Have an adventure and go Geocaching - near or far!
Whether you've never heard of geocaching or you regularly head out on a geocaching adventure, this is an outdoor activity you can do with friends and family, by yourself, or with your dog as your geocaching buddy. Here is an overview of what geocaching is, where you can find more information about it, plus some of the geocaches we found on a short trip right on the edge of town. There are THOUSANDS of Geocaches in the Boise area where we live, as well as many other locations - wherever you live.
What is Geocaching?
Geocaching is an outdoor, app-based activity that is part treasure hunt, part hike, and from very easy to very difficult to make it accessible and interesting for almost everyone. With a mobile device such as your smart phone, you can download the free app and immediately begin searching for "caches" close to you or in an area you choose. When you find a cache, there is usually a logbook to sign for when you found it. Some caches even have "treasures" inside with the rule to leave something of equal value if you take something from the cache. Otherwise, just leave the cache after you sign the logbook. Some caches have themes. Some caches are part of a series. And kids love this activity! It's a treasure hunt and it's outside! Let them sign the logbook and leave comments for others in the app!
One of the benefits of this activity is finding new areas that you never would have thought of to visit, whether it's near where you live or when you are traveling. We are always surprised at what new places we find! We have been geocaching for over 20 years near where we live and also when we travel to other states or countries. And, we've watched this hobby grow! When we first started geocaching in Boise about 20 years ago, there were fewer than 50 geocaches in the area. Now, there are almost 3,000 in that same area!
To learn more about geocaching and the app, go to www.geocaching.com.
Geocaching Near Boise
There are 2,879 within 13.7 miles of where we live:
Here's where we decided to look for geocaches today:
We headed up the hill past Fort Boise Park and found an easy to travel road, great hiking trails and beautiful hills on a sunny day.
We didn't have to travel far to find what we were looking for! We also found some beautiful wildflowers, some nice bike paths and an archery range we didn't know was there! Spoiler alert before you look at the pictures - we do show where a couple of the caches were found! We also had a nice view of the city as we came back down the hill.
Check out the interesting "specialty" geocaches of a jet and a star in the area south of Boise. It looks like they are still building the running man.
STARTING POINT: Boise
DISTANCE FROM STARTING POINT: Round trip from home was approximately 18 miles
TIME TO REACH: 20 minutes to the beginning of the dirt road heading up the hill
ROAD SURFACE: Dirt road
WHEN ACCESSIBLE: Spring, Summer, Fall
FEES: None
RECOMMENDED VEHICLES: Any
PET FRIENDLY: On leash recommended, but off leash is allowed
WHEN WE WENT: Second week of June, 2022
I'm Here - Now What?
Bring your smart phone or a GPS
Bring your kids, if you have any!
Bring your dog
Hiking - wear good walking shoes
Biking
Photography
Wildlife and plant viewing
Picnicking
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