According to the Help Center of Geocaching, this GPS-based game was created on May 2, 2000, after the US Government stopped its use of Selective Availability (an intentional degradation of public GPS signals implemented for national security reasons). Dave Ulmer, a computer consultant, wanted to test GPS accuracy by hiding a navigational target in the woods. He called the idea the "Great American GPS Stash Hunt" and posted it in an Internet GPS users' group. The idea was simple: Hide a container in the woods and note the coordinates with a GPS unit. The finder would then have to locate the container using only his or her GPS receiver. The rules for the finder were simple: "Take some stuff, leave some stuff."
For the first few months of its existence, geocaching was confined to experienced GPS users who already used the technology for outdoor activities. Like many new and innovative ideas on the Internet, the concept spread quickly and especially when many media relay the information. It was the case with Slashdot, a popular online magazine for techies, reported the new activity on September 25, 2000. This introduced a larger group of technology professionals to the activity. The New York Times picked up the story a month later and featured it in its "Circuits" section on October 26, starting a domino effect of articles written in magazines, newspapers, and other media outlets around the world. CNN featured geocaching in a December 2000 segment.
In late 2000, Jeremy Irish partnered with Elias Alvord and Bryan Roth, to start a company called Groundspeak Inc. The growing community chanted the mantra "If you hide it, they will come”. Today you can go just about anywhere in the world and be able to walk, bike, or drive to a nearby hidden cache.