Iowa's Outdoor Cache

Summer may be ending, but there are still many ways to discover Iowa’s outdoors after the temperature turns cool. Geocaching is a family-friendly activity that can be enjoyed wherever you are, regardless of season.

Geocaching is essentially a scavenger hunt using GPS coordinates. Players follow clues that lead to a container full of treasure — i.e. the cache — hidden by other players in various outdoor locations. Start by creating a free account on geocaching.com or downloading the app, which lists local geocaches, directions, hints, places to log your finds and leave comments. Geocaches come in all shapes, sizes and range in difficulty, so check the app to know what you’re looking for.

 

Tips & etiquette

Be safe and adventurous

Geocaching is a great way to explore natural spaces in your area, including local city, county and state parks. It’s also an accessible way to explore as each geocache is labeled for difficulty of terrain and wheelchair accessibility. Before heading out, take note of weather, hunting and other elements that may impact your experience or safety while looking for geocaches.

Trade, track and log

If you decide to trade the cache, make sure it’s with something of equal or greater value. Look for trackables. These are items with tracking codes that travel from geocache to geocache, but don’t take it if you’re not going to use it properly. Also, make sure to sign and date the logbook.

Respect the environment

Geocaches are hidden in outdoor spaces by other players and should never be buried or hid in a way that requires players to disturb nature. In Iowa, geocaches can be hidden in state parks if a permit is obtained from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Don’t ruin the fun

When you find the cache, do your best to play it cool so you don’t give away the geocache’s location. That takes the fun out
of it for other players.