PUZZLE CACHING RESOURCES
I love geocache puzzles. I love solving them and I love creating them. I understand, however, that some cachers look at a puzzle and are totally lost regarding how to even start approaching solving it. If you are one of those cachers, or if you simply want to improve your skills and enjoyment of geocaching puzzles, I hope the following resources will help.
Best All Around Resource:
The best all around resource I have found for learning how to solve puzzle caches is Cully Long’s book, How to Puzzle Cache, Lessons, Tips, Tricks, and Hints for Solving Geocache Puzzles. He recently released a Second (blue) Edition, so make sure you get the most up to date version.
Available on his webpage, as well as through Amazon and other book sellers.
Puzzle Cache Training Blog:
Cully Long’s Puzzle Cache Practice Blog ran from January, 2016, through January 1, 2017, generally providing a weekly practice puzzle on Monday, various levels of hints on Tuesday, the solution on Wednesday, and then a puzzle caching resource on Friday. Start with the January 4, 2016 "Good Neighbors" puzzle and work your way through the year to get an education on a broad range of puzzle cache types.
"Training Wheel" Puzzle Caches:
Similar to Cully Long’s practice caches, there are a number of educational real world puzzle caches and series out there designed to teach cachers the wonderful world of puzzle caching. I have created a public bookmark list of over 150 of these caches. It is available at https://www.geocaching.com/plan/lists/BM665TF
Please note that the purpose of this list is to help you learn various aspects of solving puzzle caches. The goal is to solve the puzzle, not necessarily find the cache. Accordingly, the caches are not necessarily centered near where you live and many of the caches listed are archived. The point is that those puzzles should be available to solve and most still have their geochecker working so you can confirm if you correctly solved it.
Please email me if you find any other "training wheel" puzzle caches that I should add to the list.
Puzzle Caching Websites:
Geocaching Puzzle of the Day - Just what it says, a blog with links to a new puzzle cache to try each day.
Geocaching Toolbox - A very helpful accumulation of tools for solving geocaching puzzles. As stated on the webpage:
All geocaching tools a geocacher needs in one box! From coordinate notation changes to conversions to complete different coordinate systems and from distance calculations to midpoint and intersection calculations can be found here. All results will be shown on the map as a reference, next save them as .gpx or send them directly to your GPS device. With Geocaching Live support it is also possible to import coordinates of geocaches and waypoints from Geocaching.com directly into the different tools and update your personal cache note with the result.
But there is more, also word value, caesar cipher, vigenère cipher, morse code and lots more!
Geocacher’s Compass - Links to a helpful list of online puzzle caching resources
Decode.fr - This site provides a plethora of different tools to decode just about any cipher a cache owner can come up with. Just be sure that you use the English version unless you are fluent in French.
Cipher Tools - This site provides links to a number of different decoding tools.
Tips for Solving Puzzle Caches by Geocaching NSW - Again, exactly what it says
Parmstro’s Geocaching Puzzle Pages - Some hints on solving puzzle caches, including blank caches
Geocaching 103: Puzzle Caches - Hoagies' Gifted Education Page - Another good source of hints and suggestions for solving puzzle caches, with links to helpful websites
Puzzle Caching Apps (IOS) (for your consideration, not necessarily recommended):
Puzzle Caching Videos:
Cully Long - How to Puzzle Cache - GeoSnippits Reboot Podcast: Ep. 127, Sep 3, 2015
Caching in the NorthWest 333: How to Puzzle Cache w/ Cully Long, Dec 12, 2019
Other Possibly Helpful Sites:
Geocaching.com Blog Posts:
How to Solve Mystery Caches March 21, 2018
Last Modified: 03/18/20