LNP: Tent Colony Traditional Cache
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Size: 
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Park and Grab small lock-n-lock container. This parking lot is not maintained in the winter. Located in the UW Madison Lakeshore Nature Preserve (LNP). Please re-hide as found. Note: A permit is required to place a geocache in the Lakeshore Preserve.
While you can do this one as a park and grab, I encourage you to take some time to enjoy Raymer’s Cove or hike some of the trails and see the history of the Tent Colony. Raymer’s Cove is named after George Raymer who donated this land. You will find stairs at the far corner of the parking lot leading down to the shoreline of Lake Mendota. You can also enjoy bird watching and the sunsets from the lot or along the trails. Volunteers have been restoring the area and protecting rare plant species. Please always remain on the trails to help protect this area. If you follow the trail to the east, you may be able to see the remnants of the Tent Colony where summer graduate students lived from 1912 to 1962. In 1911, The University of Wisconsin bought the land for $1100 per acre, a huge sum of money at that time. By 1913, 18 wood platforms had been built for tents. By the 1930’s as many as 300 residents called this area home in the summer and there were 65 platforms for tents. In the 1960’s the Eagle Heights apartments were built across the road and was part of the reason for the closing of the Tent Colony. Now all that remains are a few concrete platform footings, a large concrete platform that once held the hand operated water pump, and concrete abutments that once supported the swimming pier. You can learn more about the history of the Tent Colony at http://www.lakeshorepreserve.wisc.edu/. While the trails are frequently used, they still make for a peaceful hike or jog with great views of Lake Mendota including several areas with benches overlooking the lake. Permission for placing this geocache was granted by Cathie Bruner of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve through obtaining a permit. Anyone wishing to place a geocache in any of the UW-Madison natural areas must apply for a permit and comply with all rules and regulations for placing a cache. The UW Arboretum prohibits the placement of any geocaches within its boundaries. Permit information and additional information regarding the UW-Madison Lakeshore Nature Preserve can be found at http://www.lakeshorepreserve.wisc.edu/. You do not need to leave the parking area to find this cache, but please use stealth as you can be easily seen. If you chose to explore, please do not leave the trails. The entire Lake Shore Preserve is filled with a lot of ecologically sensitive areas as well as research areas they are protecting. If you are interested in helping in the restoration efforts, information can be found at the website listed above. The staff does monitor geocaching activity and if they see areas are being damaged as a result of geocaching, they will require the geocache be removed. Your geo-dogs can also accompany you on this adventure, but they must be on a leash under your physical control at all times (it is the law). Please cache in and trash out any trash you encounter along the way to help keep this area clean. The preserve closes at 10P.M. and you should not attempt to find the cache during closed hours. Free parking for Lakeshore Nature Preserve visitors is available at two locations. It is limited to three hours or less. 1. N43 05.435, W089 26.031 2. N43 05.355, W089 26.360 (don’t recommend parking here when snow is on the ground) For the first to find there is an unregistered travel bug.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ernq gur znvagranapr ybtf.
Treasures
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