Newcastle’s trails are among the city’s most desirable amenities and now residents are invited to explore them like never before.
In honor of National Trails Day, Newcastle Trails and a slew of local organizations are hosting a unique geocaching event across the city’s trail network June 6.
Part scavenger hunt, part exploration, geocaching sends participants on a quest to different waypoints, where they will usually find a small prize or object.
In this case, the “prize” waiting at each waypoint is education.
“It will have information about where they are standing, the history of the place and so on,” said Troop 499 Scoutmaster Bill Burris, who’s helping with the event’s organization.
Check-in is at Lake Boren Park, 13058 S.E. 84th Way, where participants will receive the coordinates for the first waypoint and a passport book to record information found at the eight other waypoints.
Join the conversationShow us what you find, or what you learned, at each waypoint by posting pictures and comments on social media with the hashtag #NewcastleWA. |
A GPS is most commonly used when geocaching, but Newcastle Trails will offer maps for those who prefer it, Burris said. Most smart phones have free GPS apps to download, he added.
At each waypoint you will find information about that waypoint’s location and coordinates to take you to the next stop.
The one-day, multicache event takes you on a 2.5-mile hike through the Newcastle trail system. Burris estimated it would take the average person a couple of hours to hit all the waypoints, so adventurers are invited to start anytime between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Newcastle Trails will wrap up the event at about 3 p.m.
Newcastle Trails will offer snacks and water for what it is expected to be a sunny, 80-degree day. Participants should wear sturdy walking shoes.
The event is coordinated by Newcastle Trails, Boy Scout Troop 499, Weed Warriors and the city’s Community Activities Commission.
Learn more about the Newcastle trail system at newcastletrails.org.