Geocaching Part 3: Minnesotans Wild About Geocaching
Part 3 of the Geocaching Series
If you’ve been following the articles, you know by now that geocaching is a treasure hunting activity that uses a handheld GPS (global positioning system) to bring seekers to specific destinations in order to find a cache (pronounced “cash”). Having this knowledge means you are no longer a “muggle” (the term used to describe someone who has not been introduced to the geocaching world). But to truly shatter the muggle identity one should participate in a geocaching adventure. Many Minnesotans have already jumped on board.
There are over 10,000 caches in the state of Minnesota. In fact, there is at least one cache in every Minnesota county. Many caches are placed in forests, parks, recreation areas, or along hiking trails, while others are right in town. Most Minnesotans wouldn’t have to travel too far to find a cache. For example, Brainerd currently has over 30 caches, Park Rapids over 70, Hibbing is at 85 and Bemidji lists more than 90 in about a 10 miles radius.
If you’ve never tried geocaching a good place to start would be with the Minnesota State Parks and their brand new Wildlife Safari Challenge. In May of this year, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources threw out the challenge to visit each of the 72 state parks and recreation areas “discovering the hidden gems of the state and revealing exciting facts about Minnesota’s favorite critters”. As part of this initiative some state parks have been designated “Demo Parks” and even offer limited classes for people who want to give geocaching a try.
Termed “Geocaching 101” the class will help you “Discover the exciting challenge of geocaching and how you can use it to find hidden treasures. You will learn how to use a GPS unit, and then head out in the park to find some caches.” The park will even have a few GPS units on hand in case you don’t have your own. So it’s a great way to get introduced to geocaching and have someone that can personally guide you through the first steps. Once you get the hang of it you are ready to go after the Wildlife Safari Challenge.
The Wildlife Safari Challenge is the second in challenges by the state DNR. The first which ran May 11th through December 31st of 2008 was titled the “Minnesota State Park Geocaching History Challenge” in honor of Minnesota’s sesquicentennial celebration of its 150 years of statehood. The History Challenge was the first collaboration between the park system and the Minnesota Geocaching Association, an organization that works on geocaching promotions across the state. The challenge was to visit each of the 72 state parks and recreations areas to try and find each park’s cache. Every cache contained a collectible history card that was unique to that park. When all the caches were found in a region, an additional set of coordinates were given out, and if that cache was found a special token would be awarded to the finder. If a person collected all 4 of the regional tokens from the state, one final set of coordinates would be issued for the final cache, and upon completion a final gold medallion was won.
Clair Plank, a MN DNR Web Content Coordinator and one of the History Challenge developers, said that the hope was “to entice a new generation to the state parks luring them with technology and getting them outdoors.” What they discovered was that it attracted people of all ages. It brought new people to the parks and it also motivated current outdoor enthusiasts to discover other state parks they may not usually visit. Charles A. Lindberg Park manager, Ty Gangelhoff, attests to this by explaining, “there was a lot more people coming through than I thought there would be…our cache log was signed 158 times.”
Across all parks, the total number of logs signed for the challenge was 13,720 online. Since some people didn’t sign the online log, Plank estimates that the real number of caches found is actually around 16,738. She adds, “By taking a sample of parks and comparing the number of entries in the log books with the number of entries on geocaching.com, we were able to create an estimated per cent of participants not logging entries on geocaching.com” And this is just the number of times a cache was found, not how many found them. The exact number of people who visited the cache is unknown as sometimes families or groups go by one team geocaching name. According to Plank and others involved in its development, however the numbers were crunched or projected it was obvious that “the challenge went above and beyond our expectations”.
The Challenge was such a success that the park system and MN Geocaching Association decided to partner again in issuing a second challenge—one that is currently underway. This challenge will have hunter’s again collecting cards, but this year the card’s focus will be on the wildlife that can be found across the state--hence the “Wildlife Safari” theme. Each cache will have a different “critter” and the goal is to collect as many critters as you can from across the state.
