KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — If you’ve ever wondered what to call treasure hunting with your smartphone, it’s called Geocaching: A hobby for those who love treasure hunting and the great outdoors.
And this activity will be included in this years “Hike the County” Challenge encouraging people to hike a portion of, or the entire the North Country Trail which runs through Kalamazoo, Barry, and Calhoun Counties.
Sponsored by the North Country Trail Association Chief Noonday Chapter, the North Country Trail Geocache Challenge for 2022 is looking to increase participation of families, especially with younger “tech savvy folks.” Using a smartphone and observation skills to follow GPS coordinates, geocachers will seek out hidden objects along the 119 mile trail spanning the three counties.
Cache will be hidden in parks, on road signs, under or on bridges, tree stumps and more. And anyone finding at least 10 caches will earn a patch, certificate, and other awards.
To help those who have never been involved in geocaching, or those who want to meet others who will be playing along, the Chief Noonday Chapter will hold meet-up sessions throughout the three counties to discuss general techniques and lead the group to find caches.
The meet-ups will take place in:
Middleville: Sunday, March 13 at 3 p.m. – Across from Village office – 100 East Main Street
Augusta: Saturday, March 19 at 11 a.m. – Behind Library – 105 South Webster
Marshall: Thursday, March 24 at 6 p.m. – River Walk end of West Pearl off of Kalamazoo Avenue
Each meet-up is expected to last about an hour and offer plenty of time for questions and answers. RSVP’s are requested, but not required, to provide cachers with alternate scheduling
information in the event of inclement weather.
Interested individuals should email geohikethecounty@gmail.com to RSVP or learn more about the challenge or meet-up events.
