Cuyuna Lakes, Minn., goes GeoNuts over Passport Geocaching Event

The Cuyuna Lakes GeoNuts is sponsoring a free, spring through fall, GeoNuts Passport geocaching challenge in the Cuyuna Lakes, Minnesota, area. This event will bring geocachers to various locations throughout the Cuyuna Lakes communities, many of which have historical significance.

What is geocaching?
Geocaching (pronounced "geo-cashing"), one of the fastest-growing outdoor activities in the world, involves the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers or other navigational techniques to hide, and seek, containers called "geocaches."

Typical geocache treasures are not high in monetary value but may hold personal value to the finder. Travel Bugs or Geocoins, whose travels may be logged and followed online. Higher value items are occasionally included in geocaches as a reward for the First to Find, or in locations which are harder to reach. Geocaching is often described as a game of high-tech hide and seek.

To get started geocaching, go to www.geocaching.com and register a free account. Enter a postal code or address and click "search." Choose any geocache from the list and click on its name. Enter the coordinates of the geocache into your GPS device to help you find the hidden geocache. Sign the logbook and return the geocache to its original location, then share your geocaching stories and photos online.

GeoNuts Geocaching Event
Stop by Cycle Path and Paddle in Crosby, the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area's Office in Ironton or the Cuyuna Lakes Chamber of Commerce in the Wells Fargo Bank in Ironton during regular business hours to pick up your official GeoNuts Passport.

Thirty geocaches will be camouflaged and hidden on public and private lands in and around the Cuyuna Lakes. Special Geocoins and Pathtags will be randomly stocked in GeoNut geocaches. The GPS coordinates will be posted June 10 on www.geocaching.com and www.cuyunalakesgeonuts.com and the GeoNuts Passport locations listed above.

Geocache finders will stamp their passports with the geocache-specific stamp and add their name to the mini logbook found inside each container. To earn one of the limited edition Cuyuna Lakes GeoNuts Geocoins, a participant's passport must have stamps indicated they have found 20 of geocaches. The Cuyuna Lakes GeoNuts Geocoin can be traded or kept as a souvenir and is trackable on the www.geocaching.com website.

Completed passports should be brought to Cycle, Path and Paddle for staff to verify and present Cuyuna Lakes GeoNuts Geocoins.

This geocaching event is made possible though a Statewide Health Improvements Program Grant awarded to the Cuyuna Lakes GeoNuts membership.

GPS units are available for daily use at no cost. Call ahead to reserve a unit at Cycle Path and Paddle, Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area Office or the Cuyuna Lakes Chamber of Commerce.

For more information, email info@CuyunaLakesGeonuts.com.