In my opinion, there are two types of really good caches. The first type are caches that are hidden in or near neat places. This can be a waterfall a half mile back in the woods, a mural hidden in a less traveled part of town, or even a really pretty park that sees little traffic. The key is finding a really neat place to bring people. The other type of really good cache are caches that are hidden in a clever manner. For example I hid a multi-cache near the location where the Maryland Geocaching Society often holds events. While hunting this cache people had to walk by the picnic area 4 times. Another of my caches is hidden 25 feet up in a white pine tree. It is an easy climb. I love reading the logs where people say that they have not climbed a tree in 20 years, but they all had fun doing it. The key is for your cache to be more than a box hidden in the woods.
Here are some general guidelines I would suggest. First, avoid poison plants like poison ivy. Nothing can ruin a caching adventure like getting poison ivy all over you. Second, avoid virtual caches. Only use a virtual cache if there are laws or regulation that prevent you from hiding a cache in a given area. There is almost always a place to hide a cache. Third, avoid using micro-caches. I have found that about 90% of micro caches suck. I know many cachers who will not even hunt micro caches any more. If you have no choice, but to hide a micro, please make sure that your micro cache is a good one. Next, prepare your cache box well. Most of my “clever” hides I spent well over an hour getting the cache box ready. In the case of my ‘Dark’ cache I spent over ten hours prepping the cache box and the hiding spot. However, anyone who has found ‘Dark’ will tell you that all the work I put into that cache was worth it. Finally, make sure that you have the terrain properly rated. If you can reach the cache on a paved path then the terrain should be rated 1 star. If you need to walk on grass or a dirt trail then the terrain should be rated 2 stars. If you need to do something crazy like climb 25 feet up a sappy white pint tree then the cache should be rated 4 stars. If you need to craw 110 feet through a tunnel only 2 ½ feet wide and 4 feet tall to reach the cache, the cache should be rated 5 stars. Overall the key to hiding a really fun cache is using your imagination. Be as creative as you can. Remember, when hiding a cache to ask yourself “ would I have fun looking for this cache”.