Mystery

Mystery Caches can have many different designs. Here are the most common ones:

Puzzle caches

The posted coordinates are usually bogus coordinates. Geocachers must solve a puzzle on the cache page to get the coordinates for the first stage or the final container. All clues needed to solve the puzzle must be on the cache page, and the information to solve the puzzle must be publicly available. Before you submit the cache page, post a Reviewer Note with an explanation of how the puzzle is solved. Reviewer Notes are automatically deleted when the cache is published.

Bonus caches

Clues for bonus caches are often hidden in one or more other caches by the same cache owner. Bonus cache clues should not be placed in another bonus geocache.

Challenge caches

Challenge caches encourage geocachers to set and achieve fun goals. The seeker has to find a set of geocaches defined by the challenge owner before they can log their find. The container must be placed at the posted coordinates, either as posted coordinates or as a visible additional waypoint.

Stages and coordinates

Like all geocaches, Mystery Caches must involve GPS use. Like Multi-Caches, they may have multiple stages but are not required to.

The posted coordinates of a Mystery Cache may be any one of these:

  • Bogus coordinates

  • Parking or trail head coordinates

  • The first stage

  • The final stage

If the posted coordinates are not for the final stage, the final coordinates must be added as an additional waypoint. The final stage cannot be more than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the posted coordinates. This allows the cache to show up in nearby searches.

If the cache includes a projection, the projection may be calculated based on the posted coordinates without visiting the location.