Geocaching is an excellent outdoor activity for any age or skill level. Traditional geocaches can be found in many North Dakota state parks, or visitors can try something new by using the Geocaching Adventure Lab® app.
Both the traditional and digital geocaching experience will send you on an outdoor scavenger hunt as you work to collect as many total finds as you can. Learn more about how to get started below.
Participants use a GPS or an app to find containers called geocaches, or caches, utilizing specific coordinates. Geocache coordinates are found on geocaching.com or through the Geocaching app. Whether the cache container is as common as an ammo can or disguised as an ordinary rock, you are sure to be taken on an adventure and learn various things along the way. Geocachers sign and date the log, exchange trinkets and place the cache back exactly where they found it for the next geocacher to find – happy hunting!
Where to go:
Parks with GPS units to check out:
Several of our properties have GPS units available to use while you geocache at their location.
Check-in with the staff when you arrive to borrow a GPS unit.
The only geocaches allowed in North Dakota State Parks and Recreation Areas are ones placed by department staff. Any unauthorized geocaches found will be removed.
Download the free Adventure Lab® app on your mobile device for an engaging, self-guided geocaching experience. Unlike traditional geocaching, you will not be searching for a physical container. Instead, Adventures are location-based, multistep, virtual geocaches designed to challenge users to answer questions to advance to the next step. As you advance, you'll explore and learn about various areas of the parks including historical structures, native prairies, and scenic overlooks. If you’re already a Geocaching member, these count as caches toward your overall stats and total finds.
Thanks to a partnership with the North Dakota Geocaching Association, Adventure Labs® can be found at these state parks:
Cross Ranch State Park
Fort Ransom State Park
Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park
Fort Stevenson State Park
Icelandic State Park
Lake Metigoshe State Park
Turtle River State Park
Only authorized personnel may place geocaches of any format on North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department properties.