Navigating for treasure: Geocaching, a free game for all ages, is catching on in Southeast Missouri

You may have heard the term mentioned by your friends, praised by environmental enthusiasts or written about on a website. But what exactly is geocaching?

Geocaching is a recreational activity of hunting for and finding a hidden object by means of GPS coordinates posted on a website, according to the Geocaching 101 website. It is a real world outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices where participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache hidden at that location.

The game started in the early 2000s when GPS technology became available. The word is the combination of two terms, with "geo," meaning earth, and "caching," having two different meanings: A hiding place to store items temporarily, or a memory cache, which is computer storage used to quickly retrieve frequently used information. The combination of earth, hiding and technology made geocaching the perfect term for this activity.

Almost every community in the United States has geocaches, and Southeast Missouri is no exception.

"There are geocaches all over Cape County, with about 40 within the Cape Girardeau city limits," says Frank Wideman, natural resources engineer at the University of Missouri Extension. "There are about three dozen in Jackson, two dozen in Perryville and a few in Marble Hill and Fredericktown. There are several dozen in Farmington, about seven in the east Perry County area and a big group in Sikeston and Dexter."

While a geocache can be located about anywhere, parks and nature trails are popular spots for them.

"In Cape, there is one in Capaha Park, three in Arena Park, two along the La Croix trail, two in Kiwanis Park and five in Cape Woods Conservation Center near the Osage Centre," says Jordi Brostoski, naturalist at the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center.

The game is typically free to play as long as you have a GPS or a smartphone.

"There are a lot of free apps [for the game] depending on the type of phone you have," says Wideman.

To play, you need to register online for a free basic membership; then visit the "Hide-and-Seek-a-Cache" page. Enter your postal code and click search, then choose any geocache from the list and click on its name. Enter the coordinates of the geocache into your GPS device or smartphone and use your device to help you in finding the hidden geocache.

Once you find it, sign the log book inside and return the geocache to its original location. Then, players are encouraged to share their geocaching stories online.

Wideman says the geocache containers vary in shape and size and can be difficult to find.

"People don't always find [the geocache containers]. They can be as little as a thimble or as big as a 20-gallon tub. Technology will get you within 20 feet of it; then you have to think about where it could be."

When you find the geocache box, there can be small prizes inside.

"Players can take something from the cache box and leave something; the prizes are exchangeable," says Brostoski.

There are also geocache prizes called trackables, which are hooked up to the website and moved from geocache to geocache by players.

"You log on and say when you've taken [the trackable] and where [you are taking it next]," says Brostoski.

The hunt-and-find game is becoming extremely popular with more than 6 million players worldwide.

Geocaching is for all ages, with various levels of adventure available.

"It's a wonderful way to get the entire family involved," says Brostoski. "For tech-centered individuals, they get to use all sorts of interesting devices; nature-lovers get to see new places; fitness-driven individuals get to use their bodies outdoors. It's an easy, inexpensive hobby, which anyone can do."

Retirees enjoy the game as they have more free time, and if they like to travel, they can hunt for geocaches along the way.

"It introduces you to places you may have overlooked, even in your own area. It helps you to look at the world in a different way," says Brostoski.

Geocaching also has its own version of "The Golden Rule," according to Wideman: "No damage is to be done to person, property or environment when playing."

If you are interested in learning more about geocaching, the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center will host two geocaching programs on Saturday, Nov. 22. "Geocaching Basics" for those 18 years and older will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon, and "Family Treasure Hunting" for ages 8 and up will be from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Registration for both programs begins on Nov. 1. Call the Nature Center at 573-290-5218.