What if I told you that there was a resort that catered to Geocachers from all over the world, would you be interested to hear more? A resort for Geocachers? Yes! There is a place that has over 40 caches hidden within 6,500 acres located just 1 hour from Atlanta, GA. Callaway Gardens is a Geocachers retreat! This nature resort is loaded with nature learning centers, miles of trails for hiking and biking, golf courses, 3 lakes for swimming, boating, or fishing, as well as elaborate gardens…oh yeah, and geocaches galore! So it really is a geocaching resort!
Callaway Gardens is a Geocaching Resort
Not all resorts are friendly to Geocachers, mostly because they don’t quite understand the game, and what it can provide to their guests. But there are other places that love the idea of geocaching and embrace geocachers on their grounds; and Callaway Gardens is one of those places that love Geocachers. Having more than 40 very creative caches located on the property, there is something to discover around every corner.
Hiking/Biking Trails Provide Great Scenery for Creative Caches
Callaway Gardens is known for its walking, hiking, and biking trails. These trails are full of exotic trees and flowers from all over the world. Located off some of these beautiful trails are several well disguised geocaches. As geocachers, we enjoy hitting the trails and breathing in the fresh air and smells of the outdoors. And when we can do this while discovering a series of geocaches, it’s even better! The trails at Callaway Gardens are a perfect blend of outdoor fun and exploration for geocachers.
One of the most popular trails at Callway Gardens is the trail that goes through the Azalea Bowl Trail. This area is full of beautiful azaleas from all over the world. During blooming season, the area bursts with color and aroma – definitely a fun time to cache! If biking is your thing, then you can either rent a bike onsite or bring your own and hit the trails. Riding bikes and discovering geocaches all around Callaway Gardens is a great way to spend the day.
Geocaching at the Butterfly Center
One of our favorite attractions at Callaway Gardens, and one that I have been visiting for years, is the beautiful Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center. The Butterfly Center is the largest of its kind in North America. This colorful, tropical conservatory is abuzz with butterflies fluttering about, and possibly even landing on you! This is also home to one of our favorite geocaches in Callaway Gardens!
It’s a tricky one, and we were a bit frustrated while trying to figure it out. It ended up being one of those lucky moments when you have come to the conclusion that you are not going to find it, then you accidentally stumble onto it! But it was only partially discovered. We had to use the code to unlock the cache that they were holding in the gift shop. Another smiley and another unique geocache discovered.
All of Callaway Gardens is Geo-Friendly, Even the Volunteers
As we were exploring the grounds of Callaway Gardens and discovering geocaches, we discovered how friendly all of the staff were to geocachers. In fact, as we were exploring the beautiful chapel on property that sits at the foot of one of the lakes, we were scratching our heads trying to figure out where this geocache was located. This is a tough one! We wandered around trying to avoid the attention of muggles, but were thoroughly stumped!
A volunteer was sitting nearby and asked us if we needed help with anything. I thought “why not just ask,” so I asked her if she knew anything about geocaching. Without hesitation she smiled and said that I was close to the cache. With a little more “hot and cold” help from the volunteer we were able to make the find. The Geo-Volunteers at Callaway Gardens can definitely help, if you need a hint!
Discovering Geocaches at Callaway Gardens
We really enjoyed spending our day exploring Callaway Gardens through Geocaching, including the Discovery and Horticulture Centers, Mr. Carson’s Garden, Butterfly Center, and the beautiful Azalea Bowl. That’s when Liz and I came to a realization that this is more than just a great nature resort to escape the big city and enjoy time with friends and family, it is also a Geo-Resort for geocachers from all over the world!
After Geocaching at Callaway Gardens, Hit the Beach or the TreeTop Adventure!
After you have enjoyed the beautiful grounds, learned about the history and horticulture of the area, then you can go relax and cool off at the beach! With fountains, white sand, mini-golf, shuffle board and a floating obstacle course in the lake, Callaway Gardens is loaded with fun for everyone! Or if you are wanting a challenging adrenaline rush, then sign up to go on their TreeTop Adventure – an obstacle course high in the trees full of fun and zip lines! Click here to read our review of the TreeTop Adventure, or here if you want to watch the video! One thing is for sure, Callaway Gardens really is an awesome nature resort, but for Geocachers it is your own little piece of adventure and discovery!
Geocaching Beyond Callaway Gardens, in Pine Mountain Georgia
Not only is Callaway Gardens a great weekend getaway, but it is located in one of the best little Geocaching secret towns in America, Pine Mountain, GA. In Pine Mountain you will also find a Geo-Horseback Trail with Roosevelt Riding Stables and FDR State Park which is full of geocaches. This little secret of a town, Pine Mountain, is a Geocacher’s Paradise.
