TravelBug is a type of hitchhiker, which is like a treasure within a treasure at a cache.

Hitchhikers are items that are intended to travel from cache to cache. If you stumble upon one, you get to be its means of transportation and find it a new home! A TravelBug is a trackable tag that helps keep tabs on the hitchhiking item: Where has it been? Who found it? Where's it going next? You can find out.

Webcam Cache

These locations could also be called "Let me take a selfie!" caches! Here's how they work: The cache is virtual—no physical container—but its coordinates take you to a place that's in view of a webcam. (This could be a park, a college campus, a business center parking lot, etc.) The objective is to get your image captured on the webcam.

To log your find, and find out if your picture was taken, you'll need to view the webcam footage in real time via your smartphone. Or check it online later, if the camera has a time-lapse option. Some webcam caches have extra requirements to earn credit for the cache, like having to strike a certain pose or wear a particular article of clothing in the photo.

Multi-Cache

Geocaching is one big treasure hunt, and multi-caches extend the hide-and-seek angle. Find the first cache to get directions (or at least a clue!) to a second cache, and then maybe a third or more. The final cache in the series will be the one you log as your find.

Mystery or Puzzle Cache

In a similar vein is the mystery cache, sometimes called a puzzle cache. In order to claim credit for locating the cache (or to find it in the first place!), you'll need to solve a puzzle created by the cache owner.

Hide Your Own

To really feel like a geocache pro, you could create your own cache. There are a lot of steps to take and guidelines to follow, but doing so makes for a unique family project that requires creativity and problem-solving skills.