Geocaches The General Sherman, California (GPS) The Village Sentinel, Georgia Osage Orange, Virginia Bonpland Willow, Arizona (GPS) Indian Fig, Arizona Bitter Condalia, Arizona (GPS) The Alamo Tree, Texas (GPS)

Geocaching combines a sense of adventure and a love of the outdoors with technical gadgetry; think high-tech scavenger hunt. The prize, or "cache" could be anything. Traditionally it's a container of some sort in which people leave dime store trinkets, a journal for you to record notes in, or disposable cameras to help you prove you were there. The idea is to take an item and leave something in its place. Other times the object being sought is itself a "virtual" cache.

In a recent article by Tim Wright in American Forests magazine describes the sport of geocaching when the virtual cache is a champion tree. We see this as a great way to help more people see just how amazing national champion trees can be . . . within reason. As the article notes, many trees are on private property or are in state or national preserves that do not welcome geocaching. They rightfully fear the detrimental effects of so many people tromping off paths and on to root systems.

With that in mind, we've created a geocache page of trees you can go searching for. Below each tree is location information, either its street address or its latitude and longitude. Your challenge is to track down the tree using a street map, the Internet, or, if youčre feeling adventurous, a GPS (global positioning satellite) unit.

Remember that these are virtual caches; do not hide anything near the trees. Your reward is discovering the tree and perhaps taking a photo of it and telling us its condition and your adventure in finding it. Before you start, please read Geocaching: Trees as Treasure article from American Forests for tips.

Tips and Advice

Take a guidebook?: If you are not overly familiar with trees - and the U.S. has over 770 native and naturalized species, you may want to consider bringing along an identification book.

Share your experience with a friend: Many of our caches are located near beauty spots or are attractions in their own right. Why not bring a friend along to share your adventure? If you are going by yourself, remember to leave details of the cache's location and a timetable with a friend or family member.

Make sure you know how to use a GPS unit: GPS units, which are integral to geocaching, are constantly evolving. Please ensure you have read the manufacturer's instructions and are able to use your unit properly. (Bringing extra batteries is a good idea too.)

Geocaching.com is the official geocaching website and is a good source of information.

Watch out for updates to this page.