The kick-off was May 2 and unlike last year, participants will have 3 years to try and complete the state challenge. Another change from last year is that awards will be granted for the number of critter cards collected versus particular regions completed. According to the challenge, “After finding 10 critters, take your cards to any state park office and receive a collectible Award Level Card. By collecting 10, 20, 40 and 60 different Critter Cards, you can earn four different rewards. For each Award Level Card you collect, you also have the option to acquire a non-trackable, collectible geocoin.”
Most of the parks have a “multi-cache” format which means that the posted coordinates will lead you to a particular destination where you will find another set of coordinates to enter into the GPS, and a new destination within the park to find. These are called “stages”. This way you get to see more of the park. The final stage is where the physical cache is hidden. Each park’s cache is an ammo can large enough to swap swag (see previous article to learn more about “swag”). Remember the rule; if you take something you should leave something of equal or greater value. However, most cachers will tell that the greatest reward of geocaching is not the items you find in the cache, but the journey of getting there.
So get out, explore Minnesota, collect your critter cards, learn about the wildlife found across the state, and enjoy the great adventure of geocaching. For more information or to print off the official Minnesota State Park Wildlife Safari Challenge brochure.
Photo one: Wildlife Safari ammo can (“cache”) that awaits geocachers in each of the MN State Parks and Recreation Areas
Photo two: An example of one critter card geocachers hope to collect in order to complete the state challenge
Photo three: Charles A. Lindberg Park Manager, Ty Gangelhoff is just one of the friendly faces geocachers will meet on their quest across the state. A fellow cacher himself, he states “It’s been fun having people stop in the office and share their stories about geocaching and the state challenge”
Stay tuned for the final geocaching article: an interview with seasoned cachers.
Other Geocaching stories on Northern Community Internet include:
Geocaching Part 1: The Bucket List
Geocaching Part 2: GPS Marks the Spot
Geocaching Part 4: If You Hide It, They Will Come
READER COMMENTS:
"Great articles! I have learned a lot. Thanks for all the work you have done to better inform people about the great activity of geocaching." - Deb Jacobson
If you’ve been following the articles, you know by now that geocaching is a treasure hunting activity that uses a handheld GPS (global positioning system) to bring seekers to specific destinations in order to find a cache (pronounced “cash”). Having this knowledge means you are no longer a “muggle” (the term used to describe someone who has not been introduced to the geocaching world). But to truly shatter the muggle identity one should participate in a geocaching adventure. Many Minnesotans have already jumped on board.
There are over 10,000 caches in the state of Minnesota. In fact, there is at least one cache in every Minnesota county. Many caches are placed in forests, parks, recreation areas, or along hiking trails, while others are right in town. Most Minnesotans wouldn’t have to travel too far to find a cache. For example, Brainerd currently has over 30 caches, Park Rapids over 70, Hibbing is at 85 and Bemidji lists more than 90 in about a 10 miles radius.
If you’ve never tried geocaching a good place to start would be with the Minnesota State Parks and their brand new Wildlife Safari Challenge. In May of this year, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources threw out the challenge to visit each of the 72 state parks and recreation areas “discovering the hidden gems of the state and revealing exciting facts about Minnesota’s favorite critters”. As part of this initiative some state parks have been designated “Demo Parks” and even offer limited classes for people who want to give geocaching a try.Termed “Geocaching 101” the class will help you “Discover the exciting challenge of geocaching and how you can use it to find hidden treasures. You will learn how to use a GPS unit, and then head out in the park to find some caches.” The park will even have a few GPS units on hand in case you don’t have your own. So it’s a great way to get introduced to geocaching and have someone that can personally guide you through the first steps. Once you get the hang of it you are ready to go after the Wildlife Safari Challenge.
