The latest news and commentary from Geocaching HQ
Favorite points! How do they factor into your geocaching plans? How do you decide when to award one to a geocache? How do you feel about them as a cache owner? Those are some of the questions we’re chatting about with HQ Lackeys Bri and Gia in this episode of Inside Geocaching HQ! You can...
As we kick off geocaching’s 25th year, Geocaching HQ is excited to announce a new feature called Treasures. Starting in spring 2025, digital Treasures will be a collectible game feature. Geocachers can collect these digital items by finding and logging caches that meet specific criteria set by HQ for each Treasure collection. HQ’s co-founder and...
Any time is a great time to plan a trip to the HQ Visitor Center in Seattle, but the idea might be even more attractive with the 25th anniversary of geocaching coming in 2025. HQ’s Guest Experience Coordinator, Jason Judt, shares some highlights of what to expect when you come see us at HQ. You...
With the holiday season fast approaching, this seems a perfect time to chat with Marty Evans, HQ’s Merchandise Manager. He leads the superstar team at Shop Geocaching. We’re talking about some of the cool stuff available in the shop, how the team chooses products, and Marty’s tendency to follow the Inside HQ host to Mega-Events...
As Geocaching HQ’s content strategist, Delanie (OnCloudDivine) has spent more time than most considering the power of words. In this episode, she shares details about that work at HQ, as well as her previous roles on the Community Volunteer Support team and Community Engagement team. You can listen to the episode via this page, or...
The geocaching community is invited to further intergalactic friendship during Cosmic Quest from July 22 through September 22. Genevieve from HQ’s Marketing team is here with details about how we can help our friends fuel their spaceship and earn geocaching souvenirs at the same time! You can listen to the episode via this page, or...
Large geocaching gatherings such as Mega- and Giga-Events draw hundreds and thousands of attendees throughout the year. We checked in with Emily W., HQ’s Community Special Events Manager, to learn more about big events, including Block Parties that are now being planned for 2025! You can listen to the episode via this page, or on...
As the EarthCache program celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, the Geological Society of America (GSA) and Geocaching HQ are suggesting some new guidance for EarthCache owners. The GSA’s Matt Dawson is here to chat about the new guidance, as well as his thoughts about 20 years of EarthCaches! Read more about the new EarthCache...
HQ recently released a new geocache and trackable logging experience on Geocaching.com. Jessica and Ari from HQ’s Product team are here to talk about what’s new and improved! You can listen to the episode via this page, or on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. If you use an aggregator to subscribe to podcasts, you...
If you’re new to the official Geocaching® app or even if you use it regularly, new features may have flown under your radar in recent months. Nicole from HQ’s Mobile Team is here to chat about a few of her favorites. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on Apple Podcasts, Google...
A recent study by Geocaching HQ's Data Team found actual DNF rates on geocaches were 3-5 times higher than what was reported in online logs. (See this blog post to read more.) In the new episode of our Inside Geocaching HQ podcast, hear more about the study and how logging your DNFs can lead to...
We’re talking about the Wheel of Challenges, which has presenting new monthly challenges to geocachers since April. Genevieve from HQ’s Marketing team stops by to chat about how they came up with the challenges. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use...
In this episode, Geocaching HQ’s president and co-founder Bryan Roth discusses upcoming price changes for new Geocaching Premium subscribers. On June 6, 2023, we will increase the prices of Premium membership for new subscribers to $39.99 USD per year or $6.99 USD per month. Prices may vary depending on your local currency and taxes. This...
Have you set your geocaching goals for 2023? Need some inspiration? We rounded up HQ Lackeys Mackenzie, Alexis, Colin, and Jessie to chat about their geocaching goals and the tips they use to achieve them. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you...
In this episode, senior product designer Jessica R. talks about her role on HQ’s Product Team and how the team’s work shapes your experience on Geocaching.com. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use an aggregator to subscribe to podcasts, you can...
Share a favorite local place you discovered while geocaching, and log a rare cache type! As the Year of the Hide celebration continues, we're excited to launch GC9FAVE – Discovered while geocaching – Locationless Cache. Cindy Potter, HQ’s Director of Community, stops by to talk about the new cache in this episode. You can listen...
August 20, 2022 is shaping up to be a big day in the geocaching world. The Geocaching 20th Anniversary Celebration is happening in Seattle, and the community has a chance to set a new world record! HQ’s president and co-founder Bryan Roth stops by to talk about the celebration, while Adam from HQ’s Community Engagement...
