My Traveling Roads

Travel, Road Trips, Adventures

  • Home
  • Meet Kim
    • Work With Kim
    • Contact Kim
  • Travel & Adventures
    • Auto Reviews
    • Family Adventures
    • Road Trips
    • Texas Travel
    • USA Travel
  • Texas Road Trips
  • Camping & Hiking
  • Pets
  • Wellness at Home
    • Crafts
    • DIY
    • Family
    • Gardening
    • Recipes

Ten Reasons Geocaching Is A Great Hobby

September 18, 2020 Kim Leave a Comment

While many of us are enjoying the finds of geocaching, there are people out there that have no idea what geocaching is. Do you? Geocaching is a great way to get outside and stay active with what’s going on in the world lately. If you or your kids have stopped caching for any reason, here are ten reasons geocaching is a great hobby and reasons to get back out there!

This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on my link and buy something, MTR will earn a small commission from the advertiser at no additional cost to you.

Ten Reasons Geocaching Is A Great Hobby
My son going through the geocache they found at DVSP. Photo by Kim Croisant

Ten Reasons Geocaching Is A Great Hobby

To most, geocaching is just another hobby, but to others, it’s a hobby like no other. If you’ve done it, then you know the feeling of finding one. It’s the thrill of discovering a geocache that these people live for every minute of the day. I might be one of them!

Geocaching is for everyone, not just kids. But for kids, it’s a sure way to get them out in front of a screen and into nature. We even have a metal detector that we take with us to look for coins. Both activities can keep us busy all day. It’s so important to get our kids away from TV and Xbox, wouldn’t you agree?

Of course, in this day and time, we have to be safe when we’re out looking for a geocache. And when we find one, we must take precautions, like bringing your own pen, wearing gloves, having hand sanitizer or disinfectant wipes available, etc. It’s important to know that most of us can go geocaching safely. It’s a doable hobby.

Related:

Geocaching For Beginners: What is Geocaching?

geocaching for beginners as a hobby
A Geocache we found at Dinosaur Valley State Park. Photo by Kim Croisant

My son and I got into this great hobby late, and we are still new at it. But, I have found some of my friends have never heard of geocaching and don’t have a slight inclination of what it is. So, just in case you don’t either, I’m going to explain what I know. What I do know, geocaching as a hobby is something my son and I can do together while being out in nature—a win-win activity for us.

First, what is geocaching? Geocaching is an outdoor activity where participants use a global app on a mobile device to find containers filled with fun stuff that has been left by people. Geocaching is done all over the world.

To begin, you have to download the geocache app on your iPhone. You’ll put in your coordinates to find geocaching near me, and then you’ll drive to the location. With your device in hand, it will tell you when you’re getting close to the find. It will also show if you have moved further away from your target. When you find the geocache, you’ll open up the container (containers vary and could be anything), and write your name and date. Then, if you want, you can leave something in the container for the next participants to see. You never take anything out of the boxes.

Where to Find Geocaches

where to find a geocache

Geocaches can be found in your city, other cities, parks, state parks, trails that you hike on, and many other areas. State parks are the best place to find caches. They are safe, and the caches are there and usually insight so that the kids can spot them a few feet away.

If you’ve never been geocaching before, starting at a state park is the best place, especially if kids are involved. Most geocaches are in plain sight.

Ten Reasons Geocaching Is A Great Hobby For Kids

  1. It’s an active activity for the whole family to enjoy.
  2. Kids love it. They love finding the caches and opening them up.
  3. It’s addicting – kids want to find one after another.
  4. One of the best hobbies to get into that requires no upfront money.
  5. It doesn’t cost any money (not really) – maybe some gasoline.
  6. A new surprise every time.
  7. Keeps us guessing. You don’t know what you’ll find once you open up the container.
  8. Geocaching is an adventure in itself.
  9. Never dull (except when you can’t find three in a row), but who’s counting. Just bring some yummy snacks and you’re good to go.
  10. Easy for young kids to follow the app. They love it. Working in the app is fun and educational.

So, yes, sometimes you search and search for your next cache only to find nothing. And that’s okay, either give up for the day or take a break and eat a snack, then get back to it.

geocache in tree

What To Wear When Geocaching

Because you don’t know where exactly you’ll be walking, so your best bet is to wear shoes that come up to your ankles, like hiking boots. Also, wear long pants, even in the summer. Sometimes the grass and weeds are up high and will scratch your legs. Don’t wear sandals or open-toe shoes – there could be stickers, poison ivy, or oak. You never know what you’ll get into when hunting around for a geocache. As mentioned above, where a pair of gloves for safety reasons, and if not, be sure to bring along any type of disinfectant.

looking inside a geocache container
My son opening up a geocache container. Photo by Kim Croisant

So, what do you think? Are you ready to make geocaching a hobby, or at least try it out? Let me know if you’ve ever done it, or if you’re already a pro at it.

8 Tips for Starting an Organic Garden(Opens in a new browser tab)

10 Reasons to Use Coffee Grounds in the Garden(Opens in a new browser tab)

Related

Family Adventures

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

A New Adventure Delivered Monthly - Get Started At TheNomadik.com

About Kim

Travel writer and road trip enthusiast of My Traveling Roads, Kim Croisant, is a proud native Texan passionate about seeing the world by car, plane, train, RV -- any way she can. Her travels include many road trips through Texas and beyond. Kim is raising her grandson and takes him and her Yorkie/Shih Tzu mix doggies on as many trips as possible. When she's feeling the love, she lets her darling 82-year-old mother come along as well. But her favorite way to travel is solo. When Kim's not writing, she is hiking through nature and camping in the woods in a cabin full of amenities.

What's on your mind today? Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow My Traveling Roads on Social

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Welcome to My Traveling Roads! You’ll find many road trips I’ve taken in Texas & beyond, plus news about traveling, cars, family adventures, and self-care while traveling. Get out in nature when you can! Travel safely! More about My Traveling Roads

Subscribe to MTR's Blog Posts

Expert Contributor

Pages

  • Meet Kim
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy/Disclosure
    • Work With My Traveling Roads

Spaces and Stories of Creative Women

· © Copyright 2016-Current My Traveling Roads · All Rights Reserved · My Privacy Policy ·