Here in the City of Spartanburg, we’re all about getting our residents and visitors outside to enjoy all our beautiful city has to offer.
Whether it’s renting a B-Cycle for an afternoon of tooling down the Rail Trail or just taking in the scenery at Duncan Park Lake on a warm (but hopefully not too warm) late summer day, opportunities in the city to stretch those legs and get a little fresh air abound.
Like the slogan says though, we’re “always doing” here in the City of Spartanburg, so if you’re looking for a new, completely different way to spend some family-friendly time outdoors, try exploring the Hub City Geotrail, the City of Spartanburg’s first foray into the world of geocaching.
Just what is geocaching? Check out the video below to get an idea.
Simple, right? If not, more online tutorials abound, but before you get out there and start poking around for hidden caches though, first you’ll need to head over to geocaching.com to sign up for a free membership. There you’ll find a searchable map showing all of the 2.5 million geocaches hidden throughout the world, including the 25 that make up the Hub Citygeo Trail.
Of course, you’ll need a GPS receiver to go out and actually find these geocaches, but if you’ve got a smartphone, chances are you’re good to go. All you’ll need to do is follow this link to download the geocaching app. There are free versions for your iPhone or Android device as well as more full-featured apps for $9.99. Either will let you get started, though finding geocaches is much easier with the features available on the paid app. Other than that, the only things you’ll need to explore the Hub City Geotrail are a pen to write in the logbook, and a healthy sense of adventure.
Once you’ve got those low barriers to entry out of the way, it’s time to hit the Hub City Geotrail. To get started, you’ll want to follow this link to download a printable copy of our Hub City Geotrail Passport. On the passport you’ll find a list of the 25 geocaches we’ve stashed around the city (click here to view the list on geocaching.com), each with a code you can enter at geocaching.com or on the geocaching app to get you headed in the right direction.
What it means to get headed in the right direction on the Hub City Geotrail largely depends on where you’d like to start. Some caches are quick “park and grab” types best reached by car and often located near an iconic Spartanburg location, while others are along nature trails, playgrounds, and other places that require a little leg work to reach. A couple are also “puzzle caches” that require multiple steps (and a little math) to figure out. Each geocache on the trail is a little different, and the hiding places and size of the each cache varies considerably. If you want to find all the caches on the trail in one trip, it’ll likely take at least the better part of a day.
On the Hub City Geotrail though, a little stick-to-itiveness is rewarded. In the passport, you’ll find a space to write down a special code word hidden with each cache. Find 20 of the 25 caches out there, write the code words in the passport, and bring it by our Park, Recreation and Special Events office at 100 North Liberty St. weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to get a nifty limited edition collectable geocoin. Check out the slideshow below to see some of the sites along the trail including a peek at that cool geocoin. So get out there this weekend, find some geocaches, get the coin, and enjoy some sunshine and fresh air on the Hub City Geotrail.