A Treasure Hunt for the Whole Family
Geocaching in Fort Myers
From the tiniest treasure hunters to the most rugged outdoor enthusiasts, geocaching is a free, fun and totally rewarding outdoor adventure in Southwest Florida. It’s an easy way to explore local parks and beaches that you might not encounter otherwise, and it’s entirely self-guided. Take a road trip to different points or select a trail to find the cache. There are locations throughout the Fort Myers area, so it’s an activity you can do again and again.
If you’re new to geocaching, think of it as the original Pokémon GO. Caches are weatherproof containers — filled with small items like a logbook, a pen or pencil, and a small trinket — that are strategically placed outdoors. The GPS coordinates are posted on Geocaching.com or the Geocaching® app, where you can also read recent logs and tips from other geocachers.
Once you find the geocache, sign and date the logbook, place the geocache back where you found it, and log your experience online. You can take the trinket but replace it with something of your own: old coins, keychains, magnets, vintage Matchbox cars — anything goes as long as it’s something you’d like to unearth yourself. Some are marked as “travel bug” with a code, which means it’s a trackable that’s intended to be moved to another cache in a different location.
You might also encounter virtual caches that use GPS coordinates to lead seekers to unique points of interest. The oversized statue of Big John in Cape Coral and the banyan tree at the Edison and Ford Winter Estates are both listed as virtual caches.
Areas like Lovers Key State Park and Koreshan State Park have partnered with Operation Recreation GeoTour, designed to inspire families to get out and explore Florida’s state parks. Download a GeoTour Tracking Sheet and find the official “message” in 20 caches, send it in and receive an Official Operation Recreation Geocoin.
There’s even a cache hiding in the stacks at the Fort Myers Beach Public Library! Walk around the library with your GPS on and you’ll find clues leading to the final treasure.
