January 13, 2023 3:30 a.m.

The City of Roseburg has its next geocaching series kicking off on Saturday February 4th.

Hosted by Roseburg Parks and Recreation, the Discover Roseburg 12 Land of Umpqua Geocache Series is a free-family-friendly event designed to draw people from outside the area, to experience more of the city and its businesses.

February 4th’s kick-off begins at 9:00 a.m. at the large pavilion in Stewart Park. Staff will give out verbal instructions and coordinate “passports” for a high-tech geocaching treasure hunt. The event is expected to last until about 2:00 p.m.

Those participating are asked to bring a smart phone or other device equipped with a Global Positioning System, or satellite-based radio navigation system. Using a GPS to follow coordinates printed on the passports, participants will hunt for five real-world geocaches, or small containers which are hid around town. There are also 15 virtual geocaches at special locations. Those participating will navigate to all the spots and fill out their passport along the way.

As Parks and Rec has sponsored geocache events for 12 years, Recreation Coordinator Tracy Moser has been challenged to find new hiding places – especially for the real-world caches. Moser said the five caches for this series are exciting, new and unique.

This geocache series will commemorate Roseburg’s sesquicentennial, or 150th birthday, which took place on October 3rd. People who find all 20 geocaches in the challenge can redeem their passports for a limited-edition geocoin, with a trackable ID number that honors the sesquicentennial. Only 200 of the geocoins will be available.

Participants who attend the kick-off event don’t have to turn in their passports on the same day. They can finish the hunt, and complete their passports on their own time.

For complete information check out the Parks and Recreation events webpage or Facebook page. Call 492-6899 for more information.