Looking for some outdoor fun this spring? Grab your sneakers and head out for a treasure hunt. Hidden among our local parks and trails are small containers, holding within them logbooks, stamps and other tiny treasures. These treasures or “geocaches” are placed by fellow hikers, participating in geocaching or letterboxing. A brief internet search reveals dozens of hidden treasures in the greater Concord area.
What is letterboxing?
Letterboxers hide small weatherproof boxes containing a log, a rubber stamp (often custom-made), and sometimes an inkpad in public places such as parks and trails.
They post the location of their letterboxes on one of a number of websites. When you find a letterbox, you can use the rubber stamp in the letterbox to record your visit in your personal logbook. And, if you are so motivated, you can bring your own rubber stamp (“signature stamp”) to record your visit in the letterbox logbook. According to letterboxing.org, there are 90,000 active letterboxes in North America.
For more information, check out letterboxing.org and atlasquest.com
What is geocaching?
In geocaching, you use your smartphone or GPS -device (global positioning system) to navigate to a location, and then attempt to find the hidden “geocache.”
The “caches” are containers that can range in size from a 35 mm film container to a small tupperware.
The caches contain a logbook where finders can record their find, and sometimes a small trinket that may be taken in exchange for a trinket of similar or greater value. According to geocaching.com, there are millions of geocaches worldwide, in parks, cities, deserts and even underwater.
For more information, check out geocaching.com, and geocaching and cachly in the app store. There are small fees to access some of the caches.
Letterboxing and geocaching are fun for all ages. Why not start your adventure today?
Jessica Pollack, APRN, is an internal medicine nurse practitioner at Concord Hospital Medical Group and a contributing member of The Capital Area Wellness Coalition, which coordinates community resources and builds partnerships to create a culture of healthy living for everyone. The CAWC meets monthly on the second Wednesday at 8 a.m. at the Center for Health Promotion, 49 S. Main St. Visit capwellness.org to learn more.
