Have you ever been intrigued by the idea of discovering a hidden treasure? You know of a secret that very few people have access to and only the elite are able to reveal? Geocaching is a hobby that involves finding hidden secrets from other geocachers, and then discovering what they have to reveal for you. International Geocaching Day is dedicated to this hobby and all those who enjoy it.

Although geocaching is as old as GPS satellites, it was born out of an older practice called ‘letterboxing’. Letterboxing was an old hobby that involved creating small weatherproof boxes and putting clues inside to find new locations. Each letterbox contained a notebook and a rubber stamp (usually custom-carved) that was used by letterboxers to mark their notebook that they had found it. This hobby would be discovered by a new generation thanks to the advent of GPS satellites.

Dave Ulmer, a Beavercreek resident, placed the first geocache on May 3, 2000. Dave Ulmer posted the coordinates, inviting others to find it. It has grown to be a popular hobby with many people participating every year. Geocaching.com allows anyone to place and share a geocache so other adventurers can also find it.

It’s impossible to predict what you might find in a geocache. Many caches contain notebooks that can be used to leave messages or small treasures that have a ‘take one and leave one’ philosophy. What will you find in your first geocache search? International Geocaching Day invites you to explore the world of geocaching!

Geocaching.com is the best way to celebrate it! Start by finding geocaches close to you. Then expand your search and look for others further away. This is the latest version of treasure hunting and an amazing adventure.

You never know, you might one day make your own geocache. Others will find it and tell stories about the secrets it holds. International Geocaching Day offers an exciting way to discover a new way to explore the world around you. Get out there now!