NSF Labs · Updated November 1, 2026 · Web, Android, iPhone and iPad

Your next discovery starts here.

ViaCache brings caches, landmarks, outdoor discoveries, quests and traveling trackables together. Cash is your companion along the way.

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Read the Terms of Use and confirm the adult-account and outdoor-risk agreements. Accounts are for adults 18 and older. Younger participants must have guardian authorization and a responsible supervising adult physically present; they do not create independent accounts. Browse the map without signing in. Sign in with an available Apple, Google or email option to save account history, create caches and trackables, or join quests. Verify your email when a feature asks you to.

Native sign-in opens your system browser. Follow the displayed connection-code instructions and return to ViaCache. Never share your password or connection code. If a connection expires, start again.

Explore somewhere nearby—or somewhere next

1. Use the map or discovery list. Choose Near me / Center me to use your foreground location, or search a city, state or destination manually.
2. Choose a search distance: 20, 50, 100, 250 or 500 miles, or All. All removes the distance cap; results still load in pages or map clusters rather than all markers at once.
3. Open filters to select discovery types and their nested categories. Counts describe the current search/map context. The home nearby-discoveries summary uses a 20-mile radius around the map center.
4. Look specifically for memorials and famous-person sites, caves, springs, geysers, sinkholes and other supported categories. Listings depend on source coverage; we do not claim every real-world place is included.
5. Open a place for details, source attribution, access information, saving and directions. A published listing is not a guarantee of safe conditions or permission to enter.

OpenCaching.US is an optional public source. Its listings and recorded ViaCache visits do not automatically synchronize your logs to an OpenCaching account. iNaturalist and air-quality links open separate resources; their coverage and policies apply.

Record a find or visit

At a permitted location, open the discovery and choose the find/visit action. Provide the requested fresh location and any required answer or evidence. If accuracy is insufficient, wait for a better fix. Do not create false logs, trespass or enter a dangerous site to earn points. Eligible real finds count toward your history and Explorer XP. Practice/demo activity is separate and never represents a verified outdoor visit.

For an unsuccessful physical-cache search, use Did not find. Three consecutive eligible did-not-find reports take the cache out of active service for owner maintenance. Photo sharing is optional: send only images you own and are permitted to share. The upload flow explains Cloudflare AI screening and human review; approved photos may become public. Reports and blocks are available on supported public-content screens.

Start a cache

Select Start a cache and give it a name, description and location. Choose a container size: Tiny (smaller than a pill bottle), Mini (about an Altoids-sized tin), Small (sandwich-bag capacity), Medium (quart to half-gallon capacity), or Large (gallon or larger, such as a suitable ammo-style box). Set difficulty and terrain from 1 to 10. These are the owner’s estimates, not an accessibility certification.

Confirm landowner/agency permission and applicable local restrictions. Submit the draft for the supported review process; saving a draft does not publish it. Listings show the owner and placement/last-found information when available. Keep your cache maintained. After an automatic three-DNF archive, check the site, repair or replace the container as necessary, confirm restoration and resubmit before it returns to active discovery.

Make a traveling item—no purchase required

1. Open Trackables and choose Create a free trackable. Add a name, mission and optional personal label.
2. ViaCache generates a unique tracking number in three groups of six digits. Keep leading zeroes. Older ViaCache tracking codes continue to work.
3. Print or download the label. It contains the number, QR quick link, barcode and “if found” instructions. A label identifies the item; it is not an account password or proof of ownership.
4. Attach the label securely to your own object. Do not include your address, phone number or other private details. A sturdy/weather-resistant label helps outdoors.
5. Add an optional photo to the owner record. The item remains in your collection when another member carries it. Removing its photo does not transfer ownership.
6. Use Scan / enter code to discover the item. Use the eligible physical cache’s pickup/drop workflow to change custody; those actions require the relevant location/account checks. A sighting does not transfer custody.

On the website, printing opens the browser print dialog. In the mobile apps, it opens the system print chooser. Choose a compatible printer available to your device, or save/share the PDF where the operating system supports it. ViaCache does not configure your printer or Wi-Fi. Printed tags from the store are planned; ordering and checkout are not yet available.

Item names, missions, owner attribution and item journey/cache references can be public. Journey screens do not display a live carrier location or carrier identity. Keep personal information out of item text and pictures.

