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Seneca County to host 3-day geocaching festival

The Ohio GeoClash & Festival 2023 is the third year for the event hosted by the Ohio Geocaching Association.

TIFFIN, Ohio — There will be a huge modern day treasure hunt starting Thursday in Seneca County as hundreds of geocachers will be coming to the area.

After opening its first geocaching trail in 2021, Seneca County was chosen to be the host of the Ohio GeoClash & Festival 2023. About 200 new geocaches have been hidden around the county and will be active from Thursday through Saturday for folks to hunt down.

"The big thing with geocaching is exploring new areas in a lot of cases," said Ian Lengel, president of the Ohio Geocaching Association. "Going to places you haven't been before and really just getting off of the couch and getting outside. And that's what it's all about - it's a location based game so it's all about getting people out and exploring."

It's a relatively easy hobby that helps get people outside and exploring new areas, and you only need your phone to get started.

"Even somebody with just a phone can get into the game," Lengel said. "You can download an app on your phone and create a free user name and go start exploring immediately if you want to."

Last years GeoClash brought in hundreds of visitors to Trumbull County, including many from outside Ohio.

"It's an opportunity to showcase what our community has to offer, as well as really allow for these folks to support our small businesses, and we know that is extremely important," said Bryce Riggs, executive director of Destination Seneca County.

Organizers say large events like these only happen about 50 times a year across the world. Veteran geocachers love to show newcomers the ropes of using GPS devices to track down hidden treasures.

"And it's really just a great way to meet new cachers, kind of see the game, see all of the people in one place and kind of get started with it," Lengel said. "So if you're ever interested in checking it out, now is the time to do it."

The Ohio GeoClash & Festival kicks off Thursday morning at 9 a.m. at Tiffin's Hedges-Boyer Park. The closing ceremony is Saturday night where prizes will be given out.

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