Geocaching a fun way to explore the Golden Isles

Back in 'the day,' if you wanted to find your way around you needed a map, perhaps a compass or at least some sense of direction. With the advent of Global Positioning Satellites, or GPS, now all you need is a Garmin® or some similar unit that can read and interpret GPS signals.

In addition to making life on the road easier (more or less) for travelers, GPS has created a relatively new recreational activity: geocaching.

According to Wikipedia, geocaching is"an outdoor sporting activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", anywhere in the world.

"A typical cache is a small waterproof container containing a logbook where the geocacher enters the date they found it and signs it with their established code name. Larger containers such as plastic storage containers (Tupperware® or similar) or ammo boxes can also contain items for trading, usually toys or trinkets of little value.

"Geocaching is often described as a "game of high-tech hide and seek," sharing many aspects with benchmarking, trigpointing, orienteering, treasure-hunting, letterboxing, and waymarking. Geocaches are currently placed in over 100 countries around the world and on all seven continents, including Antarctica. After 10 years of activity there are over 1.3 million active geocaches published on various websites. There are over 5 million geocachers worldwide."

Caches can be found at a variety of locations throughout the Golden Isles. Most recently, Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation, along with other state parks, introduced a geocaching program. At Hofwyl-Broadfield, visitors who have GPS units can enter a set of coordinates, find certain locations and answer clues that will give them the combination to a lock box at the park visitor center. Those who do not have GPS units will be given the clues with directions, so everyone can play. 

When players get the combination and open the lock box, they will be able to take a trading card and a prize. As is customary, they will need to leave something in the box as a "trade." Players who collect trading cards from three Georgia plantions – Hofwyl-Broadfield, Wormsloe and Jarrell Plantation – will receive a small medallion or "pathcard."

Hofwyl-Broadfield is located at 5556 US Hwy. 17 North. The park is open Thursday - Saturday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The park is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. For information, call them at 912-264-7333 or visit them online.