The geocache description reads, “No need for screwdrivers, hammers or explosives to open this box,” but after taking a look at this puzzle box, we’re not so sure. Some geocaches show you amazing vistas, others take you on subterranean adventures, and some—like this difficulty 4, terrain 1.5 geocache—put your brain to work. Antron’s Puzzle Box #2 (GC40M7T) may be hidden in plain sight, but actually opening the geocache is where the challenge lies.

“I will not divulge what took longer. The drive from Vereeniging, the cracking of the combination lock code or opening of the Puzzle box, but it was a concerted effort between Mrvan & RumJack working as a tag team to crack this one,” said geocacher Avanclan in their log.

This geocache is guarded by a combination lock, several locking mechanisms, a secret code and a particular series of steps. When asked about creating these puzzle boxes, the geocache creator Antron said, “both Puzzle boxes in Parys (GC3R5ER and GC40M7T) took us about three months each to design and construct. It took about ten prototypes before the final product was ready for placement. Our ‘self-inflicted’ goal is to try and not place a cache if it is not as good or even better than our previous cache.”

This geocache has only been active for a few months, but has already garnered much praise and 11 Favorite Points (as of this writing). One look at the logbook and you can see just how much fun a well-made puzzlebox geocache can be. “Contender for the best cache we’ve done so far. Ever. Definitely the longest one. Took us around 45 minutes to fight a solution out of the thing. So frustrating, and yet such a feeling of achievement when we finally got to sign the logbook! Thanks so much for this cache, amazing experience,” wrote Geogamy & Sheldor, who has 1,341 finds. According to the geocache creator Antron, “the positive logs and e-mails we receive is all the reward that one can ask for.”

Geocache containers come in all shapes, sizes and difficulty. We always enjoy seeing geocaches that have an incredible amount of craftsmanship put into them. What geocache containers have you seen that have blown your mind?

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog or view the Bookmark List on Geocaching.com.

If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, send an email with your name, comments, the name of the geocache, and the GC code to pr@geocaching.com.

In the forest near Baden- Wϋrttemberg, Germany lies a doorway that supposedly leads to vast hidden treasures. But to get the find for this treasure, you’re going to have to put in some work. Das Vergessene Portal (The Forgotten Portal) (GC3HWBE) will test your puzzle-solving skills as well as your patience.

The geocache owner die wilden crossies had this to say about creating this difficulty 2.5 terrain 3 geocache, “You start with a not-too-difficult puzzle, have an idea for a good history, some craft talent and some mechanic operations for the ‘wow-effect.’”

He then drew inspiration from exciting, treasure-hunting movies like “The Goonies” and “Indiana Jones” to create an entire history for this geocache. The description tells the story of a castle that once existed near the portal. During a ferocious battle, residents of the castle secured a large treasure within the portal and locked it with two locks. Now, the treasure can only be recovered by deciphering the code and using the correct keys to open the portal.

Frau Potter, from Geocaching HQ, had the opportunity to find this geocache during a trip to Germany. In her log, she writes, “This geocache is very inventive and exciting. We had some trouble, but thankfully some local experts were there to help us along.” Another geocacher to log find the geocache was dieroes, who wrote in their log (translated from German), “From the first log it was clear, this was something special. We had high expectations on the way and were not disappointed…Many, many thanks to the owner for this great work!”

While geocachers  may not find gold and gems hidden by ancient castle-dwellers, the real treasure is the satisfaction of solving the puzzle and adding another smiley to your Geocaching profile. “I wanted to give pleasure to all the geocachers who will discover the forgotten portal,”die wilden crossies said. With a creative backstory, an inventive geocache container and an intriguing puzzle—we think he succeeded. Have you come across a geocache with an amazing story? Tell us about it in the comments.

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog or view the Bookmark List on Geocaching.com.

If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, send an email with your name, comments, the name of the geocache, and the GC code to pr@geocaching.com.

Last week, we hit a major Geocaching milestone: our two millionth active geocache. This feat happened only three years after the millionth geocache, which means our favorite activity continues to grow by leaps and bounds. To continue the celebration, this week we’re featuring the geocache that put us at the two-million mark: Overwatch #1 (GC46N4E) near Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia.

Take one look at the log book and you’ll see just how excited the Geocaching community is about the two millionth geocache. There are more than 1500 notes from geocachers all over the world sending congratulations and well wishes to the geocache creator, rAMPant_1.

Geocacher TheRadioheads writes, “Wow, what a milestone to have: we would like to add our congratulations on having the 2,000,000th cache published.” Geocaching HQ got in on congratulating rAMPant_1 by sending a Geocaching care package. The package includes personal tags from those that work at Geocaching HQ and Lackey Geocoins. Who knows, they may end up as swag in the 2,000,000th active geocache.

And that geocache is no walk in the park. The difficulty and terrain are both 3.5 and the search includes a scramble up a short, steep slope. From ground zero, you’ll get an amazing view of Alice Springs and the surrounding country.

So far, Overwatch #1 only has one find by geocacher tttedzeins, but we’re guessing that this geocache will have plenty of “found it” logs soon.

Are you planning on making the trip to Alice Springs to log the two millionth active geocache?

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog or view the Bookmark List on Geocaching.com.

If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, send an email with your name, comments, the name of the geocache, and the GC code to pr@groundspeak.com.

Since the two-millionth geocache is right around the corner, we thought this would be a great time to take a look back into Geocaching’s past. This week’s Geocache of the Week takes us to the capital and most populous city in Germany: Berlin. First Berlin Cache (GC2EB4) was hidden by geocacher error404 on December 29, 2001—that’s only about a year and a half after the first geocache was placed in the United States. Since then, this geocache has earned over 1,000 smileys and (as of this writing) 48 Favorite Points.

This historic geocache is on the must-find list for many geocachers worldwide. However, just because it’s been around for a long time doesn’t mean it’s an easy find. The difficulty and terrain ratings are both 1.5, however, according to the description, a bit of stealth and a decent walk are required. “Oh man, that was a long a bitter march to this historic place. But it was worth it and we were able to log Berlin’s first geocache,” said geocacher wullebaer in their log. (The original log is in German and was translated for this blog.)

A lot has happened in the 12 years since the geocache was first hidden. The surrounding environment, land-owners and land-use policies have all changed, which meant the geocache had to evolve. Berlin’s first geocache has began as a small traditional geocache, changed to a multi-cache, and is now a micro. This geocache has even changed owners: the cache is now maintained by geocacher Jack_Sparrow and crew. Regardless of the changes, this geocache remains a significant part of German geocaching history.

As we get closer and closer to the two-millionth geocache, be sure to take a moment to look back at the historical geocaches in your area. Who knows, you might find inspiration for your next hide.

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog or view the Bookmark List on Geocaching.com.

If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, send an email with your name, comments, the name of the geocache, and the GC code to pr@groundspeak.com.