A Quick Guide to Geocaching in Lake George

It is refreshing to find new and exciting ways to spend time with family in this digital age. If you are in the mood for an outdoor activity that will put your critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills to the test, you may want to add geocaching to your list. Lake George has some geocaching spots to check out, even if you’re new to it!

What is Geocaching?

Geocaching is an outdoor activity that combines hiking with treasure hunting. With the help of a GPS device, you will travel to specific coordinates, searching for hidden items known as geocaches.

What can I expect to find while geocaching?

The most exciting part of geocaching is not knowing what exactly you will find because the treasure may be different each time! However, the most common treasures are trinkets, toys, or travel bugs that serve as a clue for your next geocache. If upon discovering a geocache, you find something you like, we recommend swapping the item out with something of equal or greater value for the next group of hunters to discover.

Before You go

Before heading out, you should set up your personal geocaching account on www.geocaching.com. You can do this online or by downloading the app. Once you have an account, you can easily search for other geocaches by region, or you can input a geocache that you’ve hidden. Every geocache listing has difficulty and terrain ratings, coordinates, geocache size, general description, and additional hints. Here are some guidelines to help you out.

There are a few other things you should keep in mind:

  1. Be aware of the difficulty and terrain before you go so you can plan accordingly.
  2. Geocaches come in many sizes. Some are micro-sized (as small as a dime), some are large, and many regular-sized geocaches are ammo boxes or Tupperware containers.
  3. The description provided by the geocache’s owner usually includes directions and details about the surrounding area. If the geocache is particularly difficult, you can receive additional hints by decrypting a coded message with the description.
  4. Many geocaches contain items or trinkets, such as coins, a pencil, or even a small toy. If you bring your own object, then you can swap one out for one of your own.
  5. Additionally, there are sometimes travel bugs in a geocache. These are items with an official trackable tag that you can take to another geocache, leave it there, and then record its current location online, so its owner knows.
What should I wear?

Before deciding on an outfit, make sure that you check the weather and dress accordingly! Also, make sure that you wear comfortable hiking shoes as well.

What should I bring?

For first-timers, we recommend bringing a fully charged phone with the geocaching app downloaded. Depending on the length of your treasure hunt, it may be beneficial to bring a fully charged portable charger as well. You will not want to end this exciting adventure because of a dead phone.

Hunting for treasure

Once you’ve chosen a geocache and followed the directions to the location, your GPS device will point you in the right direction. With a little exploring, the geocache’s description, and the GPS device, you should be able to find the geocache. (Note: If you can’t find it, then you can list it as a Did-Not-Find.)

Once you find the geocache, you usually have the option to sign the logbook with your username/date, swap out an item with one of your own, and take a travel bug to bring to another geocache.

After you’re done, make sure you try to re-hide it the same way you found it. If it was stuffed between rocks, put it back where it was so others can find it.

Where can I find geocaching sites in Lake George?

Here are some local geocaches to get you started!

Lake George – Shelving Rock

There is an easy geocache in the parking area before the Shelving Rock Falls Trailhead. It’s described as a mini bison tube with camo tape. Since this geocache is a micro cache, it’s small enough to be attached to something.

Coordinates: N 43.33.336 W 073.35.910

Lake Placid – Route 86

Just off Route 86 between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake is an easy geocache. The regular-sized geocache is a plastic Tupperware container, and it’s hidden near a spot where you can pull off the road and look around.

Coordinates: N 44.17.544 W 074.03.042

Speculator – Town Museum

A small geocache is located on the right side of the museum in Speculator. The geocache is a round plastic box. You’ll have to walk to the building, and don’t forget to bring a writing utensil!

Coordinates: N 43.30.000 W 074.21.994

We hope this quick guide sparks your interest in trying something new for your Lake George visit. Geocaching is fun for people of all ages. It is easy to make into a game for small kids and a competition for teens! Go out and get to searching.  If you have any useful tips feel free to share them with us! Tag us in your pictures online too!

If you are considering Lake George and are now ready to visit, give us a call at (518) 691-3110 or make your reservation online.

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