You know what’s great about going out on a nice walk in the woods? Almost everything. The scenery, the exercise, the time for your mind to wander, the chance to be alone in nature—it’s all good. And geocaching is just a few steps above that, because it’s always a treasure hunt! Geocaching is basically an outdoor version of a treasure hunt where you use GPS to find hidden containers called geocaches. It’s like being in an episode of The Goonies, but without the bad acting and high-pitched child voices.
If you’ve never heard of Geocaching before, think of it as a real-world treasure hunt. Caches are hidden all over the world, and can be anything from a plastic box with someone’s name on it to a waterproof container placed underwater at the bottom of a deep lake.
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The idea is that you work your way towards finding these caches while using technology to track down their exact location. Depending on the cache, you might have to solve some sort of puzzle or search for hidden clues along the way.
Modern smartphones make Geocaching easier than ever—many have built-in GPS capabilities and maps (such as Google Maps). Even if you don’t have Internet access, many GPS devices can function without it using pre-downloaded maps such as those provided by National Geographic. They also make it easier to keep your bearings when you’re looking for an obscure cache in places like mountain ranges or dense forests, which can be very different from the map you downloaded ahead of time.
You can download a geocaching app on your phone, or go online and use one of the many free options available to you. Some of the best include Geocaching.com, which is free and has a large database of caches and beautiful maps as well as a GPS feature that makes it easy to find caches near you. There is also Groundspeak’s own app for iPhones, called Cache In – Search Nearby, which has all the features of the website plus the ability to use your iPhone’s camera to search for caches in real-time. Cache Tag is another popular option for the iPhone that uses augmented reality to make finding caches even more fun than before.
In addition to those three apps, there are many more out there which are just as great. The point is, there are plenty of options available to you and no reason not to give geocaching a try!
If you’re new to geocaching, you’re probably wondering if there’s an app for your phone that will enable you to find caches on the go. You may have noticed that every geocaching site has its own app, but they all seem to be too complicated for the basic elements of geocaching: finding a cache, logging it when you get there, and uploading a photo. Here I’ve listed all the apps available (some free and some paid) so that you can see which might work best for you.
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As with any app, there are trade-offs: some offer extra features like off-line caching or extra interface options; others are more focused on design or making it easy for newbies. If you’re looking for something low-key, try Cachly or c:geo. If you want something with great support and social media integration, try Groundspeak’s own app called, Geocaching.
Below are the 4 best geocaching apps that you can download right now
Whether you’re a longtime geocacher or a total newbie, there are tons of great apps out there to help you get started, find caches, and enjoy your experience with the hobby. Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, you can use your phone or tablet to find caches around you without ever getting lost. Here’s a list of the best geocaching apps available right now, to help you get started.
1 Geocaching
Geocaching is a pastime that requires participants to find hidden containers, called “caches.” There are a couple of free apps out there to help you do it, but the best one is Geocaching, an official app produced by Groundspeak.
Geocaching has a simple and intuitive interface. You can use it to search for geocaches in your area, get directions to them from wherever you are, see their difficulty levels and whether or not they have puzzles within them that you need to solve before finding the cache, and more. The app also has social features that allow you to see if anyone else has logged that they’ve found the cache yet (and what time) as well as share a message on social media at the moment you log an event.
There’s a free version of the app available with limited functionality—you can only download 10 caches per month, and none of the advanced features are available—but it’s still more than enough for most casual users.
Download Geocaching for Android
2. Cachly Geocaching App
Cachly is an app that lets you explore the world of geocaching with features that surpass the official Geocaching app. Cachly gives you access to offline vector maps, lists, and advanced searching capabilities—features that are not available on the official Geocaching app.
It even lets you save your favorite caches to lists, which is not only cool, but also practical since it’s hard to remember all the caches you want to go back and find. Cachly costs $4.99 and it’s currently only available on Android devices, but if you’re looking for a powerful geocaching tool at an affordable price, Cachly is a great choice.
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I have to admit, I’ve always been a little intimidated by the prospect of geocaching. I’m a city man, and I’ve never been that great at hiking. If you’re like me, then you’ll be happy to hear about Cachly Geocaching App. It’s an app that helps you find geocaches while also keeping track of the distance and terrain between you and your goal—and it makes it all very easy to use!
I downloaded the app, signed up for an account and started browsing some of the local caches in my area. The map feature is really helpful when you want to see what caches are close by or plan ahead for a day trip. Just click on the magnifying glass icon when you’re viewing the map and enter your search parameters. Once you’ve found a cache that looks interesting, just click on it for more information.
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Cachly takes advantage of your phone’s GPS capabilities to help determine your distance from nearby geocaches, which means that the app will work offline or without Internet access (it does have an Internet connection if you need to verify an answer). You can also adjust the terrain difficulty level if you don’t want to deal with a serious hike.
