We are going to take a look at some of the coolest geocaches that have been found by those of us who enjoy this outdoor activity. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of geocaching, it’s sort of like playing ‘hide and seek’ with a time capsule.
Participants in this activity can hide their very own geocache with secret items inside. Included within the geocache is a logbook for individuals who have found the geocache to mark down their name and the date.
Coolest Geocaches
Some of the coolest geocaches are the oldest ones. Many of the older geocaches used ammo cans, and they have room for lots of cool stuff. Travel bug hotels can be sought after for those who want to move trackables. Gadget caches are another cool type of geocache.
Geocaches can be very interesting and unique. Some have existed for nearly two decades, while others may have been around a much shorter length of time. Either way, it takes a creative imagination to truly inspire treasure hunters to come and find your geocache.
1. The Original Stash
Many individuals that participate in geocaching believe everything started in May of 2000. In Oregon, a simple plaque named ‘Original Stash’ rests at the very location that is believed to have carried the first official ‘geocache’.
With this particular geocache having such an influence on the entire world of treasure hunters, it’s no surprise that so many people believe that the ‘Original Stash’ is one of the coolest geocaches ever to be found.
2. Geocaching Reaches Ireland (June 2000)
After only a few months of creating this new recreational activity of geocaching, the concept spread around the world. In Ireland, a small container carried one of the world’s first geocaches. The mysterious location near the Irish coast certainly makes this geocache very special. It was given the name ‘Europe’s First’, indicating that it was among the first geocaches to be created in Europe.
3. New York’s ‘The Spot’
New York is known for a lot of different things. In May of 2000, it became known for having one of the earliest geocaches ever created. It would turn out that it would also become one of the world’s most famous geocaches.
Inside of this geocache, treasure hunters will find a logbook and several prizes, some of which may have been taken or replaced by other members of the geocaching community. After being around for more than two decades, it’s no surprise that this geocache is deteriorating. With that being said, the lengthy amount of time between day one and today is what makes this activity so interesting and mysterious.
Did you know that you can use a handheld GPS with geocaching? If you are using a phone in areas with bad reception, you can preload geocaches into certain types of handhelds and still find them! You can find the one I use here.
4. Germany’s ‘Lego-Themed’ Geocache
If you’re taking a casual walk through Berlin, you’re probably not expecting to find a Giraffe that is built out of legos. This unique geocache can be found near the Legoland Discovery Center in Berlin. Many scavengers consider this to be one of the easiest geocaches to find because of its larger size and the fact that it is located at an easy-to-access location.
This geocache has been archived and some doubt whether it should even be considered a geocache, however, it’s still considered one of the coolest geocaches in Germany. Source.
5. Ammo Cans
Some of the original geocaches used old ammo cans as their containers. This became very popular during the early years of geocaching. Many of these older ammo can containers still exist. These are some of my favorite geocaches to find! They come in multiple ammo can sizes, but they are usually big enough to put a lot of good stuff inside.
They also keep things inside nice and dry. One of the biggest enemies of geocaching is nature. Water gets inside of the container and gets the logs wet, as well as causing mold to form on the contents. Ammo cans are usually safe from this threat. Below is an image of an ammo can I found just outside of Copper Breaks State Park, in Texas.
6. Gadget Caches
Gadget caches are another of my favorite types of caches. These caches usually require you to move around parts, solve puzzles, and use your brain to figure out how the contraption works. Once you figure it out and get inside, many of these caches have fun SWAG items inside.
These caches can be found all over the world. Many gadget cache makers, put out more than just one. In some parts of the United States, you can find multiple series of gadget caches that will keep you busy for days.
7. Mystery Caches
Mystery caches are another type of geocache that requires some puzzle and problem-solving. These types of caches will sometimes take you to multiple locations, where you must use the information you have gathered to solve the final location. There are many types and variations of these caches.
These caches have a blue circle with a question mark inside of them as the symbol for the cache. If you look at your geocaching app map, you will see that they look different from the traditional green cache symbols.
8. Travel Bug Hotels
If you are into travel bugs then travel bug hotels may be the coolest kind of geocache. These are usually large containers, that have trackable geocaches in them, that have different missions, to move from cache to cache.
The first time I released a trackable into the wild, it was in a travel bug and it was moved along quickly because the travel bug hotels are used for passing on travel bugs and trackables, to get them moving towards their goals.
See our article for trackables here.
9. Virtuals
Virtuals are another favorite type of geocache. These are a favorite because they do not require you to find the physical cache. This can be great for people who are disabled, or those that want to just grab a quick cache.
They usually require you to take a photo in front of the location or answer a question about the location to claim the find. These caches have a blue ghost as the symbol on the map.
10. Park and Grabs (P&G)
Park and grabs are a favorite because of how easy they are to get. They are usually located in areas that have easy parking. This way you can jump out, locate the caches, sign them, and be on your way in no time.
One downside to P&G’s is that there can be a lot of muggles at these locations since there is dedicated parking to the location, usually used by businesses. As long as you stay low-key, these are cool caches to grab.
How Do Geocaches Get Their Reputation?
There are many different types of geocaches, each with its own history. Some are mysterious, while others are simply hard to find. Sadly, some geocaches get lost forever and will never be found again. Unfortunately, some also get stolen from troublemakers who believe that disruption is its own form of enjoyment.
The very best geocaches have their reputation either because of the contents inside, the location, the difficulty, the landscape, or the amount of time that it has been resting in its location. Some of the oldest official geocaches have been hidden at the same location for just over two decades.
Some geocaches are small, large, valuable, mysterious, and some are hidden in some of the hardest-to-access environments for human beings. There are geocaches hidden that can even be dangerous to get to. All of these factors help to contribute to their reputation and treasure hunters want to test themselves to see if they can find a geocache that has been hidden away for long periods.
Related Questions
How many geocaches exist in the world?
Geocaches are being added and removed from the world every single day. Some simply deteriorate until they are no longer intact while others get stolen or lost forever. According to geocaching experts, there are still millions of trackable geocaches that exist around the globe.
When was the first geocache placed?
A man named Dave Ulmer supposedly placed the very first ‘official’ geocache in Oregon on May 3rd of 2000. Inside of this geocache included books, food, and even money. A plaque is currently placed at this location, marked with the words ‘Original Stash’. Shortly after, geocaching spread around the world as a global activity that would inspire treasure hunters for decades to come.
How do geocaches become ‘cool’?
Some people believe that it’s the location, while others think it’s the type of objects that are hidden within the geocache. Additional factors include the amount of time that it has been hidden at its location.