Geocaching BY DEREK BARTOS The Press & Dakotan Do you want to hunt for treasure right here in Yankton? With more than 200 geocaching locations in the area, you can do just that. Geocaching is a free, worldwide outdoor recreational activity in which players hide and seek containers through the use of GPS devices. Known as “geocaches” or “caches,” the containers hold logbooks to document their history, as well as items for trading. Geocaching is open to all ages, and all anyone needs to participate is a GPS or a GPS app on a smartphone. “Anyone can do it, and it’s something everyone should try,” said Shirley Dangler, a local geocaching enthusiast who helps coordinate Yankton’s annual spring caching event. To play, visit the geocaching website at www.geocaching.com and register for a free basic membership. On the “Hide & Seek a Cache” page, enter the postal code you wish to search for geocaches, and choose one of the results. Enter the provided coordinates into the GPS device, and begin the adventure. Caches are hidden in a variety of locations and are often placed at locations of great natural beauty or personal importance. Since some cache finds can be technical and physically challenging, it is important to note the descriptions and difficulty ratings before starting. While many people choose to geocache in warmer weather, Dangler said many caches can be found year-round. “I’ve tracked through knee-deep snow,” she said. “It’s just up to the individual when they choose to do it.” Caches come in numerous shapes and sizes, Dangler said, and can be just large enough to hold the paper log, or as big as large Tupperware containers. “They will have SWAG — stuff we all get. That can be anything from keychains to pens to toys for the kids,” she said. “The idea is that if you take something out, you put something back of equal value.” Geocaches may also contain trackable items, which are moved from cache to cache. Players log the items’ travels so that others can see where those items have been. Trackables are most often trackable tags or coins, but some cache hiders get more creative, Dangler said. “I’ve seen where people have put out little Hot Wheels cars,” she said. “They’ll put out three or four of them in a race, and they want to see which car can visit the most caches and travel the most.” Along with writing about what is found in the cache logbook, players are also expected to log their experience at the geocaching website. This allows participants to not only share their stories, but also helps others with tracking caches. Dangler added that while geocaching is known as a treasurehunting activity, the true treasure is not inside the caches, but in the adventure itself. “It’s about the fun and self-satisfaction you get from finding them,” she said. VISITORS GUIDE • YANKTON, SOUTH DAKOTA – 39