Geo Scavenger Hunt

[+Smokey Bear Collector]

So I'm beginning to organize (plan) an event for this coming spring and need help with ideas for a list of items to find on a scavenger hunt.

 

i have ideas for photo items....but now i need original and interesting ideas for things to find.

 

all ideas are welcome. thanks for your help.

 

btw...this will take place in California, east of San Francisco.

[+Touchstone]

You might try looking at this new feature on Waymarking for some ideas:

 

Waymarking Scavanger Hunt

 

Might add a bit of a twist to the concept.

 

Just a thought anyway

[+Smokey Bear Collector]

thanks touchstone. anyone else have ideas?

[+Smokey Bear Collector]

thanks touchstone. anyone else have ideas?

[+davesterx]

I did a scavenger hunt at an event in a local State Park recently. The hunters were given a list of coordinates with a list of questions to be answered at each location. There was a time limit and points were awarded for every correct answer and in a tie breaker for earliest time back to the start. You could work individually or get together with other cachers and work as a team (the time was very limited and the coordinates were spread out over 20 miles of trail). Examples of questions: What animal is depicted on the sign at these coordinates? How many "candy canes" are at this location (actually steam pipes in the same shape)? How many slides are there at this playground?

 

Two weeks ago, I set up a cub scout geocaching scavenger hunt for a friend that wanted to teach his scouts geocaching. I placed 14 caches in a wooded park ranging from micro to 50MM ammo can. I put different letters in each cache which the scouts collected as they found each cache. The scouts were split into four different teams each with a GPS and each scout having an opportunity to "drive" to a cache. After finding several caches and collecting several letters, each team converged on the final location where a box was locked with a word-combination lock (actually two locks). Given the letters collected from the caches, the scouts had to figure out the letters formed words to unlock the box revealing a "Yule Log" with a small gift for each of them to take home. Surprisingly, these fourth grade boys found the caches and solved the puzzle very easily.

 

For the scouting event, I scouted the site to get the different cache locations and then created "artificial" geocaches in a database of GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife). I was then able to upload these geocaches into two Colorado and two Oregon GPS that were used for the event. The morning of the event, I ran out to the site and placed each of the caches confirming that the uploads into the GPS were successful and the coordinates were correct.

 

Hope this helps! Have fun!

[+Smokey Bear Collector]

Thanks for your ideas Dave! Good ideas.

 

My event will be car based. I'm planning on setting waypoints and having people do different tasks at each one: take photo, gather information and find something. The waypoints will be set within 60 miles of event location in varying directions. This will allow opportunity to tour the countryside and gather geocaches along the way. Cachers will choose which to attempt and will be awarded points. Points will vary based on what the task is and where it is located. They'll have several hours (most of the day) to do this before returning for the final event party and award ceremony. To add to the fun, cachers will choose their own route rather than following a set trail. This will allow them to passby easy nearby waypoints in favor of more adventurous waypoints with higher point value. They can choose if they want to find them all or only some of them.

 

I want to add bonus items also, which can be found anywhere regardless of waypoint. For example, take a group photo on a strangers boat in a harbor or collect a bag of trash: CITO.

 

I guess I'm curious on what ideas you and others have for such creative finds.

[+Charlie Fingers]

*A small tree that naturally looks like a bonsai

*A vertical rock face (depends on area)

*A rusted vehicle frame covered in weeds

*A utility pole (wood or metal)that has an ID number painted or nailed to it

*The county jail always has a sign announcing the "jail line" that surrounds the building where firearms and drugs are not allowed. This always has the state statute number identifying the law that enforces this perimeter.

*A bridge with a sign showing the maximum clearance height

*A bridge with it's completion date or year cast into the concrete of the bridge

 

I could go on... but I figured some of these are a little more unique and interesting

[+Smokey Bear Collector]

Great ideas! Thanks for your help. I like these.