Grab your GPS device and head on over to the Presidio to get in on the Geocaching craze.
All the deets, below.
“HIGH TECH HIDE-AND-SEEK” IN THE PRESIDIO
GEOCACHING TAKES FAMILIES, ADVENTURERS OFF THE BEATEN TRAIL
Presidio of San Francisco (August 11, 2011) — “I found it!” exclaimed Alex, his face beaming with pride and the excitement only a 7-year old can muster. With a little help from his mom’s smartphone and a lot of perseverance, Alex had located his first geocache, discreetly hidden near a trail in the Presidio’s Lobos Creek Valley.
The Trust, in conjunction with the National Wildlife Federation, has brought Ranger Rick’s Geocache Trails—a new wildlife-themed, outdoor treasure hunt—to the Presidio.
Sometimes referred to as a game of “high-tech hide and seek,” geocaching is relatively new to national parks, but the phenomenon has been around for more than a decade. Using a smartphone or handheld GPS device, people hunt for “caches” (typically small boxes) hidden in public places around the world.
“Geocaching in the Presidio combines the excitement of a treasure hunt with the reward of discovering lesser known parts of the park,” says Damien Raffa, education and volunteer program manager for the Presidio Trust. “Offering this kind of adventure helps us bring new people into the park and expose them to some of the Presidio’s hidden gems.”
The Presidio offers two ways to play. Visitors can go to www.presidio.gov/kids/trails/ and download GPS co-ordinates, while those without a GPS device can download a map for a self-guided experience. Then simply follow the co-ordinates to uncover the geocache. The cache will never be buried but could be tucked inside a log or tree stump, under a bush or behind a wall. Inside the cache, searchers will find a logbook to sign and a unique stamp depicting a member of the Presidio’s wildlife community.
Ever more deets, after the jump.
