Geocaching is a fast-growing outdoor activity that anyone can enjoy.  The idea behind geocaching is using a GPS (Global Positioning System) device to locate a hidden "cache" of "treasures" left behind by ordinary people.  The caches can be hidden well off the beat path or within feet of a road.  The cache is usually a small container of trinkets with a log for people to sign.  The idea is to find the cache, leave a trinket, sign the log, and take a trinket.

There are several websites dedicated to this activity with the largest being www.geocaching.com.  The site lists dozens of caches in the Kentucky Lakes Area, especially in LBL.  Some are even stored on islands in Kentucky Lake & Lake Barkley.

Go to the website, select a cache location, write down the GPS coordinates and use your GPS device to find the cache.  It is a lot of fun and a great way to spend time outdoors.

The best time to geocache is just about anytime, but more enjoyable for the beginner from October through April due to weather conditions and pests.  For more experienced users, long hikes through the woods (without trails) or perhaps a night time trip is sometimes preferred.  Die-hard cachers aren't stopped by the weather or the pests.

Photos: Top, a GPS unit showing coordinates of a cache in LBL; left, the cache found in a hollow tree; right, the cache opened