3 c:geo – Best android Geocaching application
I wanted to write this post because I think c:geo is a great geocaching app, and it deserves more attention. It’s free and has a lot of great features, but the one that stands out for me is its live map view. If you’re not familiar with geocaching, the basic idea is that you use a gps-enabled device to track down physical caches (containers with trinkets inside) hidden all over the world.
The app uses your location to show you nearby places where you can hunt for caches. To get started, you just need to download the app, set up an account with Geocaching.com, and then choose how far away from your location you’d like c:geo to search for new caches.
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The GPS functionality in c:geo is really fast—I’ve used other geocaching apps before that are much slower at finding my location and locating new caches. Also, if there’s a cache within range of your device while you’re using c:geo, it will automatically display it on your map without having to manually search for it. This means that it’s very easy to keep track of where you’ve been searching and what locations are still left to check out.
Here are some reasons why I love C:geo:
- View caches on a Live Map — Unlike with other apps, you can see all nearby caches on a zoomable map that even shows terrain. You can also switch between Google Maps and OpenStreetMaps for different views of the world, which is handy for multi-cachers who travel internationally.
- Use Google Maps or OpenStreetMaps — You can use either one without switching between apps. This feature is great when traveling in an area where you don’t have data service—you can use Google Maps offline so you can still see where caches are located!
- Search – The app allows you to search for caches by various criteria (exact name, state, country, or city) and view information about each cache. You can save caches in your list and mark them as favorites.
- Clarifications – While searching, you can click on a link called “details” to get more information about a particular cache. For instance, the details page shows whether it’s an official geocache or not, how hard it is to find (terrain rating), its size (how much space it will take up in your car), whether pets are allowed and whether or not there are any restrictions on taking items from the cache. You can also get information about the terrain where the cache is located (elevation profile), its distance from your current position, as well as its coordinates in decimal degrees and latitude-longitude format.
- Setting filters – While looking at the details page of a particular cache, there is a “filter” button that allows you to set various parameters like terrain rating (easy, moderate, hard) or size.
In addition to the standard features of previous geocaching apps, c:geo has some new ones that make it well worth downloading. It’s free, for one thing; it has an intuitive interface that lets you easily enter new caches; and its features are extensive, including map view, satellite view and compass view. You can also use the app to store all kinds of information about each cache that you visit, from photos to notes to logs of how long you took to find it and how many others were there when you arrived.
This app is available on Android only.
4. GeoCaches – Best geocaching app for iPhone
Geocaching is an excellent way to get out into nature and find cool stuff, whether you’re looking for hidden treasures or just a new spot to hang out. But the apps you can use to find these treasures can be pretty complicated—especially if you’re trying to find a quick solution. You might want something simple, straightforward, and easy-to-use.
The great thing about GeoCaches is that it’s a pretty simple app. It doesn’t take much to figure out how to use it, which can make things easier for you. The downside is that there aren’t tons of customization options. For example, you can change the map type, but there aren’t too many options.
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The most straightforward geocaching app on this list is GeoCaches. It’s much less complicated than the others, simply because it doesn’t try to include as many features—there’s no way to filter your search by different criteria or waypoints, for example. Instead, you just type in what you want to search for and you’ll get a list of nearby caches. You can then choose which one to add to your list and start planning your route. The only other thing you can do with the app is see how far away a cache is from you at any given moment.
If you are the type of person who likes simple but powerful apps that get out of the way and let you do whatever it is that you really want to do, then GeoCaches might be just what you need. As such, it’ll probably appeal more to experienced geocachers who have a good idea of where they want to go already.
You’ll definitely like GeoCaches if you’re just interested in finding cool stuff that’s close by. It’s very easy to use and includes a lot of nice features, like maps that let you easily navigate from one cache location to the next. The interface is really clean, so it’s easy to use and doesn’t take up too much space on your phone.
What is geocaching?
If you’ve ever had a desire to get outside, go exploring, and use your smartphone to do it, you’re in luck. Geocaching can be a great way to not only get away from the hustle and bustle of your normal life, but it can also introduce you to new people, take you to areas you’ve never been before, and provide you with the sense of satisfaction that comes with the search for a hidden stash.
Over the past decade, geocaching has become one of the most popular outdoor activities around the world. To play, you use a GPS device to locate hidden boxes, packages or containers that have been placed by other players. Once you find one, you record the coordinates and move on to find another one.
Geocaching has been around since 2000, but it hasn’t reached mainstream popularity yet. It’s still an activity that’s being discovered by new people every day, so your friends may not know much about it. That’s where these apps come in handy—they’ll provide enough information to get them interested in playing without overwhelming them.
Download and use the recommended geocaching apps
As you can see, there are plenty of great options for anyone looking for a geocaching app. However, depending on your particular needs as a geocacher, you may want to download multiple apps or stick to the one that works best for you. Whichever app(s) you choose, these four geocaching apps can help you find caches anywhere—and have fun doing it!