Spring fever is officially here. Between glimpses of warm, sunny weather intertwined with moody, cooler days, most of us are itching to get back outdoors in some way or another.

After the winter weather has kept us all inside more than we’d like, it is time to get outside again. And Belmont County offers a fun activity that will do just that … geocaching!

What is geocaching?

It is an outdoor scavenger hunt using GPS-enabled devices, like a smart phone, to locate hidden treasures in plain sight. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache hidden at that location.

Geocaching is fun for everyone: families, retirees, sightseers, outdoor adventurers, tech-lovers, and explorers. You never know what you might find hiding in the woods, right here in friendly, beautiful, Belmont County!

So why not embrace the adventure and join us on an epic quest to find Bigfoot … themed geocache containers, of course!

From the scenic Ohio River to a Longhorn cattle ranch, from beautiful parks to historic landmarks, you just never know where you might encounter sasquatch-sized fun as you explore Belmont County.

Our Bigfoot-themed geocache containers could be hidden anywhere and will have you exploring surroundings of our county that you might have never experienced before.

The Belmont County Bigfoot GeoTour has 20-plus geocaches just waiting for you to find and earn a trackable coin for those that complete the challenge.

Want to play?

The first thing to do is visit geocaching.com or download the official Geocaching app and register for a free account to search for active caches near you.

Search by “GeoTour” and enter “BCBFGT” to see all geocaches hidden as part of the Belmont County Bigfoot GeoTour.

Once you have decided which cache you want to find first, use the GPS coordinates to navigate the area to the hidden treasure.

When you have found the cache, add your name in the logbook inside and copy the unique code. After signing the log, the cache must be placed back exactly where you found it.

Now is the time to embrace the change of the seasons and to start exploring right here in our own backyard. So, get outside, have some fun and happy hunting!

Seek, search, and explore Belmont County while participating in the Belmont County Bigfoot GeoTour.

To find out more about the Belmont County Bigfoot GeoTour and all upcoming events happening in Belmont County, go to our website at visitbelmontcounty.com.

Also, if you are planning an event in 2024, please continue to share any upcoming event information by using the calendar event submission form on our website at visitbelmontcounty.com.

We are here to promote and share our love of friendly, beautiful Belmont County.

Each month this space will be devoted to a column written by Jackee Pugh, executive director of the Belmont County Tourism Council. She will provide information about the tourism office, local attractions, upcoming events, and other local finds in Belmont County. She will share information about the travel and tourism industry and how it impacts our local economy.