Contact:
Chris Ronan, Geocaching HQ
chris@geocaching.com

Geocaching embarks on its next 25 years of community and global exploration

SEATTLE (May 1, 2026) – Following a historic 25th anniversary, geocaching—the world’s largest treasure hunt—is charging into its next quarter-century with significant momentum. From urban neighborhoods and local parks to remote mountain peaks and even the International Space Station, the game continues to bring people outdoors into a global community of fellow explorers. Today, there are more than 3.45 million active geocaches waiting to be discovered across the globe

"Geocaching makes it fun to explore the outdoors, discover amazing locations and join a fun community in your home town and around the world," said Bryan Roth, president and co-founder of Geocaching HQ. Whether you are on vacation or gamifying your daily exercise, this worldwide treasure hunt has spent over two decades empowering players to create, share and enjoy adventurous outdoor experiences.

How geocaching works:

Maybe you’ve heard of geocaching, but aren’t quite sure how it works:

  • Someone hides a container (a geocache) outdoors for others to find.

  • They post the location coordinates and other details through Geocaching.com.

  • Other players use the free Geocaching® app or Geocaching.com to go outside and locate the container.

  • Once found, they sign a logbook, rehide the container where they found it, and then share their experience online.

A year of extraordinary discovery

The year 2025 served as a powerful springboard for the future of the game. In the last year alone:

  • 1,608,335 geocachers found at least one geocache.

  • Nearly 60,000 geocachers contributed to the game's growth by hiding a brand-new geocache.

  • 83,000+ geocachers attended community events, reinforcing the unique human connections that define the game.

  • Nearly 7,000 Cache In Trash Out® (CITO) events were hosted, showing the community's dedication to environmental stewardship.

Digital innovation and modern exploration

As the game enters its next 25 years, Geocaching HQ continues to evolve the experience through new digital features and interactive storytelling:

  • Treasures: This new feature saw massive engagement in its debut year, with more than 12 million digital treasures collected by players through finding and logging specific geocaches.

  • Adventure Lab®: The app has expanded the ways people explore via interactive, community-created tours. There are now more than 114,000 Adventures worldwide, with over 10.2 million Adventures completed in 2025 alone.

Building on those innovations, Geocaching HQ will unveil new features in 2026 to further inspire and enable outdoor exploration and community connection.

From a launch of just 75 geocaches in September 2000 to today’s presence in 190 countries and two planets—including an official geocaching game piece on the Mars Rover—geocaching remains a testament to the human spirit of exploration.

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About Geocaching HQ:

Based in Seattle, Geocaching HQ supports the global community-based activity of geocaching. The company’s 90+ employees develop innovative products and services including Geocaching.com, the Geocaching® app, and the Adventure Lab® app that inspire and enable outdoor exploration, adventure, and community in more than 190 countries and two planets.

Media are invited to visit the Geocaching Newsroom for more information and downloadable assets. We are also happy to help you connect with geocachers in your community.