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Geocaching company Groundspeak allows extra-terrestrial caches, e.g. the Moon or Mars, although presently, the website provides only earthbound coordinates. The first published extra-terrestrial geocache was GC1BE91, which was on the International Space Station between 2008 and 2017.[17] It used the Baikonur launch area in Kazakhstan as its position.[18] The original cache contained a travel bug (the first geocaching trackable item in space), which stayed on the station until it was brought back to earth in 2013. Due to fire restrictions on board the station, the geocache contained no official paper logbook. As of February 2021, only one confirmed geocacher (in 2013) has actually found the geocache,[19] although others have claimed to have found it providing varying amounts of evidence. To commemorate the occasion, Groundspeak allowed specialized geocaching events to be published across the world, allowing attendees to obtain a virtual souvenir on their profile.

The second geocaching trackable in space is TB5EFXK [20] which is attached to the SHERLOC calibration target on board the Mars Perseverance Rover, which landed on Mars on 18 February 2021.[21] Geocachers were given the opportunity to virtually discover the trackable after the WATSON camera sent back its first photographs of the calibration target that contained the tracking code number. The code is printed on a prototype helmet visor material that will be used to test how well it can withstand the Martian environment. This will help scientists in creating a viable Martian spacesuit for future crewed missions to Mars.[citation needed]

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The activity was originally referred to as the GPS stash hunt or gpsstashing. This was changed shortly after the original hide when it was suggested in the gpsstash eGroup that "stash" could have negative connotations and the term geocaching was adopted.[22]

Over time, a variety of different hide-and-seek-type activities have been created or abandoned, so that "geocaching" may now refer to hiding and seeking containers, or locations or information without containers.[23]

An independent accounting of the early history documents several controversial actions taken by Jeremy Irish and Grounded, Inc., a predecessor to Groundspeak, to increase "commercialization and monopolistic control over the hobby".[24] More recently, other similar hobbies such as Munzee have attracted some geocachers by rapidly adopting smart-phone technology, which has caused "some resistance from geocaching organizers about placing caches along with Munzees".[25]

Typical cache "treasures", also known in the geocaching world as SWAG (a backronym of "stuff we all get"),[27][28] are not high in monetary value but may hold personal value to the finder.[26] Aside from the logbook, common cache contents are unusual coins or currency, small toys, ornamental buttons, CDs, or books. Although not required, many geocachers decide to leave behind signature items, such as personal geocoins, pins, or craft items, to mark their presence at the cache location.[27] Disposable cameras are popular as they allow for anyone who found the cache to take a picture which can be developed and uploaded to a Geocaching web site listed below.[29] Also common are objects that are moved from cache to cache called "hitchhikers", such as Travel Bugs or geocoins, whose travels may be logged and followed online.[30] Cachers who initially place a Travel Bug or geocoin(s) often assign specific goals for their trackable items. Examples of goals are to be placed in a certain cache a long distance from home, or to travel to a certain country, or to travel faster and farther than other hitchhikers in a race. Less common trends are site-specific information pages about the historic significance of the site, types of trees, birds in the area or other such information. Higher-value items are occasionally included in geocaches as a reward for the First to Find (called "FTF"), or in locations which are harder to reach.

If a geocache has been vandalized or stolen by a person who is not familiar with geocaching, it is said to have been "muggled".[31][32] The term plays off the fact that those not familiar with geocaching are called "muggles", a word borrowed from the Harry Potter series of books which were rising in popularity at the same time geocaching started.[27]

Geocaches vary in size, difficulty, and location. Simple caches that are placed near a roadside are often called "drive-bys", "park 'n grabs" (PNGs), or "cache and dash". Geocaches may also be complex, involving lengthy searches, significant travel, or use of specialist equipment such as SCUBA diving, kayaking, or abseiling. Different geocaching websites list different variations per their own policies.

Over time many variations of geocaches have developed. Different platforms often have their own rules on which types are allowed or how they are classified. The following cache types are supported by geocaching.com.

