Discover the beauty and history of Roanoke County with a fun day of Geocaching!

This third annual free, state of the art, Geocaching event is a treasure hunt and an amazing race all tied into one. On Saturday, May 14, 2011 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting at Roanoke County’s Green Ridge Recreation Center (7415 Wood Haven Road in Roanoke) the hunt begins. At 10 a.m. we will host a social hour for both experienced geocachers and beginners to mix and mingle. Pre-register to ensure your spot or arrive at 10 a.m. to register the day of the event. All participants must return to Green Ridge Recreation Center by 3 p.m., so points can be tallied and prizes awarded.

Using a hand-held GPS, longitudes and latitudes, a well thought out game plan and pure tenacity will get you to all the various sites within Roanoke County. At each site there will be a cache/caches and inside each cache lies your “treasure.” There will be one gold colored coin valued at five points, one silver colored coin at three points and “gems” with a value of one point each. The object will be to accumulate as many points as possible, taking only one coin or gem from each location. You may compete as an individual, family or in teams. We strongly suggest there be two people per car (at least one navigator).

Submitted by Amy Hanek.

Read on for more information about the treasure hunt.

Not sure “how to” operate a Global Positioning System device? No problem; FREE instructional classes are offered at Green Ridge Recreation Center Saturday, May 7. Registration for this class is necessary and can be done online at www.RoanokeCountyParks.com. For those beginners unable to attend a class a geocaching tutorial is also available at www.geocaching.com. A limited number of GPS units will be available to those who do not bring their own. A $150 deposit will be required for their use. Deposits can be either a personal check or cash. The deposit will be returned upon the safe return of the GPS unit.

The mission, should you decide to accept, is to be the individual, family or team to return with the most accumulated points. Prizes will be awarded but a “fun-tastic” time will be your ultimate reward as you take in the beautiful and historic Roanoke County scenery and breathtaking views in the great outdoors. The Amazing Treasure Hunt is an event of Roanoke County Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism with support from the Roanoke Star Sentinel. For more information and complete details call 540-387-6078 ext 251 or visit www.RoanokeCountyParks.com.