One of the most oft-discussed topics in the geocaching community is difficulty and terrain ratings. For this episode, we rounded up several HQ Lackeys to share their own thoughts on the subject as players and cache owners. Plus, one is also a reviewer! During the conversation, we referenced two articles: Ratings for difficulty and terrain...
Around 50,000 geocachers around the world meet the criteria to apply for a Virtual Reward by February 26, 2022. Cindy Potter, HQ’s Director of Community, is here to chat about this new round of Virtual Caches, as well as the Year of the Hide initiative. We also hear from HQ’s president and co-founder, Bryan Roth,...
Geocaching Premium members can test out Experimental features in the official Geocaching® apps for iOS and Android. Get a sneak peek at the new profile view, show Favorite points on logs, and more! Nicole from HQ’s Product Team is here to explain how to find the features and provide feedback on them. You can listen...
Waymarking.com recently celebrated its one millionth Waymark. HQ’s Bryan Roth and Sean Boots stop by the podcast to share some memories from their many years of working on the site. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use an aggregator to subscribe...
After a brief intermission due to the pandemic, the Geocaching International Film Festival returns November 11-21, 2021. HQ’s GIFF guru, Ari, is here to discuss what make makes the festival so fantastic. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use an aggregator to subscribe to...
In the early years of Geocaching HQ (when it was known as Groundspeak), Lackeys came up with a gift idea for visitors to the Seattle office: a geocoin featuring digital icons of everyone who worked there. The Lackey geocoin was born. HQ’s Roxxy has designed 11 of the 15 Lackey coins. In this episode, learn...
With more and more Adventures available to find around the world, it’s a good time to check in with Erin Thompson and Stuart Schwartz from HQ’s Adventure Lab team for an update on what’s happening with the platform. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you...
NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover will soon land in Jezero Crater on Mars, along with the first interplanetary trackable! Longtime geocacher Dr. Francis McCubbin played a huge role in this geocaching milestone. In this episode, Dr. McCubbin shares details about the project. Read more about Dr. McCubbin in the Geocaching Blog. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use an aggregator to subscribe to podcasts, you can access the RSS feed here. A full transcript is available here.
Besides being the 20th anniversary of geocaching, 2020 also marks 20 years of the partnership between Geocaching HQ’s three co-founders. In this Inside HQ podcast, Jeremy Irish and Bryan Roth share stories from HQ’s early days, talk about what makes the game and community so special, and look ahead to the future. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use an aggregator to subscribe to podcasts, you can access the RSS feed here. A full transcript is available here.
Nicole from HQ’s Product Team stops by to talk about several recent projects, including new attributes, searchable Difficulty/Terrain grid, cookies (sorry, not the edible kind), and more! You can listen to the episode via this page, or on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use an aggregator to subscribe to podcasts, you can access the RSS feed here. A full transcript is available here.
In our final (for now) episode with community volunteer reviewers, we hear about reviewing and forum moderating from South Africa, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the U.S. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use an aggregator to subscribe to podcasts, you can access the RSS feed here. A full transcript is available here.
In this installment of reviewer conversations, we hear from five reviewers, including two Geoawares. Learn more about geocache reviewing, including tips for submitting a successful EarthCache. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use an aggregator to subscribe to podcasts, you can access the RSS feed here. A full transcript is available here.
As our series of reviewer chats continues, we’ve got both coasts of the U.S. covered in this episode with community volunteer reviewers from Oregon and North Carolina. Topics include cache maintenance, reviewing during the pandemic and more. We recorded this interview remotely, so we apologize if the sound quality is not as crisp as usual. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use an aggregator to subscribe to podcasts, you can access the RSS feed here. A full transcript is available here.
In this episode, we share another conversation with community volunteer reviewers. This time, our guests are from Italy (Giulia_Tofana), Norway (Hexa Nomos), Canada (CacheShadow), and the United States (Marko Ramius). Besides learning more about the reviewer role for “regular” geocaches, we also touch on EarthCaching and other topics. We recorded this interview remotely, so we apologize if the sound quality is not as crisp as usual. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use an aggregator to subscribe to podcasts, you can access the RSS feed here. A full transcript is available here.
Community volunteers are reviewers, EarthCache reviewers, forum moderators, and translators who love geocaching and enjoy helping others. In this episode (and a few more episodes to come), we are chatting with some community volunteers about what they do and what they enjoy about their roles. Today, we’re talking with reviewers from Switzerland, The Netherlands, Israel, and Arkansas USA. We recorded this interview remotely, so we apologize if the sound quality is not as crisp as usual. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use an aggregator to subscribe to podcasts, you can access the RSS feed here. A full transcript is available here.
