Ontario

• As per the Guidelines, GPS usage is an essential element of hiding and seeking caches.

• Coordinates for placing a cache must not be sourced from online maps.

• To ensure accuracy, all coordinates must be recorded using a GPS-enabled device (GPS).

• Finding a cache should involve navigating to a specific set of coordinates using GPS.

• Using waypoint projections from a specific location is a good method of reinforcing adequate GPS use.

• Caches should not be findable using clues alone—even for Letterbox Hybrid caches. Clues can be included as a secondary method.

• Image-based puzzles that rely solely on identifying the location of a photo are not allowed unless additional details are provided, such as exact coordinates or the name of the park or site where the photo was taken.

• Reviewers cannot start or process cache page adoptions or ownership transfers between player accounts.

• Only the active cache owner can begin an adoption by visiting https://www.geocaching.com/adopt.

• Geocaching HQ will only approve ownership transfers if they receive written consent from the current owner or their legal estate.

• Once a cache is archived, it is considered permanently retired and is no longer eligible for adoption.

• Before clicking Submit for Review, cache owners should add a Reviewer Note detailing the container, hiding method, and specific placement of cache elements.

• Reviewers may question the Difficulty and Terrain ratings if the cache description or Reviewer Notes do not appear to reflect the circumstances of the hide.

• For Mystery caches that include a puzzle, the solution or explanation of how to solve it must be included in a Reviewer Note

• Geocaching HQ offers reference articles to help determine the most appropriate Size, Difficulty and Terrain ratings.

• If the cache is located at the posted coordinates, it is typically a Traditional cache. In some cases, the Field Puzzle attribute may apply.

• If the posted coordinates must be visited to gather offset information (e.g., clues for finding additional stages), it is usually a Multi-cache.

• If the posted coordinates are not meant to be visited (i.e., they are "fake") or if internet access is required to obtain final coordinates (e.g., via a webpage or Checker), it is generally a Mystery cache.

• A physical cache that includes a stamp may be listed as a Letterbox Hybrid. The cache page should include text such as: "This cache contains a stamp that is not a trade item."

• If a Wherigo cartridge is used, the cache must be listed as a Wherigo cache. The cache page must include a link to a unique cartridge hosted on Wherigo.com .

• A Bonus cache is always the Mystery Cache type. Its coordinates are revealed by finding clues in other caches or through an Adventure Lab.

• EarthCaches in Ontario are not Reviewed by the Ontario Reviewer Team. They are handled by our awesome colleague, geoawareCA.

• Click here to visit the Geocaching HQ Help Centre Article - "Hiding A Geocache - Challenge Caches".

• Click here to visit the Geocaching HQ Help Centre Article - "Hiding A Geocache - Challenge Checkers".

• Click here to visit the Geocaching HQ Help Centre Article - "Hiding A Geocache - Challenge Cache Subjectivity".

The Ontario Reviewer Team aims to maintain a consistent and fair approach to reviewing caches. Challenge caches can be particularly complex due to their subjective nature.

• Reviews are conducted with a province-wide perspective.

• A challenge cache should be appealing and attainable for a reasonable number of geocachers.

• Cache owners must have personally met the challenge requirements before submitting the cache.

• Owners must provide a list of at least 10 other Ontario-based players who have already qualified for the challenge.

• The physical container must be placed at coordinates listed on the cache page—either as the posted coordinates or a visible additional waypoint.

• Challenge caches must not include puzzle elements or hidden waypoints.

• The Difficulty rating should reflect the challenge itself, while the Terrain rating should reflect the physical location of the cache, as if it were a Traditional cache.

• A challenge cache may need to be relocated if a similar challenge already exists within 35 km (as the crow flies).

• Owners must demonstrate that there is a sufficient number of qualifying caches available at the time of publication.

• Challenges with limited or overly restrictive qualifying criteria (e.g. a limited/restrictive number of qualifying caches available) it may not meet guideline requirements.

• Challenges based on one-time events or awards (e.g., retired souvenirs) are generally not compliant with current guidelines.

• For a challenge cache the container must be placed at coordinates on the listing, either as posted coordinates, or as a visible additional waypoint.

• Challenge cache owners must demonstrate that there are plenty of qualifying caches to meet the challenge at the time of publication.

• If a challenge includes multiple layers of qualifying criteria, reviewers may request that separate caches be submitted for each distinct requirement.

• If a Challenge Cache relates to the completion of a specific D/T combinations (“Grid Art”) then a Full grid, single line, “X” and “+” are typically acceptable.

• All challenge caches published after April 21, 2015 must include a link to a unique Project-GC challenge checker, even if other verification methods exist.

• Cache owners should not request proof of qualification in logs (e.g., GC codes or bookmarks).

• It is the cache owner’s responsibility to verify that finders meet the challenge requirements using the Project-GC checker linked on the cache page

• For more information, visit the Project-GC FAQ page.

