Geocaching is a GPS-assisted outdoor treasure hunt: players follow coordinates or a map to a hidden container, sign its logbook, return it to its hiding place and record the find. The game began in 2000. When GeekWire spoke with co-founder and CEO Bryan Roth in August 2022, the delayed celebration was still branded as a 20th-anniversary event—even though Geocaching was marking 22 years since its start.
What makes geocaching more than a search for a box?
The basic loop is simple: find a geocache, sign the logbook, put it back where it was, and log the experience online. Some caches also include small trinkets that players may exchange. The mix of outdoor exploration, GPS technology and a physical find gives the game a tangible goal without requiring a competitive score or a set route.
Roth described it to GeekWire in 2022 as, “At its very basic level it’s like a big game of hide and seek.” A cache can turn an ordinary walk into a search, while the person who placed it has chosen a spot for someone else to discover. That simple exchange helps explain why the activity works for people who want a destination as much as for those interested in GPS navigation.
How large was the game in 2022?
GeekWire reported more than 3.4 million caches in more than 190 countries in its August 19, 2022 feature. Those are figures reported at the time, not a current worldwide count. Roth told GeekWire, “We really didn’t predict that it was going to become this kind of global phenomenon.” The article also reported that Geocaching HQ had 95 employees at that point; that, too, is a historical company figure, not a current staffing total. Read the 2022 GeekWire feature.
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The anniversary timing reflects an unusual pause. Plans to celebrate Geocaching’s 20th anniversary were disrupted by COVID, so the event was delayed until 2022. The game’s endurance was especially striking against the backdrop of pandemic-era growth: Roth said that 2020 and 2021 were the two best years in the game’s history for user growth. That is his account in the interview, rather than a figure attributed to an independent study.
How to find your first geocache
Geocaching’s official getting-started page gives beginners a straightforward sequence. You can navigate with the official app or use a GPS device; the page does not compare the two options on accuracy, cost, battery life or offline performance.
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- The 2.2” high-resolution display is easy to read, even in bright sunlight
- Get long battery life of up to 168 hours in standard mode and up to 1,800 hours in expedition mode with 2 field-replaceable AA batteries (not included)
- Pair with the Garmin Explore app on your compatible smartphone for wireless software updates, trip planning, Active Weather, smart notifications and additional mapping
- Get automatic cache updates from Geocaching Live, including descriptions, logs and hints when paired to the Garmin Explore app on your compatible smartphone
- Multi-GNSS support gives access to multiple global navigation satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou and QZSS) to track in more challenging environments than GPS alone
- Create an account. Start through Geocaching.com’s official getting-started page.
- Choose a cache and navigate to it. Use the app or a GPS device to follow the location information.
- Bring a pen and sign and date the logbook. Return the cache to the place where you found it, then log your experience online.
A small pen is useful because a physical logbook needs a signature. A dedicated GPS device is an option, not a requirement stated by the official beginner guidance.
How Adventure Lab differs from a traditional cache
A traditional geocache centers on locating a hidden physical container and signing its logbook. In GeekWire’s 2022 account, Adventure Lab represented another kind of outdoor experience: multistage and multimedia, with examples including art-history tours and story-driven adventures. Rather than a single hidden container as the central goal, these experiences can guide participants through a sequence of places or themed activities.
Rank #3
- Explore confidently with the reliable handheld GPS
- 2.2” sunlight-readable color display with 240 x 320 display pixels for improved readability
- Preloaded with Topo Active maps with routable roads and trails for cycling and hiking
- Support for GPS and GLONASS satellite systems allows for tracking in more challenging environments than GPS alone
- 8 GB of internal memory for map downloads plus a micro SD card slot
Roth said the company’s focus was “building more tools, expanding the platform in a way that’s going to inspire people to leave their houses and go outside.” Adventure Lab fits that direction by pairing exploration with a guided theme, while the classic cache keeps the search-and-find format at its center.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the company’s early story says about its staying power
Geocaching’s roots are practical as well as playful. GeekWire reported that the company’s initial revenue came from selling 144 geocaching T-shirts. Its 2022 feature also cited a $30-per-year premium membership price, but that is a historical price from the article—not a current price or a statement of today’s membership benefits. The figures offer a glimpse of how the project grew into a lasting platform, not a guide to present-day costs.
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For players, the durable appeal is easier to see in the activity itself: a set of coordinates leads outdoors, a hidden object rewards attention, and a logbook records that one more person found it. That combination can scale from a quick local search to a themed, multistage outing without changing the basic invitation to go explore.
Quick Recap
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- Large, 3” sunlight-readable color display for easy viewing
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- Access to BirdsEye Satellite Imagery with direct-to-device downloads and no annual subscription and preloaded TOPO U.S. and Canada maps
- Expanded wireless connectivity supports Active Weather for up-to-date forecasts and animated weather radar and Geocaching Live for mobile syncing and updates
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