How Do I Know Immediately When A New Geocache Is Published Near Me?

NOTE: The following feature requires a Premium Member account at Geocaching.com.

Instant Notifications are the key to knowing about newly published caches.

Have you ever noticed how some people have an uncanny knack for being the First To Find (FTF) a Geocache?  We call these people FTF Hounds and their secret lies within this partially buried feature on the Groundspeak listing site.

Log on to your  account at Geocaching.com, pour yourself a cold glass of water, and get ready to unlock the mysteries of how they do it.  (The water is just to get you in the habit of hydrating.  You’ll need all the energy you can muster if you want to be the FTF!)Profile Link

  1. Click on your name in the top right hand corner of the screen.
  2. Click on Setup Notifications
  3. Click on Create
  4. Now just fill in the form. Here’s some sample data to get you started:
  • Name:  New Traditional
  • Type to Watch:  Traditional Cache
  • Check Publish Listing
  • Keep the default coordinates (your Home)
    Create New Notification

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  • Distance in Miles:  30
  • Check Enable Notifications

5.  Click Create Notification

6.  Setup a sound on your email inbox to notify

New Notification

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you when the alert comes in.  (On your smartphone you may have to change the email Fetch setting to Push email to your phone)

NOTE:  You will need to create a new notification for each cache type (i.e. Traditional Cache, Multi-Cache, Unknown Cache, etc.)

Try changing parameters to best suit your needs.  For instance you might change the coordinates to center the location to where you work, or use a Postal Code for your upcoming vacation.

Instant Notifications can be used to monitor a particular area for certain types of log activities.  Setup your alerts and you will soon be a force to be reckoned with when new caches are published.