Here at Shorebread, one of our favorite ways to spend the weekend is exploring the Delmarva.  We’re continually surprised by the natural beauty and diversity.  A few years ago we started geocaching, and in doing so we discovered places around our home base that were fresh and exciting, and fell in love with the area all over again.

Geocaching is an ongoing scavenger hunt that takes place all over the world.  Geocaches are hidden at coordinates, and people use a GPS (often an app on their phone) to navigate to these geocaches.  Getting to the coordinates is only half the battle.  The next step is finding the hidden geocache. You can geocache alone, or in a group and compete to see who finds the geocache first.  The game is deceptively easy, and gives you a reason to go outdoors and explore!  

Though geocaching seemed a bit foreign at first, once we figured it out we were hooked!  For some, the objective of the game is to find as many geocaches as possible.  For us, the pleasure comes from discovering new places and just being outside.

Ready to become a geocacher? Follow these simple tips!

  1. Sign up for a free account on geocaching.com
  2. Install a geocaching app (we use c:geo)
  3. Do a quick image search for “geocache” to get an idea of what a geocache could potentially look like.  You’ll find that there are tons of varieties, but getting a general idea of what you’re looking for is helpful.  Part of the fun is seeing the creative hides.
  4. Use the app to find caches near you and navigate to them.  When you get 5 – 10 feet away, it’s time to rely on your eyes instead of your compass.
  5. When you find the geocache, open it up, sign the log with the date and your geocaching username. If the geocache is large enough, you may find trinkets inside.  It’s customary to put something in if you take something out.

If you don’t find the first few geocaches you try, don’t get discouraged!  Even seasoned geocaching veterans attempt to find a cache and come away empty handed.  Some days we’ll choose an area we want to explore and select 5 – 10 geocaches to attempt, and nearly always have at least a few “did not finds”.

Here are a few geocaches in the local area that we recommend:

Have fun exploring off the beaten path!

Please note that while geocaches typically stay active for years, they can be removed at any time, so if you’re reading our article at a later date, some of our recommendations may not be available.  Please check the description to make sure the geocache is still active before trying our recommendations.