Belmont County Tourism launches geocaching campaign
Remember playing hide and seek when you were a child? Geocaching is the adult version that has undergone a resurgence recently, as it allows people to get outside while still practicing social distancing. Participants use GPS (usually on their cell phone) to hide and seek containers called “geocaches” and “caches”.
The hobby began in Oregon in 2000 and was called “geostashing". According to geocaching.com there are over 2 million active caches hidden all over the world. Caches are often cleverly disguised or hidden and must be hidden or contained in a weather-proof object. Caches must be at least 528 feet apart from each other. This can make hiding a cache difficult in some areas.
Geocaching is a way to learn about the environment and help protect it. The great thing about geocaching is that people of all ages can take part. It is a great family activity.
The Belmont County Tourism office recently created 30 caches and hid them in outside locations throughout Belmont County. Launched just a week ago, participation and feedback was immediate and positive. Participants who find the caches are asked to take an item, leave an item, and sign our log sheet. Our caches are BYOP (Bring Your Own Pen/Pencil)! You can find a glossary of geocaching terms here.
Belmont County cache sites include museums, attractions, parks, and historical landmarks. We will continue the geocaching campaign as long as there is active participation.
Here is the link to Belmont County’s geocaching site.