Cache is located in a lightly-used part of Willow River State Park. Park at the coordinates below and be sure you have a daily or yearly state park sticker. Take the main trail from the lot – a very pleasant walk through the trees to the cache. A nice-sized PB Jar awaits you.
While placing this cache, a very curious red squirrel almost ran up my arm – we both were quite startled. I didn’t see a GPSr in his paw, so I don’t think he’ll muggle the cache. Here’s a bit more info on the red squirrel:
The American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) is one of two species of tree squirrels and known as pine squirrels. It is a medium sized (200–250 g) diurnal mammal that defends a year-round exclusive territory. The diet of these tree squirrels is specialized on the seeds of conifer cones. As such, they are widely distributed across North America wherever conifers are common, except on the Pacific coasts where they are replaced by Douglas squirrels. Recently American Red Squirrel’s have been expanding their range to include primarily hardwood areas.
-----------------------------------
About Willow River State Park
With 2,891 acres of prairie, forests, and panoramic river scenery, Willow River State Park offers year-round recreational and scenic attractions in Western Wisconsin. Located 5 miles northeast of Hudson on County Road A, the park has a campground, a boat launch, and a 400-foot beach and picnic area centered on 172-acre Little Falls Lake. The park has 13 miles of hiking trails that vary in difficulty. The most popular hiking trail destination is the Willow Falls area and the scenic overlooks of the river valley. Willow River State Park draws more than 300,000 visitors each year.
The Nature Center, located near the main picnic area, features exhibits on animal and plant life, and park naturalists host many interpretive programs there throughout the year. During the winter months, the Nature Center classroom is opened for use as a warming house from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. See the Wisconsin DNR website for more information. A big thank you to Aaron Mason, Assistant Park Superintendent at Willow River State Park, for reviewing and approving these state park caches!
The Geocache Notification Form has been submitted and approved by Aaron L. Mason, Assistant Park Superintendent at Willow River State Park. Geocaches placed on Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources managed lands require permission by means of a notification form. Please
print out a paper copy of the notification form, fill in all required information, then submit it to the land manager. The DNR Notification form and land manager information can be obtained at the Wisconsin DNR website.