The Oldest Geocache In The World Is Right Here In Rural Kansas
By Clarisa|Published August 13, 2020
×
Clarisa
Author
Born and raised Kansan, Clarisa has lived in both tiny towns and cities during their time here in the Sunflower State. As a busy mother of one crazy kid, two cats, and two geckos, they write whenever there is spare time.
Have you ever heard of geocaching? There’s a lot we don’t know about Kansas, but hearing that there’s 12,000 hidden treasures just waiting for you to visit is shocking to some. If you love treasure hunts and finding things, grab a mobile GPS and let’s get to finding! Kansas is home to the oldest geocache in the world, and we’re proud to help keep it going. One visitor at a time!
For a list of rules, etiquette, and every logged cache out there, check out geocaching.com for a quick answer to most of your questions.
Before we get started on the World's Oldest Geocache, what is geocaching exactly and how does it work?
Geocaching is like a scavenger hunt, where you use coordinates, clues, and sometimes even math and riddles to find a secret location with a cache, like following a treasure map. Then, once found, you either exchange one of the items inside for an equal value item or just log that you've visited this spot.
Kansas alone has more than 12,000 geocache locations, varying in difficulties.
If you're looking within town and city limits, odds are they'll be a little harder to spot if the creators of the cache get inventive. I would never have guessed this light bulb is actually a secret cache! That would be an exciting find to log in my book and on the website.
Advertisement
One of the first geocaches ever made, and the first in Kansas, is GC30 Mingo, an easy find out in the middle of nowhere, and a quick stop on any road trip that takes you through the area.
Though it's not the first one ever placed, it's stood the test of time and is now the oldest one still in use. We'd love to see it last for 20 more years!
If you like, you can set up your own cache at your home or local park.
Add direct coordinates or a code to break on the official website, where people will visit, favorite, comment about your cache, and you can participate in this worldwide event.
If you're someone who loves riddles, code breaking, or even just math, you'll love to explore this treasure hunt across our state or even just your local area.
Make sure you're prepared, though many of the caches have instructions or a list of things you'll need. Sometimes a shovel is going to come along for the ride, and that's okay.
Geocaching is definitely a fun way to explore Kansas, and if you know of any hidden gems within our state, feel free to send them our way with this page here.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
