Northwoods Adventure: Bemidji Parks and Rec Launches July Geocaching Challenge

Social distancing has made it difficult to take full advantage of outdoor activities, but geocaching, a worldwide scavenger hunt, is a way to get outside while maintaining distance.

Geocaching is a program that exists worldwide where a community creates and hides small items in plain sight for others to find and record. It’s a combination of outdoor searching and modern technology.

There are over 40 different caches in and around the Bemidji area. To get started all you need is your cellphone. You need to download the Geocaching app which will guide you along your way.

Caches can be almost anything, but they’re typically everyday objects and trinkets accompanied by a log to record how many people have found the spot so far. Players are encouraged that if they take something, they leave something new in its place.

Now is a perfect time to get started because geocaching is something that can be done while respecting social distancing requirements. For the month of July, the Bemidji Parks and Recreation Department has launched a challenge to find all six caches hidden in city parks. If you are able to find them all, you win a prize.

This is the first time that the Parks and Recreation department has put on a program involving geocaching, but they plan to launch another one in the fall. It’s a program that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

It costs $5 to register for the program. To sign up for the July geocaching challenge, you can go to the Bemidji Parks and Recreation website.