Geocaching.com Turns 14 – Rare Fun Facts Revealed

Happy Birthday Geocaching.com

Remember the year 2000? In the United States a pound of bacon only cost $3 and a gallon of gas set people back $1.26. The iPhone was still 7 years away from being introduced. But on September 2, 2000 some hearty adventurers, tired of being tied to an office cubicle day after day, launched Geocaching.com. The adventure to inspire outdoor play through GPS technology began.

Just like any story-worthy journey Geocaching.com’s beginning was filled with uncertainty. Before geocache joined the ranks of approved Scrabble words or a Geocaching game piece rocketed to the International Space Station, Geocaching.com launched with only 75 geocaches.  Today, the site lists the locations and descriptions for nearly 2.5 million geocaches hidden around the world. Adventure is truly waiting to be discovered all around you, as long as you’re in the 180+ countries where geocaches are waiting to be discovered [hint: you are].

Here are some more little known facts about the game you love:

  • The activity of geocaching was originally known as the GPS Stash Hunt.

  • What we now know as the 1st geocache was hidden on May 3, 2000.

  • Running Geocaching.com was originally funded by the sale of  144 donated t shirts.

  • More than 9 million people have created Geocaching profiles.

  • Hugh Jackman geocaches (and other celebrities like cyclist Jens Voigt).

  • The word ‘geocache’ means ‘hidden location on Earth’, as ‘geo’ means Earth, and ‘cache’ is French for a hidden location or place.

Share your Geocaching birthday wishes and your geocaching adventures in comments.

There's a geocache out here some where...
There’s a geocache out here somewhere…

 

Outdoor enthusiast, geocached in 24 countries to date, social butterfly, friend to all animals (especially cats)