Andrew and Emily drop by to talk about life on Geocaching HQ’s Community Engagement Team: sharing amazing geocaching stories on social media, answering hundreds of daily community questions, and more! We recorded this interview remotely, so we apologize if the sound quality is not as crisp as usual. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use an aggregator to subscribe to podcasts, you can access the RSS feed here. A full transcript is available here.
Geocaching HQ’s president and co-founder Bryan Roth drops by to chat about the new Cache Owner Dashboard, the Adventure Lab app, and more! We recorded this interview remotely, so we apologize if the sound quality is not as crisp as usual. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use an aggregator to subscribe to podcasts, you can access the RSS feed here. A full transcript is available here.
Memory Lane is underway and Brigitte from Geocaching HQ’s marketing team is here with lots of fun details. We recorded this interview remotely, so we apologize if the sound quality is not as crisp as usual. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use an aggregator to subscribe to podcasts, you can access the RSS feed here. A full transcript is available here.
If you have used the official Geocaching® apps, then you’re familiar with Daniel Gruici’s work. He’s the Mobile Engineering Lead at Geocaching HQ. In this episode, learn about how he came to HQ and what goes into his job here. We recorded this interview remotely, so we apologize if the sound quality is not as crisp as usual. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use an aggregator to subscribe to podcasts, you can access the RSS feed here. A full transcript is available soon. And here is a bonus picture of Daniel sporting his work-from-home hair!
Maria McDonald is the Learning + Development Manager and Facilities Manager at Geocaching HQ. In this episode, she explains how she helps HQ Lackeys grow in their roles (and deliver geocaching products to the community). She also shares some tips that everyone can use in their home and work lives during these challenging times. We recorded this interview remotely, so apologies for the sound quality not being as crisp as usual. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use an aggregator to subscribe to podcasts, you can access the RSS feed here. A full transcript is available here.
Bryan Roth, Geocaching HQ’s president and co-founder, returns to the podcast to chat about HQ’s response to Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), as well as some happier topics! We recorded this interview remotely, so apologies for the sound quality not being as crisp as usual. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use an aggregator to subscribe to podcasts, you can access the RSS feed here. A full transcript is available here.
Tom Phillips oversees marketing, merchandising and the API program at Geocaching HQ. We chat about those topics and more on this episode of Inside Geocaching HQ. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use an aggregator to subscribe to podcasts, you can access the RSS feed here. A full transcript is available here.
Geocaching HQ’s president and co-founder Bryan Roth shares some thoughts about 2019, as well as what he’s looking forward to in the new year. Topics include Adventure Labs, 2020 celebrations, privacy laws, and more. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use an aggregator to subscribe to podcasts, you can access the RSS feed here. A full transcript is available here.
Cindy Potter, Geocaching HQ’s Director of Community, stops by to chat about two things to look forward to in 2020: Community Celebration Events and the just-announced Locationless Cache: Find Signal the Frog® – Locationless in 2020 (GC8FROG). You can listen to the episode via this page, or on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use an aggregator to subscribe to podcasts, you can access the RSS feed here. A full transcript is available here.
Jen Smith began her Geocaching HQ career as an intern more than 13 years ago. Since then, she has worked on a lot of big projects – from Wherigo to the new Adventure Lab app. In this episode, we hear about what it means to be a Front End Developer Lead at HQ. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use an aggregator to subscribe to podcasts, you can access the RSS feed here. A full transcript is here.
It’s almost time for GIFF, the Geocaching International Film Festival! GIFF events are scheduled for November 7-17, 2019. HQ’s Sven Otto is here to tell us what to expect this year. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use an aggregator to subscribe to podcasts, you can access the RSS feed here. A full transcript is here.
For the past several months, we’ve been hard at work improving the entire Lists experience on Geocaching.com. Aiming to make Lists not only more useful, but also easier and more enjoyable, we have completed an overhaul that we think you will love! We recently began deploying this new Lists experience. It will slowly roll out to geocachers over a period up to 8 weeks. You may see the new Lists experience today or you might not see it until the release is fully rolled out in late October. In this episode, senior product manager Brendan Walsh offers an overview of the Lists improvements. You can listen to the episode via this page, or on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use an aggregator to subscribe to podcasts, you can access the RSS feed here. A full transcript is here. Plus, find the release notes in the Geocaching Forums.
In this episode, we meet Geocaching HQ’s Director of Product, Allison Kelsey. Allison talks about HQ’s Product Team and how they contribute to the tools that power your geocaching adventures! You can listen to the episode via this page, or on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, or Stitcher. If you use an aggregator to subscribe to podcasts, you can access the RSS feed here. A full transcript is here.