January 9, 2024 3:00 a.m.
Roseburg’s next geocaching series launches on Saturday, February 3rd.
A City of Roseburg release said hosted by Roseburg Parks and Recreation, the Discover Roseburg 13 Land of Umpqua Geocache Series kick-off is a free, family-friendly event designed to draw people of all ages outside to experience more of the city and its businesses.
The kick-off is at 9:00 a.m. at Stewart Park’s large pavilion. Parks and Rec staff will give out verbal instructions and coordinate-containing “passports” for the high-tech geocaching treasure hunt. The event is expected to last until about 2:00 p.m.
Parks and Recreation Program Coordinator Tracy David said, “Even though this event draws a large group of visitors from outside the area, it’s also an opportunity for locals to discover the community in a fun and unique way”.
Participants 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 hidden around town, plus fifteen virtual geocaches at special locations. They will navigate to all the spots and fill out their passport along the way.
Many people have joined the “Discover Roseburg” geocache series for years, so David has been challenged to find new hiding places, especially for real-world caches. People who find all 20 geocaches can redeem their passports for a limited-edition collector’s geocoin, or metal token, with a trackable ID number. Only 200 geocoins will be available. This geocache challenge will continue until all the geocoins have been awarded.
After the kick-off event, passports can be picked up or dropped off at city hall’s front lobby on Southeast Douglas Avenue during regular business hours. As an alternative, the after-hours pickup and drop-off spot is at the Hampton Inn and Suites, on Northwest Mulholland Drive.
For more information, check out the Parks and Recreation Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/roseburgparks.