Caching in Delaware is a topic that covers a lot of territory. If you look back at the menubar on the left you will see that three subtopics have appeared under the Caching in Delaware topic. Click on any subtopic to explore that facet of Geocaching in Delaware. Or, you can scroll down this page to learn a bit of the history of geocaching in Delaware.

Geocaching began in Delaware on December 30, 2000 when cache_ninja placed dElAWare 7{1} in Trap Pond State Park. The year 2001 saw 10 additional caches placed. For each of the following years - up to the present - the number of Delaware geocache placements has doubled. The Year 2006 was the best year yet for Geocaching in Delaware. In the graph below you will see that the number of Geocaches placed in Delawae has doubled almost every year. We have great expectations for 2007!

For those who would like to see a month by month comparison we supply this table.

We also supply this Summary of Delaware Geocaching Activities for the year 2006.

This graph shows the adjusted* number of cache placements in Delaware.
* Adjustments have been made for archived sites.

The State of Delaware offers geocachers a lot of opportunity for placing geocaches and a variety of locales for finding caches. The state is situated on a peninsula between Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey. In total area Delaware ranks 49th in the nation. It contains 1,982 square miles. It is 96 miles long and varies from 9 to 35 miles in width. The lowest spot is sea level since the state is bordered on the east by the Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The highest spot is only 442 feet above sea level.

Delaware is divided into three counties. Each has a distinct makeup. New Castle, the northernmost county is a mix of urban and suburban areas. Mixed in are several towns dating to colonial times. Kent, the middle county, is becoming more suburban but still has large stretches of rural land. The State Capital, Dover, is located there. Sussex, the southernmost county, is largely rural but also contains a large beach area with access to sand dunes as well.

Geocache sites are most plentiful in New Castle County, Kent placements are next, Sussex currently has the fewest.

While Delaware has no National Parks, it does have a fine system of State and County parks. These are well maintained and vary from those with numerous hiking trails to specialty parks such as the equestrian Carousel Farms. Almost all feature a mix of open spaces and forested area. The State of Delaware has established regulations for the placing of caches in State Parks. (See the section Caching in Delaware Parks for more information).