Geocaching takes Metz all over the globe

10/1/2025

Geocaching is a hobby that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels. It is a real-life treasure hunt that can be played across the globe. Using GPS or a smartphone, participants search for geocaches in various locations. You could find the cache in a tree, behind a fire hydrant, or even inside of a sign displayed at a soccer field. Few know more about caches in central Iowa and around the country than Mark Metz.

“You find a container. It can be as small as your pinky, to the size of an ammo can, to something even bigger, hidden, usually camouflaged in some way. And you take out the log and you write your geocaching name, you put it back together and put it back exactly as you found it,” Metz said.

Some are as simple as stated above. Others require puzzle-solving to open. 

Ironically, Metz stumbled onto what would become his favorite hobby purely by accident. 

“I was actually looking through my iPhone for solo games. I found geocaching, and then I went out and I started doing it,” he said.

Metz started out slowly, eventually ramping up his participation. He has traveled the entire lower 48, and even several countries, finding geocaches all over the globe. One of his first events was at Honey Creek in Moravia, called a MOGA, a Midwest Open Geocaching Adventure. These include competitions, new geocaching spots and the chance to meet other geocachers. 

Metz met a local geocacher at the event who took him under her wing. Since then, he has become fully entrenched in the world of geocaching.

“Going to events is where I really got into geocaching, because then you could meet other people, they tell stories of their geocaching, you make friends. I’ve gone to quite a few national events as well, which they have all over the world,” Metz said. 

Caches are everywhere for those who are willing to look, Metz says, adding that you might need some tools or smarts to help you find the more difficult ones. Since caches can be hidden almost anywhere, people have to get creative.

“If there’s a cache up in that tree, you might have some sort of grabber that could grab it and bring it down, or you might have an extendable ladder to get you up there to get the cache, you know, tweezers or mirrors,” Metz said. 

Rules state where a cache can and can’t be located. It needs to be a certain distance away from railroad tracks, it needs to be within 528 feet of another geocache, and, if it’s going to be on private property, you must get permission from the landowner first. 

Metz has several memories that stick out in his mind, from his first find to where he has traveled. One instance almost cost him his car.

“I went after a geocache, and I didn’t put my car in park. My car went over, and it ended up down in the ravine, and it was stopped by a rock. I had to get it pulled back out. The only thing that it damaged was a dent in the bumper, but I did go back and I got the geocache after he pulled it out,” Metz said.

Metz is also a former board member of the Iowa Geocachers Organization. The group hosts events all year long, including brunches, Halloween activities and Christmas events, which are quickly approaching. They post their events on their website at www.iowageocachers.org. 

One of the main reasons Metz enjoys this hobby so much is that he enjoys traveling. Metz and his brother even geocached in the Arctic. 

Metz started in 2011. As of the time of this interview, he was one away from 16,000 finds. At one point, Metz had an 840-day streak of finding a geocache. 

“There are geocaches everywhere. They’re under your nose,” Metz said.

There are also virtual geocaches that you can find where you otherwise would not be able to place a physical one. One is at the U.S. Capitol building, while others are at national parks and even the Pappajohn Sculpture Park. 

Metz has advice for people who would like to get into geocaching.

“I teach people persistence. I show them a bunch of different kinds of containers so that they know what they’re looking for. I would say, start easy. Don’t go for something that’s way up in a tree. Don’t go for something that you have to canoe out to in the middle of an island, out in Raccoon River Valley Park, or something,” Metz said.