Florida Geocaching Road Trip: Explore These 5 State Parks in an Incredibly Unique Way!
Do you love adventure? Nature? Scavenger hunts? All three??
Then a Florida geocaching road trip is your perfect way to tour the Sunshine State!
Geocaching in Florida is a great way to see the state from a fun and unique perspective. From popular locales to hidden gems, geocaches are stashed away in a variety of places, allowing you to discover the real Florida.
Best known for planting caches in nature (like in Florida state parks), geocaching is an outdoor activity that’s perfect for a date day or a family outing. It’s also a great option for the budget minded, as creating a basic geocache membership is free!
Unleash your inner Wilderness Explorer and traverse the Florida overgrowth for the ultimate treasure: random trinkets and an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.
What is a Geocache??
Geocaching is a real-life “treasure hunt” where participants use a GPS to track down an item (geocache) hidden in the wild. The geocache is usually a plastic container with a log book (so you can record your visit) and various trinkets inside. If you choose to take a trinket, you’re asked to leave one of equal value in return.
While you’re not going to get rich from this treasure hunt, it’s the experience that makes geocaching fun! The hobby began in early 2000 with less than a hundred caches but has since evolved, exploding into popularity with over three million caches worldwide.1
While the newness (and limelight) may have worn off, geocaching is still a popular hobby with a denizen of diehard fans. It’s easy to join the community: all you need to do is download the free Geocaching® app or check out geocaching.com!
A geocaching road trip to Florida is an awesome way to structure an itinerary while still maintaining laid-back flexibility. Whether your goal is to find the most geocaches, tackle the best-hidden geocaches, or simply look for caches in locations that appeal to you, there’s no wrong way to play. It’s all about sharing in the adventure.
Florida Geocaching Road Trip
There is an abundance of geocaches in Florida. In fact, the hobby is incredibly integrated with our local state parks! This partnership is called Operation Recreation Geotour and stretches across 71 Florida state parks! (Earn the Operation Recreation Geocoin by finding at least 20 of the caches!)
Working together, geocache and the state parks encourage folks to get out and explore. Getting outside benefits both your body and mental health and can also nurture a deeper appreciation for the environment. It’s a win-win and incredibly fun!
There are four steps to finding a geocache:
- Open the app and select a geocache you want to find.
- Navigate toward the cache! (If you choose one at a
Florida state park , be aware that most state parks require a small entry fee.) - Locate the cache once you reach the location, searching for hints and clues in the area to help guide you.
- Celebrate your find! And don’t forget to log your find in the app and sign the guestbook in the cache itself. Make sure to replace the cache exactly as you found it.
If you’d like to add something to the geocache when you find it, small items are best. A keychain, pin, or sticker – perhaps sporting the name of where you’re from – are great souvenir-style items to leave behind! Many folks even leave behind tiny toys, which are especially exciting finds for the kiddos. However, don’t leave candy or food items, bubbles (they tend to spill), pocket knives, multi-tools, lighters, or – obviously – anything illicit.2 (Inappropriate caches can be reported if necessary.)
The steps to tracking down a cache are easy, but finding the cache can be a challenge. And that’s where the fun comes in! Each cache has a note about its difficulty level, so you can gauge what you’re up against before diving in. And with new caches being consistently created, you may even get the honor of being FTF! (That’s “first to find” in geo lingo!)
One other bit of geo slang you might run into during your Florida geocaching road trip is “Florida-style geocache.” According to the geocache forums, it simply means “in the palmettos” or covered by palmetto fronds on the ground.3
Let’s Get Caching
While geocaches are scattered all across Florida – including virtual caches in Disney World! – our favorite geocaches are those nestled within the state parks. Each of our favorite spots has a cache hosted by the Florida Park Service and is part of Operation Recreation GeoTour. However, there are also independent caches hidden in some of the parks, too!
(Note: all caches are active as of writing, but their status is subject to change.)
Falling Waters State Park
Falling Waters State Park isn’t just a must for a Florida geocaching road trip. It’s a must for any nature-centric tour of Florida!
Located near the town of Chipley, you’ll find an enchanting secret waterfall. In fact, it’s the tallest waterfall in Florida and cascades down into a giant sinkhole! We absolutely adore this location, so finding a geocache here is truly an added bonus.
The Falling Waters geocache is fairly easy to find, with a difficulty level of only 1.5 out of 5 and with similarly ranked terrain. As a general rule, this state park is pretty quiet, so you shouldn’t run into much competition.
Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park
The site of Florida’s largest Civil War battle, Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park brings history to life…and also has a hidden geocache!
Slip away from the craft shows and battle reenactments to find the Olustee Battlefield geocache. The pine woods are so peaceful and picturesque that it’s almost hard to believe a bloody battle took place beneath their boughs. The terrain here isn’t difficult to traverse, and like Falling Waters, the cache itself only has a 1.5 difficulty rating.
Fort Mose Historic State Park
Another place rich in history, Fort Mose Historic State Park is also another Operation Recreation GeoTour participant.
Fort Mose was the first legally sanctioned free African settlement in what would become the United States, making it a significant place that’s well worth visiting. This waterfront park has a museum to explore and excellent birdwatching, too! And, of course, a special Fort Mose geocache. With another 1.5 rating in both difficulty and terrain, this cache would be a great one for first-timers to begin their geocaching journey.
Ichetucknee Springs State Park
If you want to do some swimming along with your geocaching, then Ichetucknee Springs is your dream destination!
This spring is perfect for making a splash, but you can also tube down the Ichetucknee River through shaded hammocks and wetlands. At the same time, the spring is crystal clear (considered one of the most pristine springs runs in the state of Florida!3), but the Ichetucknee Springs geocache isn’t so clearly visible.
While difficulty and terrain are only 1.5, you still have a bit of a hunt ahead of you!
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park
Located in Key West, Fort Zach is home to gorgeous sunsets, a fun top-ranked beach, and of course, a geocache.
Unlike our last picks, the Fort Zach geocache has level 3 difficulty (both for its hidden location and terrain). If you ask us, that boosted level makes it extra fun, especially if you’re more experienced with geocaching and are seeking a challenge. (You can also head to another Florida Keys location, Bahia Honda State Park, for a level 4 geocache!)
Fort Zach is a fantastic place to visit and should definitely be on any Key West bucket list, whether or not you plan to geocache!
Part of what makes a Florida geocaching road trip, so fun is the limitless possibilities for potential destinations. Between state parks and independent caches, the hunt can continue for as long as you like!
We hope you enjoy our state park picks for geocaching in Florida! Each one has the makings of a wonderful day out, with plenty to see and do long after you’ve logged your find.
Are you ready to join Operation Recreation GeoTour?
Tell us about your adventures and the best Florida geocache finds in the comments below!
Cover photo: Unsplash
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