Geocaching in the Pennsylvania Wilds

J. R. R. Tolkien said ‘Not all those who wander are lost.’

And lots of folks have been having a great time wandering around the Great Outdoors Region lately because of the newest craze called Geocaching.

For those of you new this type of outdoor adventure, Geocaching is a sort of treasure hunting for the 21st century. Armed with a GPS receiver (Global Positioning System), a set of coordinates tells you the location of a “cache.” A GPS unit is an electronic device that can determine your approximate location on the planet. Coordinates are normally given in Longitude and Latitude. A typical cache is most likely a strong box that can contain almost anything like small toys, cd’s, or trinkets hidden by other geocachers. All caches contain a log to record your accomplishment. Some even contain a disposable camera. The camera is not a goodie to take with you. Just take your picture so the owner of the cache can record it.

Most cache’s have a difficulty rating associated with them. Caches in the Wilds of Pennsylvania range from easy to very difficult.

The Great Outdoors News recently caught up with some geocachers in the Elk County area. Mary Lee Vollmer and her daughter Josie chose three hunts in the St Marys area that included Straub’s Brewery, Decker’s Chapel and a park in Fox Township.

“It’s fun because the initial walk in lets you look around and enjoy nature, then the hunt begins and the going gets tough,” said Vollmer. “We’ve already done hunts where we had to hoist each other up different levels to find the hunt.”

On their final hunt, they had to cross three streams and hike through some thick brush but found that all the work is a key part of the adventure experience. Vollmer said that weather wont be a factor on the next hunt.

“It’s perfect because you can do it all year long. The snow doesn’t matter, it makes it more fun,” Vollmer said.

There are more than 200 countries world-wide that have caches hidden and the Wilds of Pennsylvania have quite a few too! Since the PA Great Outdoors region covers six counties, the ultimate geocaching adventure would have you trekking through some of the most beautiful woodlands in the nation. Have your adventures during the day and stay overnight in one of our cabins, campgrounds, B&B’s or hotels.

When you log into the geocaching.com website, you simply type in the zip code of the area you want to visit and it will pull all cache’s in the area. Some zip codes for the Great Outdoors region include:

For assistance in planning your trip to the Great Outdoors Region, one call does it all for accommodations, packages, camping and customized getaways. For more information, call (814) 849-5197 or visit the PA Great Outdoors Website at www.visitpago.com.