Start and stop a walk

In the native apps, open Basecamp → Activity. Start a walk explicitly and allow foreground location to measure distance. Motion/physical-activity permission enables sensor steps where supported. You can record GPS distance without granting motion access.

Recording pauses when the app goes into the background or the phone locks. Resume when back in the app, then stop and save the summary. Saved duration, distance and available steps are private to your account and can be deleted. The raw GPS route is not uploaded. No Apple Health or Health Connect all-day synchronization is used. Counts are estimates for recreation, not medical measurements. The website can show saved activity; use the native app for sensor-based walks.

Make Basecamp yours

Tap and hold a dashboard card, then drag it to a new position. Earlier/later controls offer an alternative. Saved order follows your signed-in account across supported devices. Trackables has one card; open it to see owned, carried and followed items.

Settings / My profile lets you choose a public codename and avatar, and write a bio and interests. Bio publication and leaderboard participation are separate choices. Your sign-in name, email and location are not automatically included in the public bio. Avoid putting location details or contact information in the text you choose to publish.

Explorer XP and friendly competition

• 10 XP: publish a new approved cache; first eligible deployment of your own trackable.
• 8 XP: complete another explorer’s quest.
• 5 XP: record an eligible cache find.
• 3 XP: record a point-of-interest visit; move another explorer’s trackable.
• 1 XP: discover another explorer’s trackable.

Each qualifying member/action/item earns once. Repeated logs, draft saves, reprints, purchases and republication do not multiply competitive XP. Existing historical XP is preserved where applicable as legacy credit toward personal levels. Practice XP belongs to practice/demo activity. “Adventures remembered” refers to your recorded find/visit history, not a separate currency.

Explorer levels show progress toward the next milestone. Public standings are optional, with monthly and all-time views. Save a codename, explicitly choose a competition league, then opt in. You may choose one national, state/province, county/census-division and city/municipality league. Leagues are choices, not disclosures of where you live or explored. Public standings show chosen identity and score, not GPS positions or private history. Opt out at any time. Monthly periods use UTC, ties share a rank, and legacy credit does not affect competition.

Create and join quests

Core quests are free. In the web quest tools, create questions or map checkpoints, review the settings and choose the intended audience. Invitation-only quests remain separate from public discovery. Share invitations only with intended participants. Joining a quest does not grant permission to access restricted land.

Optional AI drafting sends the text/settings you explicitly submit to Cloudflare AI. Remove names, children’s identifying information and confidential material first. Review every generated question and answer. AI does not publish your quest for you. Native clients retain the supported join/play flow; advanced authoring may open the web tools.

Permissions, privacy and deletion

Location is used when you request location-dependent features; continuous background location is not used. Camera access supports scanning or taking a photo. Photo selection provides chosen images rather than a public view of your library. Printed labels go through the device’s print/PDF services and chosen printer. Declining a permission should leave unrelated browsing available.

Browser Basecamp → Settings offers Download my account data. Native My profile and browser Settings offer Delete my account. Review the consequences and type DELETE to confirm. Deletion removes owned shared caches, quests and trackables as well as account history; other participants may lose access to those owned resources. Store receipts and previously downloaded copies held by others are separate. Recovery backups expire separately under the privacy policy.

Full privacy policy · Account/data deletion · Terms of Use

Troubleshooting and support

• No search results: check map center, distance, categories and source toggles, then retry with a broader area. Check your connection.
• Location denied: continue manual browsing, or enable location for ViaCache in device settings when you want on-site features.
• Walk steps unavailable: check motion/physical-activity permission and device sensor support. GPS distance and sensor steps can differ.
• Printer missing: check device/printer compatibility and network configuration. Try saving a PDF and printing through your device’s normal tools.
• Tip pending or interrupted: check Apple/Google purchase history before retrying. Tips unlock nothing and are not required to keep exploring.
• Inappropriate content: use the item’s report/block controls or contact support with the item/profile reference. Opening an email draft does not send it; review and send it yourself. Blocks are stored on the current browser/device; they do not delete content or replace moderation.

Contact [email protected] with the app version, device and reproduction steps. Never send passwords, tracking codes for items you do not wish to share, or payment details. For immediate danger, use local emergency services.