Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Geocachers will be hitting the trails, roads and waterways across Lennox and Addington on Aug. 17 as the county hosts its 11th annual Discover L&A Geocaching Event.
Described as a ‘global treasure hunt’, geocaching involves seeking out hidden caches by use of global position system coordinates. Some caches are easy to find while others require a bit of skill and detective work.
This will mark the ninth straight year the event can boast of being a prestigious ‘mega’ event.
“A Mega event is defined by Geocaching HQ as an event that draws more than 500 visitors,” said Rob Plumley, economic development officer with L&A County. “We double that number, or more, each year. We’re proud to be the only annual mega event in Canada and visitors travel here from across Canada, the US and even Europe and beyond. We get a lot of annual visitors that incorporate us in to their annual vacation plans.”
L&A’s event has become an August tradition for region, becoming a major tourism draw.
Geocachers hit the waters of the Napanee River in search of caches as part of the 2022 Discover L&A Mega Event. Photo by Adam Prudhomme.
“I think what sets us apart is we have over 1,500 quality geocaches hidden throughout Lennox & Addington,” said Plumley. “Dozens of new caches are placed for the event every year to keep things fresh. Our communities are diverse and it makes the game fun for participants. Our volunteers are cachers themselves and they know what it takes to keep things entertaining. Seeing that we continue to be a destination for cachers from across North America and beyond, we must be doing something right.”
Things kick off on Aug. 17 at 8:30 p.m. with an event at the L&A Dark Sky Viewing Area. Weather permitting, visitors will receive a laser-guided stargazing tour and can take a look through a high-powered telescope.
On Friday is the popular Water Cache Canoe & Kayak Cruise. Cachers will gather at the King Street Boat Launch at 10 a.m. where about 100 or so vessels will hit the river. They will be searching for a number of new water caches hidden along the shoreline. On Friday night at 6:30 p.m. a concert is being held outside at the Museum of Lennox & Addington and geocachers can catch up with one another and plan their Saturday excursion. The main event is Aug. 19. Cachers gather in the morning at the museum and then spend the day geocaching in communities across Lennox & Addington. They gather back at the museum for prizes and our popular group photo at 4 p.m.
“From an economic impact perspective, anytime we can bring in 1,000 plus visitors into our communities for an extended period of time it’s a really good thing,” said Plumley. “Our hotels, motels and STAs are booked, and our restaurants and small businesses notice the difference as well. Geocaching is a year-round activity, so this event also allows us to showcase our caching opportunities and many return throughout the year to explore our communities.”
To learn more, visit www.LandAGeocaching.com.