Rules and licenses
Florida geocaching needs the land manager before the hide
Finding a cache can be simple fun, but hiding one on Florida public land often needs the park, district, refuge, forest, or FWC land manager to approve the spot first.
Geocaching can turn a Florida walk into a small treasure hunt.
Finding an approved cache is usually the easy side. You follow the coordinates, use the clues, sign the log, trade a small item if that is part of the cache, and put everything back where it belongs. It can be a fun way to notice a park, trail, or overlook that you might have skipped.
Hiding a cache is different. Public land has a manager, and the manager gets a say. A state park, FWC-managed area, water district property, national forest, refuge, city park, or county preserve may all use different rules. Some require permission, a permit number, a request form, location approval, yearly renewal, or limits on where a container can go.
The goal is not to make the game boring. It keeps caches away from wetlands, cultural sites, wildlife areas, safety problems, spur trails, buried spots, bridges, boardwalks, equipment, and places the public should not enter.
Before hiding one, write down the exact property, coordinates, container, route, and how you will maintain it. Then ask the land manager. A good cache should feel like a small discovery, not a new problem for the land.
Where to see it
Florida state parks, FWC-managed lands, water district lands, preserves, forests, refuges, and local parks where geocaches may be found or proposed. Check the exact land manager before hiding a cache.
Connected places
These place pages create the local paths back to this note.
Official sources
- Florida State Parks - Geocaching
- FWC - Geocaching Guidelines
- South Florida Water Management District - Geocaching Request Form
Last checked against these sources: July 6, 2026.
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