Words from Geocaching HQ regarding Challenge Caches:

“Cache owners are integral to the success of this framework. It’s important that they work within these guidelines in order to reduce the burden that reviewers felt prior to the moratorium. If after a period of evaluation, we find that a lot of the pre-moratorium issues are still causing problems, then we’ll know that this new framework isn’t the answer. We don’t have a backup plan. The only remaining option would be to not permit challenge caches as they currently exist”.

• Before placing any physical cache, cache owners are encouraged to check whether their intended coordinates are available.

• All proposed placements must comply with current Geocaching Guidelines including the 161m saturation rule.

• Cache owners should review the Geocaching Help Centre and Getting Your Cache Listed Quickly page for other placement and cache page considerations.

• It is recommended to create a placeholder cache page with the intended coordinates before submitting a Reviewer Note such as:
  “Cache not in place, please check coordinates”.

• If there are any Guidelines-related issues with the proposed coordinates, the Reviewer will notify the owner via a Disable log. 

• Unavailable coordinates cannot be reserved.

• If the physical cache is moved, owners must use the Edit link on the cache page to update the coordinates accordingly.

• If a Land Management Policy applies to the submitted location, the Reviewer will direct the owner to follow the appropriate Land Manager Permission Process.

• Cache pages should not include promotional language, recommendations, or highlight specific venue features or menu items, as this may be interpreted as commercial content.

• A neutral statement such as “Food and drink are available” is acceptable to inform attendees of purchase options at the event

• If attendees have questions about the event or venue offerings, they can contact the Event Host via their Geocaching profile page.

• The cache owner or event host must be present for the entire duration of the event and is responsible for maintaining the cache page and managing logs.

• As the Guidelines do not permit content that raises awareness, cache pages should not include health-related content even if well-intentioned.

• If a venue has specific requirements (e.g., vaccination, distancing, masking), a suggested neutral phrasing is:
  “Attendees should make themselves aware of any conditions or requirements necessary to be physically present at the event location.”

• Hosts should assign an accurate Terrain rating based on how difficult it is to reach the posted coordinates.

• Be mindful that hosting an Event or CITO at a specific time and location may prevent others from hosting nearby events, due to Event Stacking guidelines.

Event/CITO cache pages should…

• Be listed with a Difficulty rating of 1.

• Be listed with a Terrain rating of 1 if they are wheelchair accessible.

• Be listed with a fixed start time and end time (noting that any descriptive text should match the displayed date/times of the event).

• Be listed with a minimum duration of 30 minutes (if an Event), 60 minutes (if a CITO) or 120 minutes (if a Community Celebration Event).

• Be submitted for review at least 14 days prior to the event date (21 days is preferable).

• Include a social element, coordinated by the cache owner/host.

• Be open to all who can attend - if there is a limit to the number of seats/space is limited, those who stop by at the event coordinates—even briefly—must still be allowed to log attendance.

• Be stationary, with coordinates fixed to a land-based or ice surface location.

Event/CITO cache pages may…

• Mention the name of the event location (e.g., restaurant name) in the description text, but not in the cache title.

• Include generic references to a venue (e.g. wings, coffee, ice cream) in the title – but not specific product names, branded items, menu-like descriptions or text that could be interpreted as being promotional.

• Include general statements such as “Food and beverages are available” to indicate optional purchase options without being promotional.

• Provide a link to an ad-free webpage or geocaching profile that offers additional event details.

• Include references to trackables being available for sale if the trackables are specifically created for the event and they are trackable on Geocaching.com.

• Highlight educational opportunities related to specific Geocaching API partners, such as GSAK or Project-GC.

Event/CITO cache pages should not…

• Contain commercial, promotional, or agenda-driven content, whether directly stated or implied.

• Endorse or express opinions about the quality of a venue or its offerings.

• Intentionally limit the number of attendees who can participate.

• Promote the finding or placement of geocaches as part of the event.

• Be created solely to attract geocachers to an existing gathering that would occur regardless of its listing on the Geocaching website.

• Imply that attendees must participate in additional activities beyond being present at the event coordinates during the listed start and end times in order to log attendance.

• Be scheduled on the same day as a local or regional Mega/GIGA event.

• Be held near transportation hubs such as airports, cruise terminals, or train stations.

• Include recommendations, menu items, or links to websites that could be considered promotional or commercial in nature.

A CITO ("Cache In Trash Out") event should focus on the improvement parks and cache-friendly places; appropriate CITO activities include:

• Removing garbage from a designated area.

• Tree-planting.

• Trail-building.

• Removal of invasive species.

If local laws/guidelines require that attendee information be collected, refer to Geocaching HQ's "Collecting Event Attendee Information" Knowledgebase Article. 

• If two Events or two CITOs are scheduled within 2 hours of each other, they must be at least 32 km apart (measured as the crow flies).

• On the day of a Mega, Giga, or Block Party Event, any unofficial Events, CITOs, or Community Celebration Events (CCEs) (as defined here) must be located at least 80 km away from the official event (measured as the crow flies).

