Look for these recycling bins inside local parks to begin a geocaching adventure.
/ FOX21: Mike Duran
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- Considering a "stay-cation" this year or want to try something new? The Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) has a way for you to "Live it up Locally."
Hidden inside seven area parks are some unassuming recycling bins. But the bins aren't just for going green. They're launch pads for a geocaching adventure.
The first step is to find one of the 35 Greener Corners recycling bins with a "Live it up Locally" sign, which will feature a Quick Response (QR) code.
"We're really looking toward to residents to explore their own backyard," Chelsy Murphy, Public Relations Manager for CVB, said.
The adventure kicked off this week as part of National Travel & Tourism Week.
"It's just a way to celebrate the importance of tourism, the power of tourism, in your own community," Murphy said.
Scanning the QR code will open a website with coordinates of a geocache near popular Colorado attractions.
"You actually get longitude and latitude coordinates and go and check in, and the first people to find these specific locations at these attractions will win admission passes from Pikes Peak Country Attractions Association (PPCAA), so there might be a Cog Railway ticket at Royal Gorge Bridge and Park," Murphy said.
But Murphy said it's not about the prizes, it's about the experience.
"The whole idea of geocaching is it's kind of the excitement of finding the hidden treasure, so there's a lot of people that do this as a hobby, just finding the coordinates in general makes them happy," Murphy said.
The program is also meant to help Colorado residents explore their home state.
"There are a total of 12 attractions that are participating and again anywhere from Cave of the Winds, to Echo Canyon River Expeditions down in Canon City, to Ghost Town Museum, so it's really just varied throughout the region. And we really just want to encourage people to go all over and experience Colorado Springs like a visitor would," Murphy said.
Murphy also added adventure seekers shouldn't be discouraged if the geocache prize has already been claimed.
"If you find one and it's empty it doesn't necessarily mean they're all empty, and they are gonna be replenished randomly," Murphy said.
She said with the help of PPCAA the sites will be restocked over the next few months, keeping the fun going all summer long.
"It may just be a hat or a t-shirt, something fun, but it's just something we're looking to build upon," she said.
Each geocache is located outside a Pikes Peak Country Attraction, and admission is not required to find it.
To get started visit one of the following parks:
Acacia Park
Memorial Park
Goose Gossage Park
Red Rocks Canyon
Leon Young Park
Palmer Park
Skyview Park
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