I started geocaching with my kids a couple years ago during a brief go at homeschooling. We’ve continued tracking down caches since then, and it’s the perfect way to add an extra dose of excitement to our regular outings around town. A number of geocaches are even placed at historical markers, adding a little history lesson into the mix. (We mamas like to make things educational whenever we can, don’t we?) I pull up the free geocaching app on my phone from time to time when we’re out and about to add a little extra fun to the spots we visit regularly around town. Here are my picks for the top 10 kid-friendly geocache spots in San Antonio.
1. The Pearl—Whether you’re headed to the farmer’s market or just out for an ice cream, there are two fun little caches to be found here. The Recharge find was our favorite: a log cache only, but very cleverly hidden. You made need to take a peek at some of the photo hints for this one.
2. The Zoo—If you’re like me, you probably go to the zoo on a pretty regular basis with your kids. And with my four ranging in ages from five to 12, not everyone is always thrilled about going. But they’re always excited to see what treasures can be found in the caches. The zoo has two great caches near the butterfly garden and The Nature Spot that are big enough to trade little trinkets in. We even brought home some wildflower seed packets from our latest find!
3. Japanese Tea Garden—This place is worth the trip regardless of the geocaches. My kids love exploring the winding, jungle-like paths and spying fish and turtles in the water. We had some trouble finding the main cache here, but it’s a good lesson in teamwork and dealing with disappointment. There is a fun earth cache to find here as well.
4. Brackenridge Park—The caches in this park aren’t near the playgrounds, but if your kids are a bit older and up for a nice hike along the trails, there are a handful of finds to be made here. Bring your bikes and a picnic lunch and make a day of it—and visit some of my other recommended geocache spots nearby.
5. Botanical Garden—Another perfect spot to visit with kids, especially if you have a membership (which I highly recommend). The cache to find here is by the Children’s Garden; you might need to look at the photo gallery to clue you in on finding this one!
6. Mission Concepcion—The boys and I hopped over here after playing at Concepcion Park one morning. I remembered my geocache app and saw that the mission had a cache, so we drove on over. Parking was easy, and the find was very clever. And if you’ve never been to this mission, it’s beautiful. Mission San Jose also has a number of caches to track down if you’re out on that way.
7. Eastside Cemeteries—The idea of geocaching in a graveyard may sound a bit creepy, but this was probably one of the most interesting finds we ever went on (and the first, actually!). Most of the caches hidden here are at historical markers in the cemeteries. This is a perfect spot to go during Halloween!
8. Chris Park—This sweet little park in Southtown was created in honor of Linda Pace’s (the founder of Artpace) belated son. There’s a fun fountain in the front of the park my kids have always loved playing in during the summer, a nice hill for rolling down, and peaceful gardens to wander through. Parent bonus: there’s a bathroom! Street-side parking here.
9. Hardberger Park—This 300+ acre park has over 10 caches covering both sides of the park. We love the playgrounds over by the Blanco entrance. And there are dog parks on either side for your furry friends.
10. McAllister Park—We haven’t personally searched for any caches at McAllister Park, but we go out every year for the Kite Festival, and there are a plethora of caches to be found in this park. Recommended cache: My Dogs Are Barking, which was found and logged by a geocache member recently, and you can bring your dog to play!
Want some more tips on geocaching—or to learn more about what geocaching even is? Check out these six tips on geocaching with kids. Happy hunting!
You can also learn more about geocaching at your local library! Visit the events calendar at mysapl.org to find an event near you!
You can also learn more about geocaching at your local library! Here is a link to an upcoming event- http://www.mysapl.org/calendar.aspx?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D116364066
We’ve never done geocaching before. If we do, should we bring along some small things for trading or adding to the cache?
Yes! Some caches have small trinkets for trading in them–I like to have the kids pick out something small from home when I know we’ll be geocaching. Some of the caches are logs only, so a pen is handy too!