Xenia, Ohio---Geocache enthusiasts from throughout the tri-state region are expected to travel to Ohio for Greene County Parks & Trails’ (GCP&T) first “Choose Your Own Adventure,” which will begin with registration at 10 a.m., Sat., May 18, at Caesar’s Ford Park, 520 S. Stringtown Rd., Xenia.
“We’ll be offering both daytime geocaching throughout our local parks and a night geocache at Caesar’s Ford Park,” says GCP&T Chief Naturalist Cris Barnett. “Geocaching is becoming extremely popular with individuals of all ages and families. We’ll be placing more than 100 caches for the event. It’s a great way to spend time outdoors together.”
Geocaching is searching for caches within unknown locations using longitude and latitude coordinates with a GPS unit. The caches usually contain small trinkets, toys, dvds, books and more, she adds.
“As long as it is legal and moral, it can be placed within a cache,” says Barnett. “One gentleman dispersed his personal coin collection in a cache. Caches are not hard to find but are not in plain view; sizes of the caches can vary as well. Some of the caches can be very difficult to find.”
Participants will register at Caesar’s Ford Park to receive their GPS coordinates for the geocache and their goody bags. A Silent Auction sponsored by Miami Valley Geocachers will also open at 10 a.m. and include such items as travel bugs, geocoins and cache boxes.
The start of the geocache begins at 11 a.m., Barnett says, and will take participants to caches within Caesar’s Ford Park, Karohl Park, Mill Bridge Launch, James Ranch Park, Creekside Trail, Narrows Reserve, Creekside Trail, Constitution Park, Crooked Creek Nature Preserve, Ohio to Erie Trail, Springs Lakes Park, Sara Lee Arnovitz Nature Preserve, Glenn Thompson Park, Little Miami Scenic Trail and Indian Mound Reserve.
Cache trails will include two beginner’s trails (James Ranch Park and Sara Lee Arnovitz Nature Preserve; traditional (Karohl Park, Crooked Creek Nature Preserve, Narrows Reserve, Creekside Trail, Glenn Thompson Reserveand Mill Bridge Launch); trails (Little Miami Scenic Trail, Creekside Trail and Ohio to Erie Trail); businesses to be announced; and night trail(s) at Caesar’s Ford Park.
Two trails will be handicapped-accessible, Barnett adds.
“It really is a design your own adventure event, “Barnett says. “You can participate on foot, in your car or on your bicycle. Participants can search for as many or as few of the caches as they want.”
For those new to geocaching, a Geocaching 101 seminar will be held beginning at 11 a.m. at Caesar’s Ford Park with a limited number of GPS units available for training only.
Geocache participants will return to Caesar’s Ford Park at 5 p.m. for Meet-and-Greet with dinner available by local vendors. The GCP&T mobile nature center, corn hole, volleyball, geocoin and travel bug trading table as well as a make-and-take your own cache containers will also be available.
The Silent Auction closes at 7 p.m. and all prizes must be picked up by 8 p.m. or arrangements can be made for pick-up at Greene County Parks & Trails, 575 Ledbetter Rd., Xenia, during normal working hours.
An introduction to the Night Cache will begin at 8 p.m. with a staggered time for the three trails at Caesar’s Ford Park. Participants must be back at the registration area by 7:30 p.m.
From 8:30 to 11 p.m., participants can enjoy campfire stories and star gazing with the Miami Valley Astronomical Society.
The event will be temporarily posted on geocaching.com allowing participants to count all that was discovered.
Caches will not be permanent but left in place for one week, she adds. If participants cannot participate that day or discover all the caches that day, they can pick up coordinates on May 18 and search at any time during the following seven days.
Pre-registration is requested; cost for the geocache event is $10 per person over the age of 16. The first 100 registrants will receive a geocoin.
To register or for more information, call Greene County Parks & Trails at 937.562.6440, email [email protected] or log on gcparkstrails.com and click on the activity guide link.