Geocaching in Austrian National Parks

Abstract

Geocaching started in the year 2000 as a leisure activity in which the recreationists try to find containers (so-called geocaches) based on coordinates. Since geocaches are often hidden off-trail in natural surroundings, protected areas might be affected. This paper analyses the situation in Austrian national parks and discusses possible effects on conservation goals. The study is based on online- and GIS-based analyses. To assess environmental impact and disturbance, the following indicators were used: types of hiding places, surrounding area, frequency of finds, and distances between the hiding places and the nearest trails. The results show that geocaching takes place in all six Austrian national parks, but to different extents; that caches are most commonly hidden in natural environments; that the frequency of finds differs significantly between the various parks, and that parks closer to urban areas tend to be used more for geocaching.