Nominees for NOVAGO’s 2025 Geocache Awards
Thanks to all those who took the time to send in nominations. While not all nominations were able to make the final cut, we were impressed with every suggestion. The hardworking awards committee have compiled the caches on this list from the very best of 2025. We invite all geocachers to go out and find as many of these wonderful caches as possible. For a geocaching friendly list of the nominees: CLICK HERE.
Voting is Open
The ballot for the 2025 NoVAGO Awards is now available. Although the deadline is Sunday, April 19, feel free to cast your ballot earlier than later – but only once! 
Please reach out to the Awards Committee (awards@novago.org) if you have questions or run into challenges.
Select to Vote: https://forms.gle/JapCjBTT1fqMztxbA
Winners will be announced at our NoVAGO’s 2026 Spring Picnic & Cache Awards Event on May 3rd at Hal and Berni Hanson Regional Park, Stone Ridge, Virginia.
Without further ado, here are the nominees:
Best Traditional Cache
GCAYK2J – Tie this, Chicky – and keep scrolling by frumiousb
GCB5X8N – The Ballston Belle by 0xDEADC0DE
GCB7D08 – Pirate Battleship by VAPirate
GCBAE03 – Idylwood FLAG by TheUnstealthy Monkey
GCBDW57 – NoVAGO ‘25 OFTs: A Gadget Sampler by rlobecker
Best Mystery/Puzzle Cache
GCB0HRH – Arboria Obscura: Unrest in the Forest (Final) by Serrabou
GCB46PV – The Battle For Leesburg – The Final Battle by The_Creeds
GGCB7GAJ – Airdrop by rlobecker
GCBB7EQ – NoVAGO ‘25 OFTs: Electric Skateboarding by Luv4VA
GCBC1YH – NoVAGO ’25 OFTs: Sudoku by rufnredy
Best Multi-Cache
GCB3A6Y – Sterling Library by SterlingLibrary
GCB3DM4 – Arboria Obscura: Bulgasari by Serrabou
GCBBPCD – NoVAGO ’25 OFTs; Mah Jongg 🀄️ by APC2
GCBCDM4 – NoVAGO 25’ OFTs: Axel Land by AxelmanAdventures
GCBF30W – The Mighty Pohick: Beech to Beech by rlobecker
Best Letterbox Hybrid
GCB3DM6 – Arboria Obscura: The Black Heart by Serrabou
GCBAFNK – Toe Shoes by Serrabou
GCBBR9H – NoVAGO ’25 OFTs: Moss & Meatsticks by OptimusFinn_MegaDork
GCBCHEW – NoVAGO ’25 OFTs: The Jedi Path by saberspark77
GCBEKCJ – NoVAGO ’25 OFTs: It’s a Jeep thing… by JPWAVE
Best Adventure Lab
GCB2DA9 – I Spy With My Little Eye…a Bonus Cache! by QUE3NBE3
GCB3DMB – Arboria Obscura: Denizens of the Garden Oak (Lab) by Serrabou
GCB3Q6Q – NoVAGO’s 2025 Spring Picnic Adventure Lab Bonus by mcgmarauders
GCBBH90 – NoVaGO OFTs 25: Baseball! Bonus Cache by Hooclass2002
GCBF4GY – 4thTurkeyDrop: Black Friday Midnight Madness Bonus by Hooclass2002
GCBFNWJ – 4th Annual Turkey Drop: Joe Friday Mystery Bonus by Awesnap
Best Wherigo
GCB9FBQ – Three-In-One 1.0/1.0 Wherigo Wonderfulness!!!! by sedor18
GCBBGF5 – Badger’s Big Belly by Hooclass2002
GCBDCB5 – Lake Fairfax Park Ghost Train by frumiousb
GCBDJC4 – Cricket, Anyone?by effstop
GCBF30Z – The Mighty Pohick: Other People’s Cachesby rlobecker
Other
GCAJJ9V – Virtually STEAMing Public Art in Reston by frumiousb
GCBDRGJ – Lake Fairfax’s Basin by schwandt
GCAJHNJ – Chapel Ruins by rlobecker
Best Theme/Series
GCB0HRH – Arboria Obscura by Serrabou
GCB3BR9 – Wrestling by MJBinski
GCB46PV – The Battle for Leesburg by The_Creeds
GCB8JAZ – 66 Parallel Trail by berningc
GCBF317 – The Mighty Pohick by rlobecker
GCBFKZP – Turkey Drop by Awesnap
Best Container
GCBAE03 – Idylwood FLAG by TheUnstealthy Monkey
GCBC07H – NoVAGO ’25 OFTs; BONUS Geocachers by ThompsonKickers
GCBDW57 – NoVAGO ’25 OFTs: A Gadget Sampler by rlobecker
GCB5X8N – The Ballston Belle by 0xDEADC0DE
GCB7D08 – Pirate Battleship by VAPirate
GCB79HE – Typical Hide: Nano Under A Bench by TheUnstealthy Monkey
Most Outstanding Location/Scenery
GCAJHNJ – Chapel Ruins by rlobecker
GCBAFNK – Toe Shoes by Serrabou
GCBCHEW – NoVAGO ’25 OFTs: The Jedi Path by saberspark77
GCB3DM4 – Arboria Obscura: Bulgasari by Serrabou
Best Historical/Educational Cache
GCAJHNJ – Chapel Ruins by rlobecker
GCB88AV – Bonus Cache – Grace Murray Hopper Memorial Park AL by Drummerbadboy
GCB95VZ – LVA250 – Farm Museum Tenant Revolt by Loudoun250
GCBF313 – The Mighty Pohick: 1937 Road by rlobecker
Best Kids
GCBDW57 – NoVAGO ’25 OFTs: A Gadget Sampler by rlobecker
GCBG5EH – Gadget Cache #3: The Games We Play by iceleftd
GCB5QDX – Go Before You Go! says Axel 🙂 by AxelmanAdventures
GCB7D06 – Pirate Safari II by VAPirate
GCB7D08 – Pirate Battleship by VAPirate
Most Physically Challenging to Find
GCAWF90 – Yeti ‘Nother sedor18 Tree Climb. How Abominable! by sedor18
GCBAFNK – Toe Shoes by Serrabou
GCBCHEW – NoVAGO ’25 OFTs: The Jedi Path by saberspark77
GCBENHF – Is There a Tree to Climb in a Meadow? Yes! by sedor18
GCB3DM6 – Arboria Obscura: The Black Heart by Serrabou
Best Event Host (for an Event or CITO)
- 02Hooson
- CherokeeThree
- DePhogration
- frumiousb
Cacher of the Year
- AxelmanAdventures
- CherokeeThree
- frumiousb
- hrothroc
- picklep77
- rlobecker
- sedor18
- TheUnstealthy Monkey
Rookie / Newcomer of the Year
- RenegadeFoil143
- yr1
Volunteer of the Year
Nominees in this category will be selected by the 2025 board and winner will be presented at the spring picnic.
Photo of the Year
Visit our monthly winners from the 2025 Photo of the Month Contest here: 2025 Photo of the Month Contest Winners
Study the photos and make note of the one you think should win Photo of the Year!
Cache of the Year
Cache of the Year will be chosen from all the caches above.
Nominees who make it to the NoVAGO annual cache awards final voting ballot may add this special SWAG to their cache page and to their geocaching.com profile as desired:
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Do you qualify for the NoVAGO’s Best of 2025 Challenge? This year we are celebrating all great caches published in 2025. Find 25 or more within the NoVAGO territories which have 5+ favorite points to qualify. Thank you vpdj for placing and maintaining this cache. (Coming Soon)