The Wildlife Safari Challenge is the second in challenges by the state DNR. The first which ran May 11th through December 31st of 2008 was titled the “Minnesota State Park Geocaching History Challenge” in honor of Minnesota’s sesquicentennial celebration of its 150 years of statehood. The History Challenge was the first collaboration between the park system and the Minnesota Geocaching Association, an organization that works on geocaching promotions across the state. The challenge was to visit each of the 72 state parks and recreations areas to try and find each park’s cache. Every cache contained a collectible history card that was unique to that park. When all the caches were found in a region, an additional set of coordinates were given out, and if that cache was found a special token would be awarded to the finder. If a person collected all 4 of the regional tokens from the state, one final set of coordinates would be issued for the final cache, and upon completion a final gold medallion was won.
Clair Plank, a MN DNR Web Content Coordinator and one of the History Challenge developers, said that the hope was “to entice a new generation to the state parks luring them with technology and getting them outdoors.” What they discovered was that it attracted people of all ages. It brought new people to the parks and it also motivated current outdoor enthusiasts to discover other state parks they may not usually visit. Charles A. Lindberg Park manager, Ty Gangelhoff, attests to this by explaining, “there was a lot more people coming through than I thought there would be…our cache log was signed 158 times.”Across all parks, the total number of logs signed for the challenge was 13,720 online. Since some people didn’t sign the online log, Plank estimates that the real number of caches found is actually around 16,738. She adds, “By taking a sample of parks and comparing the number of entries in the log books with the number of entries on geocaching.com, we were able to create an estimated per cent of participants not logging entries on geocaching.com” And this is just the number of times a cache was found, not how many found them. The exact number of people who visited the cache is unknown as sometimes families or groups go by one team geocaching name. According to Plank and others involved in its development, however the numbers were crunched or projected it was obvious that “the challenge went above and beyond our expectations”.
The Challenge was such a success that the park system and MN Geocaching Association decided to partner again in issuing a second challenge—one that is currently underway. This challenge will have hunter’s again collecting cards, but this year the card’s focus will be on the wildlife that can be found across the state--hence the “Wildlife Safari” theme. Each cache will have a different “critter” and the goal is to collect as many critters as you can from across the state.
The kick-off was May 2 and unlike last year, participants will have 3 years to try and complete the state challenge. Another change from last year is that awards will be granted for the number of critter cards collected versus particular regions completed. According to the challenge, “After finding 10 critters, take your cards to any state park office and receive a collectible Award Level Card. By collecting 10, 20, 40 and 60 different Critter Cards, you can earn four different rewards. For each Award Level Card you collect, you also have the option to acquire a non-trackable, collectible geocoin.”
Most of the parks have a “multi-cache” format which means that the posted coordinates will lead you to a particular destination where you will find another set of coordinates to enter into the GPS, and a new destination within the park to find. These are called “stages”. This way you get to see more of the park. The final stage is where the physical cache is hidden. Each park’s cache is an ammo can large enough to swap swag (see previous article to learn more about “swag”). Remember the rule; if you take something you should leave something of equal or greater value. However, most cachers will tell that the greatest reward of geocaching is not the items you find in the cache, but the journey of getting there.
So get out, explore Minnesota, collect your critter cards, learn about the wildlife found across the state, and enjoy the great adventure of geocaching. For more information or to print off the official Minnesota State Park Wildlife Safari Challenge brochure.
Photo one: Wildlife Safari ammo can (“cache”) that awaits geocachers in each of the MN State Parks and Recreation Areas
Photo two: An example of one critter card geocachers hope to collect in order to complete the state challenge
Photo three: Charles A. Lindberg Park Manager, Ty Gangelhoff is just one of the friendly faces geocachers will meet on their quest across the state. A fellow cacher himself, he states “It’s been fun having people stop in the office and share their stories about geocaching and the state challenge”
Stay tuned for the final geocaching article: an interview with seasoned cachers.
Other Geocaching stories on Northern Community Internet include:
Geocaching Part 1: The Bucket List
Geocaching Part 2: GPS Marks the Spot
Geocaching Part 4: If You Hide It, They Will Come
READER COMMENTS:
"Great articles! I have learned a lot. Thanks for all the work you have done to better inform people about the great activity of geocaching." - Deb Jacobson
posted by Katie Carter at
12:24 PM
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