Geocaching history
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Geocaching basically started in 2000 when 24 satellites were reassigned. Tens of thousands Global Positioning System (GPS) users got an instant upgrade as their GPS unit’s accuracy increased tenfold. A man by the name of Dave Ulmer decided to hide a bucket of items in the woods near his house, posting the coordinates of it on a website to see when and if people would find it. Within a month, Mike Teague was the first to find the bucket and began to gather online postings of coordinates. Matt Stum first coined the term “geocaching”, geo meaning Earth and cache meaning a hiding place to temporarily store items. Jeremy Irish stumbled upon Teague’s website and later launched the Geocaching.com website. At the time, there were only 75 known caches worldwide. All of these events took place within only four months. This popular new hobby grew as a result of the media, making the New York Times and CNN that fall.
It didn’t take long before people were biking, hiking, swimming, climbing, driving or canoeing to caches all over the world. Today, Jeremy Irish, Elias Alvord and Bryan Rothand all work full-time at Groundspeak Inc., which operates the geocaching website. They are supported by a small team of Groundspeak Lackeys and over 100 geocaching volunteers worldwide. There are over 1.1 million geocaches worldwide, but that figure constantly changes with thousands of caches being added on a daily basis.
Getting started
To start geocaching, participants need to visit geocaching.com to create a profile and search for geocache coordinates within the area they want to explore. Coordinates need to be transferred into a GPS unit and participants can seek caches from there. Traditional caches can be in a variety of forms, including film canisters, ammo cans and other sealed containers. They may contain maps, key chains, fishing tackle, rain ponchos, stickers and many other trinkets. Once you find a geocache, the basic rules are to take something from it, contribute something to it and log in within the provided notebook and/or online. To find out more information or learn how to hide a cache, please visit geocaching.com .
Geocaching in North Dakota State Parks
Geocaching is yet another way for people to enjoy the outdoors by exploring scenic trails and historic aspects of our North Dakota State Parks. Utilizing a Global Positioning System (GPS), technology savvy visitors can be taken to a unique trail, historic place, an interesting structure, a beautiful view or a natural wonder. This high-tech treasure hunt provides outdoor adventure the whole family can enjoy. The North Dakota Parks & Recreation Department recognizes that geocaching has brought a new user group to the state parks. With over 30 geocaches in 10 state parks, an avenue was created for new people to explore the trails and discover what the great state of North Dakota has to offer. Geocaches can currently be found in the State Parks listed below. Please visit geocaching.com for more detailed information:
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Cross Ranch State Park
Lake Metigoshe State Park
Lake Sakakawea State Park
Lewis & Clark State Park
Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park
Fort Ransom State Park
Fort Stevenson State Park
Turtle River State Park
Beaver Lake State Park
Icelandic State Park
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