The Gold Rush may have ended, but you can still find some “hidden treasures” in the Black Hills. Even though stumbling upon some old logging trails or ghost towns are probably enough to make you feel like you’re part of an adventure, there’s a popular, modern way to go on a treasure hunt in the Black Hills: geocaching.

Geocaching is probably best described as a modern treasure hunt using GPS technology. Using a provided latitude and longitude along with a GPS device, you search for a hidden treasure, usually in the form of a cache. What’s inside the cache (which is usually around the size of a shoebox) varies, but you’ll probably find at least a logbook and a pencil inside. There might be some small trinkets inside, too, but be sure that if you take something from the cache, you leave something in return (A little geocaching courtesy).

So, where do you get these coordinates? Take a look at www.geocaching.com. The site provides listings of caches that can be found based upon zip code, state or latitude and longitude, and allows you to publish the coordinates of your own hidden cache. You’d probably be surprised by the popularity of geocaching. I did a search for caches within a 100-mile radius of Bell Fourche, and there were a recorded 765 hidden items!

I’ve never been geocaching, but now I’m pretty curious. A little treasure hunt might be a great way to enjoy and explore the Black Hills. As you may have guessed, there are rules and guidelines that should be followed, so take a look before you get started. Anyway, good luck on your next treasure hunt!