• The primary purpose of a CITO (Cache In Trash Out) event must be the improvement of the environment.

• Geocaching HQ permits a geocaching social event before or after a CITO event - and only if the CITO is recognizably the primary event.

• With a CITO the primary focus of the Attendees needs to be on the improvement of the environment.

• CITOs organized specifically to clean up after other events, including Mega or Giga Events, are not permitted.

As per Geocaching HQ guidance:

• Only Event Caches (not CITOs) may promote other geocaching events.

• Cache pages must not encourage or remind others to log a “Will Attend”.

• The Guidelines state that “Any mention of an event in a non-Event cache must be limited to one singular sentence similar to: "This cache has been placed for the [insert name of Event here]" placed at the bottom of the long description'.

  The Ontario Reviewer Team currently considers an exception to this guidance by specifically allowing a singular sentence that includes the name/title, event date and start time of an upcoming event (within 3 months) on a non-Event cache page with text such as:

  "This cache was placed with the intention of being found for event name/GC code on date/time" – there should be no web page/URL linking.

• Non-Event cache pages can reference Event organizing teams/Player names with text such as: “This cache was placed by the organizers of Event name/GC code” - there should be no web page/URL linking.

• There should be no implication of there being any penalty for those who choose to find/log a cache as soon as it has been Published as Published means ready to be found.

• It is also possible to make a Future Publish Request so that a cache is Published on a specific date

• A cache should not be Submitted for Review more than 3 months ahead of the intended Publish date.

• If you’d like your cache to be published on a specific date, it must be submitted for review at least 14 days in advance - preferably 21 days in advance, along with a Reviewer Note explaining the request.

• For a series or multiple caches for future Publish, the GC codes for all related caches should be communicated in each Reviewer Note.

• You may request a morning, afternoon, or evening publish time on a specific date; however, exact timing cannot be guaranteed.

• Caches should not be Submitted for Review more than 3 months before the intended publish date.

• To help improve the overall caching experience, Geocaching HQ created an algorithm to calculate an undisclosed Health Score for each geocache.

• A low Health Score is an indication that the cache may need attention from the owner.

• Health Scores are intended to improve the overall geocaching experience; they help to identify caches that may cause frustrations with potentially missing or broken caches.

• The algorithm isn't perfect; it cannot read and interpret the text within a cache page - however it may take the following aspects of a page into consideration:

1.    Did Not Find logs (DNF)

2.    Owner Attention requested logs (OA)

3.    Reviewer Attention requested logs (RA)

4.    Last find date

5.    Difficulty and terrain rating

• If the Health Score of a cache is calculated below a dynamic threshold, an automatic alert email is sent to the cache owner by Geocaching HQ.

• A Community Volunteer Reviewer may follow up to perform further actions on the cache page.

• Neither Geocaching HQ or the Community Volunteer Reviewer can assess the status of a cache; it is the responsibility of the cache owner, as part of cache maintenance.

• If there are a multiple DNFs logs on a cache - the community may not know if the cache is missing or is simply hard to find.

• If a cache page has posted DNFs - and the cache owner knows that the cache is in definitely in place - they should reassure the community by posting a Note log.

e.g. "There have been a few DNFs, however it is a clever hide! I checked on it this morning. Check the hint!"

If a Community Volunteer Reviewer does not see a response from a cache owner on their cache page after DNF/Owner Attention requests, it may be Disabled.

• If a cache owner knows with certainty that their cache is in place and ready to be found, they may Enable the cache page, with an explanatory note.

• If a cache owner is unable to definitively confirm the status of their cache, the cache page should remain Disabled and a maintenance visit should be scheduled.

• An Owner Maintenance log should only be posted after a maintenance visit has occurred.

• Only when a cache is confirmed to be in place and ready to be found should a cache page be Enabled.

The number of "false positives" flagged with this process are minimal compared to the number of abandoned caches that this process will remove from the game.

• Before requesting permission from a Land Manager for a cache, a cache owner should check with a Reviewer who will confirm if coordinates are subject to policy, permission or proximity constraints.

• Coordinates should be provided to site/property/land managers in DD MM.MMM or "GPS notation" - they should look similar to N??° ??.??? W0??° ??.??? (where ?s are digits from 0 to 9).

If a cache owners needs help converting their coordinates to DD MM.MMM GPS notation they can visit this external/3rd party site for help.

• Cache owners must request that the authority providing permission send a confirmation of permission via e-mail to cachedrone@gmail.com . 

• The permission e-mail must originate from the authority or agency responsible for the site/property.

• Permission emails must contain the GC code of the relevant cache page.

• Permission emails must include coordinates of ALL physical placements (e.g. permission is needed for each physical stage of a multi-cache)

• Once permission confirmation has been received, CacheDrone will paste the text of the permission e-mail on the cache page in a Reviewer Note.

• At this point a cache owner should make sure their cache is in place/ready to be found and the details on the cache page are accurate!

• When a cache page is ready to be seen by a Reviewer, the cache owner should click Submit for Review.