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How it works: a box, some coordinates, a logbook
Sunday afternoon, at the foot of an old oak. The children are circling the stump, phone in hand, the blue dot on the screen almost on top of the target. A small box appears between two roots, with a rolled-up logbook and a pencil inside. That moment, repeated all over the world, is geocaching.
The game is run by Geocaching HQ, which has developed its guidelines with the international community of players since September 2000 [1]. To play, you create an account online or in the Geocaching app, which shows a map of the caches near you. You then use it to find your way to a cache, remembering to bring a pen. Once you have found the cache, you sign and date its logbook, put it back where you found it and log your find online [2].
Not all caches look alike. Geocaching HQ’s online help lists a whole range of types: Traditional Caches, Mystery Caches, Letterbox Hybrids, Wherigo Caches, Virtual Caches, challenge caches, night caches tracked down by torchlight, and more besides [3]. For a first outing, the Traditional Cache is still the simplest: a box, at the published coordinates.
Searching for a cache: what the rules ask of you
Geocaching HQ’s guidelines are aimed first at the people who hide caches, but they also shed light on how those who search should behave. All local laws and land management policies apply, both to where the cache is placed and to the journey needed to reach it, and a cache must never require or encourage you to trespass or to go past signs that prohibit access [1]. If a cache seems to ask for either, give it a miss.
Nor should a cache encourage anyone to damage a place, public or private, especially an archaeological or historical site, or to harm plants and animals; in some areas, geocaching even has to stop for part of the year to protect sensitive species [1]. You never dig to find a cache: the guidelines forbid burying one, even partly [1].
Hiding your first box: Geocaching HQ’s rules
Geocaching HQ encourages you to find at least 20 caches before hiding one: the more you find, the better you understand what makes a good cache. Every new cache is then checked by a volunteer reviewer before it is published [1]. And one maxim sums up the spirit of the game: if the cache is the only reason for bringing people to a spot, find a better spot [1].
| Rule | What it requires |
|---|---|
| Permission | The consent of the landowner or land manager; on public land, that of the agency or association that manages it |
| Distance | At least 161 m between the containers or physical stages of two different caches |
| Ground | Do not bury the cache, even partly, or dig a hole to place or find it; the one exception is a hole to place it, with the property owner’s explicit permission |
| Places to avoid | Archaeological and historical sites, cemeteries, railway land, and the vicinity of road bridges, major roads, dams, schools, hospitals, airports or military sites |
| Nature | Do no harm to plants or animals; accept a seasonal pause where species are sensitive |
| Container | Nothing that could pass for a bomb; permanently cover or remove any military markings; nothing dangerous inside |
Source: ‘Geocache hiding guidelines’, Geocaching HQ. The cache owner remains responsible for every aspect of the cache and its placement.
The guidelines are clear about responsibility: every aspect of a cache and its placement is down to its owner, who may be held liable for any consequences. A badly placed cache can be disabled or archived after a complaint, even if no law prohibits it [1].
Forests and protected areas: the precautions in France
France’s state forests (forêts domaniales) are open to the public, and an outing on your own, with your family or in a small group needs no permission there. For an event, check with the National Forests Office (Office national des forêts, ONF), which manages them: in the state forests of eastern Île-de-France, the region around Paris, for instance, it requires permission for any commercial event from the very first participant, and for any non-profit gathering of more than 60 people [4].
The same ONF page points out that entry into integral biological reserves (réserves biologiques intégrales) is strictly prohibited, and access to managed biological reserves (réserves biologiques dirigées) is limited to certain paths [4]. In the core of French national parks, each park’s own rules apply on top: our guide to the rules in French national parks sums them up.
With the family: planning a first outing
For a first go, choose a Traditional Cache close by, on an easy path, and plan your walking time as you would for any walk: our guide to walking times gives you the benchmarks. Put a pen, some water, a snack and a warm layer in your rucksack; the phone, meanwhile, runs down rather quickly when the screen stays on.
Let the children read the map, call out the distance left and search the likely hiding places: the stump, the low wall, the hollow in the tree. They are the ones who get to sign the logbook. And if the cache stubbornly refuses to appear, that is part of geocaching too: it may well be there next time.
A good habit to get into: put the cache back exactly where you found it, and leave no trace other than your name in the logbook.
Kit related to this article
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Worth watching
The official introduction from Geocaching HQ, whose guidelines the article quotes: what geocaching is, how it works and how to join in, in just over a minute.
The video is hosted by YouTube (Google): nothing loads until you play it, and Google may then set cookies.
FAQs
How do I get started with geocaching?
Create an account online or in the Geocaching app, which shows a map of the caches near you. Choose an easy Traditional Cache, head for its coordinates and take a pen. Once you have found the box, sign and date its logbook, put it back exactly where you found it, then log your find online.
Can I hide a geocache wherever I like?
No. You need the consent of the landowner or land manager, and on public land, that of the agency or association that manages it. The guidelines forbid burying the cache, damaging a place, harming plants and animals, and placing it near sensitive sites such as railways, schools or bridges. Every cache is reviewed before it is published.
Can I go geocaching in French forests during the hunting season?
Yes, but with care. In French state forests, hunting generally takes place from September to March; the ONF publishes its hunting calendars, which are put up in the forest and available to download from its website, and on hunting days, signs reading ‘chasse en cours’ mark the areas concerned. Check the calendar before you set off and respect the signs.
Do I need permission to organise a geocaching event?
Often. In the state forests of eastern Île-de-France, for instance, the ONF requires permission for any commercial event and for any non-profit gathering of more than 60 people. An outing on your own, with your family or in a small group does not need it. Elsewhere, check with the landowner or land manager.
Sources
- Geocaching HQ, ‘Geocache hiding guidelines’, accessed 22 October 2026. geocaching.com https://www.geocaching.com/play/guidelines ↩
- Geocaching HQ, ‘Play’, how to play the game, accessed 22 October 2026. geocaching.com https://www.geocaching.com/play ↩
- Geocaching HQ, online help, ‘Learn about cache types’, accessed 22 October 2026. geocaching.com https://www.geocaching.com/help/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=127&pgid=921 ↩
- Office national des forêts (French National Forests Office), ‘Demande d’autorisation pour l’organisation d’une manifestation ou d’un tournage dans les forêts domaniales de l’Est francilien’ (in French), accessed 22 October 2026. onf.fr https://www.onf.fr/vivre-la-foret/que-faire-en-foret/regles-et-bonnes-pratiques-en-foret/+/1d0b::demande-autorisation-organisation-manifestation-tournage-forets-domaniales-est-francilien.html ↩
- Office national des forêts, ‘Les calendriers de chasse sont en ligne’ (in French), state forests of Normandy, accessed 22 October 2026. onf.fr https://www.onf.fr/chasse/+/22c1::les-calendriers-de-chasse-sont-en-ligne.html ↩
Camping, wild camping, bushcraft and hiking
Guillaume Hoarau writes for Outfarer about camping, wild camping, bushcraft and hiking. A survival-skills enthusiast and a collector of old field manuals, he likes clear explanations, lists that earn their place and other people’s stories, which he tells well.
