Geocaching & Letterboxing

A great way to spend time in the Kootenai National Forest is looking for purposely lost stuff. Geocaching and letterboxing are two similar methods of finding hidden items using handheld Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Letterboxing is slightly different because the hidden object is a stamp which the finder uses to stamp a piece of paper proving they found the site. There are websites on the Internet devoted to geocaching and letterboxing that list the coordinates where items are buried.

Both geocaching and letterboxing are permitted in the forest, except for in designated wilderness areas, as long as the activitiy remains non-ground disturbing and non-commercial (no charges to participants and no money changing hands).

Wilderness Areas:  Geocaching is discouraged in Wilderness and physical caches are illegal.

• Wilderness concerns that include physical and virtual caches include:
  • Attracting use to remote and fragile areas.
  • Affecting the experience of solitude important to wilderness visitors.
  • Use of technology lessens the historical appreciation of discovery and self-reliance learned using traditional methods of travel (map and compass).
• The Forest Service has Wilderness specific policy and regulations related to physical caching:
  • Forest Service Manual 2320.3, #4:  Cease uses and activities and remove existing structures not essential to the administration, protection, or management of wilderness for wilderness purposes or not provided for in the  establishing legislation.
  • 36 CFR 261.58(a):  When provided by an order, the following are prohibited:  Storing equipment unattended for more than 24 hours.

Useful Websites:

• www.geocreed.info - Geocache guidelines based on safe/legal/ethical concepts
• www.geocaching.com - Main user site with links to other user sites.