Geocaching in the Smokies

With the rising popularity of GPS navigation systems has come an increasingly popular and incredibly fun game - Geocaching.  Who hasn't, at some point in their lives, wanted to go on a treasure hunt? I know I spent a (perhaps unhealthy) amount of time dreaming about finding hidden treasure. And now anyone can! All you need is a GPS navigation system and time.

Since the Great Smoky Mountains are such a popular tourist destination there are plenty of geocache stashes all over the area - in Townsend, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and of course in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  Some are easy to find and are perfect for beginning geocachers or families with young children who want to geocache. Others can get downright challenging to get to given our mountainous terrain. And since folks from all over the world visit the Smokies, there's no telling what kind of treasure you'll find once you locate the cache. The best part about geocaching is that you get to take some of the treasure you find! Just be sure to leave something in its place - preferably something unique to your hometown.

 Geocaching rules are fairly simple:

  1. Remove something from the cache
  2. Leave something in the cache
  3. Write about it in the logbook

You can read more about geocaching in the Smokies at geocaching.com . You have to register in order to access information about cache locations, but once you do the site has great information on cache location, size, difficulty reaching the cache and when it was last recorded as found (so you don't go looking for a cache that's no longer there). There are also additional hints for locating many of the caches.

 
Geocaching is fun for all ages - even preschool children love to go on a "treasure hunt". You can share your Smoky Mountain geocaching experiences in our forums under geocaching.

 
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