What is Geocaching?
What is Geocaching?
Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location.
Geocaches can be found all over the world. It is common for geocachers to hide caches in locations that are important to them, reflecting a special interest or skill of the cache owner. These locations can be quite diverse. They may be at your local park, at the end of a long hike, underwater or on the side of a city street.
Why do over 5 million people worldwide participate in Geocaching?
Because Geocaching is a great way to explore locations near and far. People hide geocaches in places of historical interest or great natural beauty that you would never have discovered were it not for the geocache there, it brings friends and family together to enjoy the outdoors, itan be quite challenging: geocaches are often very cleverly hidden or can have solving a puzzle associated with them and makes other outdoor activities such as hiking, biking or boating even more enjoyable.
People from all age groups and physical abilities can participate in geocaching including individuals, families with children, students, adults and retirees. Each geocache listing has a difficulty and terrain rating. A 1/1 is the easiest and is wheel chair accessible. A 5/5 is the most difficult. This allows participants to seek out geocaches suitable for their ability and fitness levels.
What do you need?
The only necessities are a GPS device or a GPS-enabled mobile phone so that you can navigate to the cache, for mobile devices an app that supports geocaching- Official Groundspeak App, GeoSphere (iPhone) or c:geo (Android), a pen or pencil for signing logs, recommended Tools of the Trade (TOTT) including tweezers, magnet, flashlight and a camera, and more importantly a Geocaching.com Membership.
Who are the Ridgecrest Geocachers Club?
We are the Ridgecrest Geocachers Club, based in Ridgecrest California. We are here to help cachers from all over the world with their geocaching qustions and adventures in our local areas as well as help promote the activity.
Check our website and join our Facebook group to be notified of geocaching club events and to stay in touch with the local geocaching community.