Girl Scouts At The Hop... Traditional Cache
Girl Scouts At The Hop...
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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This cache is a regular size lock-n-lock and is in Hopatcong State Park located in Landing NJ. I spent many years employed here. It is located along the short, white blazed trail up in the woods. This trail was made a few years ago by one of the summer seasonals from the park as his Eagle Scout project. The easiest access is once you are in the parking lot, look up at the picnic area and go to the right of the picnic pavilion and the entrance is to the far right corner. There is almost no bushwhacking needed, it is located right along the trail. Be advised that there is a tollbooth in operation from Memorial Day through Labor Day with cars costing $10 on weekends & $6.00 on week days. However the booth closes usually around 5 or 6PM so after that it is free. Also weekends during the summer most times the park is full to capacity by 9 or 10 AM. After labor day there is no parking fee, only a boat launch fee on the weekends. Some facts and a little history of the park and the lake. Lake Hopatcong is the largest manmade lake in the state. It is 9 miles long and covers 2500 acres. Originally it was 2 smaller lakes that fed the Muscanetcong River. In 1750 a dam was constructed across the river to provide power to a local iron forge. This raised the level in the lake by 5 feet causing the two to become one. In the mid1800, the Morris Canal & Banking Company (who owned the canal) built a bigger dam, raising the level of the lake by another 6 feet, making it the main source of water for the Morris Canal. The Morris Canal was a 90 mile water way that extended from Newark to Phillipsburg. For half a century, this canal was the chief means of transporting coal, iron and zinc across the state. In 1866, more then 880,000 tons of freight were transported along the canal. When the more efficient railroad was established, the canal was abandoned. In 1922, the state of New Jersey received the property from the Morris Canal & Banking Company. There are various portions of the canal that are labeled with signs across the state. The Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum is located in the park, however they work on limited hours as it is staffed by volunteers. Exhibits include local Indian history, the Morris Canal and lake history. The hours are noon to 4 PM on Sundays from mid-March through mid-May and again mid-September through November. For more information their number is 973-398-2616.
Geocache Identification Permit Approval Number: HSP20180122002
Permit Expires on: 1/22/27
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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