Enter into the world of Geocaching and participate in treasure hunts across campus and downtown Indy. Track down prizes, leave clues, and have fun in the heart of downtown.
Geocaching is a nationwide treasure hunting, survival skill testing, and all-age-inclusive outdoor activity that allows everyone to feel like a kid again. Using navigation tech and user-included hints/clues, you’re tasked with finding hidden objects all around the world. It’s essentially a big game of hide and seek with unknown prizes; when you find the cache, you replace it with something else and move on to the next spot.
Finding the cache is the fun part, using the longitude and latitude posted in the app, users travel to the location and start their search. The rules for hiding caches include keeping the cache accessible to everyone at all times (don’t bury it), staying 150ft away from train tracks, replacing what you find with something of equal value, and logging everything in the app.
Keeping those rules in mind, users are encouraged to know their environments, bring supplies, and search in pairs. Caches aren’t normally in personal buildings, or up to high to get to. When you find the caches, don’t tell anyone where it is!
Anna Smith, a junior at IUPUI, explains why she loves geocaching around campus and in downtown Indy.
“One of my favorite parts about geocaching is finding a cache that you know your friends are looking for. It makes it fun and continuously engaging.” Smith said, “It really makes you feel like a kid again and you’re looking for hidden treasure.”
Start your adventure into the world of geocaching by downloading the app, registering and reading the rules, and setting out to find the caches on campus and in downtown Indy. Once you have downloaded the app and signed up, you should see caches tagged all across the maps with their coordinates.
“When I started cashing on campus I didn’t expect there to be many spots, but there are 15 around the campus center alone,” Smith said.
The geocaching community loves the search and leaving hints for others to follow. There is an activity section for each cache where you log your findings, leaving out locations, and tips for others to follow.
The circles on the map indicate caches in the area.
Cashing is a great way to blow off steam during exam weeks, get friends together for a scavenger hunt night, or a way to pass the time during breaks. The map above showcases current caches on campus and downtown Indy.
Drew Karushis, an IUPUI Alum shed light on his experience with geocaching, “During my time at IUPUI, I made it a point to find the ones on campus. It’s fun to explore and get your mind off of finals week. I made a few friends along the way that I still cache with to this day. ” Karushis said.
Jenna Carter is a senior majoring in Public Relations. She is also a social media intern, and this is her first year with Campus Citizen.
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