On August 24, 2017, Groundspeak announced "Virtual Rewards", allowing 4000 new virtual caches to be placed during the following year.[48] Each year, eligible geocachers can opt-in to a drawing and some selected with the opportunity to submit a virtual cache for publication. From 2005 to 2017, the geocaching website no longer listed new caches without a physical container, including virtual and webcam caches (with the exception of earthcaches and events); however, older caches of these types have been grandfathered in (except for locationless or reverse, which are completely archived and transferred to Waymarking.com).

Since 2005, all locationless caches have been archived and locked, meaning they are unable to be logged. However, with geocaching's 20th anniversary in 2020 Groundspeak decided to publish a special locationless cache for geocachers to "find" at various Mega and Giga events around the world. The first locationless geocache in 15 years (GC8FR0G) required finders to take a picture of themselves with the geocaching mascot, Signal the Frog, at Mega and Giga Events during 2020. The cache was made available to log starting 1 January 2020. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly all planned Mega and Giga events were canceled for the year, including the planned 20th anniversary celebration event in Seattle, Washington. Therefore, Groundspeak decided to extend the deadline to log this geocache through 1 January 2023. With 22,500 finds it is the second most logged geocache in history.

The second published locationless cache since 2005 (GC8NEAT) required visitors to take a photo of them picking up trash and cleaning up their local area. Geocachers were able to log this cache from 6 February 2021 through 31 December 2022. It has been logged over 33,500 times and holds the title for the most "found" geocache. On 17 August 2022, Geocaching made available the 3rd locationless cache to be logged since 2005 (GC9FAVE). Instead of finding Signal or picking up trash, this cache encouraged geocachers from around the world to share their favorite geocaching story. This geocache will be archived and locked on 1 January 2024.

A variety of geocaching applications are available for geocache data management, file-type translation, and personalization. Geocaching software can assign special icons or search (filter) for caches based on certain criteria (e.g. distance from an assigned point, difficulty, date last found).

Paperless geocaching means hunting a geocache without a physical printout of the cache description. Traditionally, this means that the seeker has an electronic means of viewing the cache information in the field, such as pre-downloading the information to a PDA or other electronic device. Various applications can directly upload and read GPX files without further conversion. Newer GPS devices released by Garmin, DeLorme, and Magellan have the ability to read GPX files directly, thus eliminating the need for a PDA.[54] Other methods include viewing real-time information on a portable computer with internet access or with an Internet-enabled smart phone. The latest advancement of this practice involves installing dedicated applications on a smart phone with a built-in GPS receiver. Seekers can search for and download caches in their immediate vicinity directly to the application and use the on-board GPS receiver to find the cache.

The website geocaching.com[55] now sells mobile applications which allow users to view caches through a variety of different devices. Currently, the Android, iOS, and Windows Phone mobile platforms have applications in their respective stores. The apps also allow for a trial version with limited functionality. The site promotes mobile applications, and lists over two dozen applications (both mobile and browser/desktop based) that are using their proprietary but royalty-free public application programming interface (API).[56] Developers at c:geo have criticised Groundspeak for being incompatible with open-source development.[57]

Geocache listing websites have their own guidelines for acceptable geocache publications. Government agencies and others responsible for public use of land often publish guidelines for geocaching, and a "Geocacher's Creed" posted on the Internet asks participants to "avoid causing disruptions or public alarm".[66][67] Generally accepted rules are to not endanger others, to minimize the impact on nature, to respect private property, and to avoid public alarm.

The South Carolina House of Representatives passed Bill 3777[89] in 2005, stating, "It is unlawful for a person to engage in the activity of geocaching or letterboxing in a cemetery or in a historic or archaeological site or property publicly identified by a historical marker without the express written consent of the owner or entity which oversees that cemetery site or property." The bill was referred to committee on first reading in the Senate and has been there ever since.[90]

In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the township of Highlands East, Ontario, Canada temporarily banned geocaching, over concerns that geocache containers cannot be properly disinfected between finds.[92] ff782bc1db