Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Treasure Hunting in Muskoka

Ever wanted to be a pirate searching for buried treasure? While the high seas are a long way from Muskoka, you can still hunt for treasure here. And it’s a bit more high tech than X-marks-the-spot on a faded map.


Geo-caching uses GPS to help you find the location of a hidden treasure. When you find the treasure, or cache, you can take an item from it (making sure to replace it with something else) and then tell other geo-cachers about your experience. It’s a fun activity that can be shared by the whole family. There are more than a million caches world-wide and some of them are right here in Muskoka.


So, what do you need to get started? First, you’ll need to register online at http://www.geocaching.com/ (it’s free!). Then enter a postal code to find geocaches nearby (our postal code at Colonial Bay is P1H 2J6) and use a GPS device or smartphone to guide you to the coordinates of the cache. Once there, you’ll have to search a bit to find it – the caches can be well hidden. Open it up to see what’s inside, sign the logbook and take/leave an item if you choose. Then hide it again exactly where you found it so someone else can find the treasure. Check out the video for more information.






If you decide to try it, let us know! We’d love to hear what you found.




The Howell Family

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