I was out driving around looking for spots to place caches when I
wandered down Neck Road and found Cowan's Ford Wildlife Refuge.
This is the kind of spot I love to find while caching. Secluded,
quiet, and a little hidden gem in the northern part of Mecklenberg
County. I decided that even though I truly enjoyed the peace and
quiet here I'd share this spot with fellow cachers that may enjoy
the same.
Cowan's Ford Wildlife Refuge is a 668-acre peninsula bordered by
the Catawba River and extending into Mountain Island Lake, a
reservoir of the Catawba River and primary drinking water source
for over 700,000 people in Mecklenburg and Gaston counties. Located
near Charlotte, NC in Mecklenburg county, the refuge is designated
an Important Bird Area (IBA) by the Audubon Society of North
Carolina.
Entrance into the interior of the refuge is prohibited
without proper authorization. The general public is limited to
the entrance road (Neck Rd.) and the observation platform at the
terminus of the road.
Cowan's Ford Wildlife Refuge is a 668-acre peninsula extending
into Mountain Island Lake, a reservoir of the Catawba River and
primary drinking water source for over 700,000 people in
Mecklenburg and Gaston counties. The refuge protects a diversity of
natural communities, four miles of shoreline, and a natural
heritage site.
I could go into a lot of the interesting information I found while
researching the area but I figure I'll just provide links since I
know most people don't read the history. (I'll admit, I'm one of
those people.)
Charlotte Mecklenburg Parks and Rec page about Cowans
Ford
Charlotte
Bird Club
Wildlife South
THERE IS NO NEED TO CROSS THE BOUNDARIES OR FENCES TO GRAB THIS
CACHE.
The cache itself is nothing but a magnetic key box with a small
guard and shouldn't be hard, or tricky at all.
FTF honors go to the honorable
SmithyPeaknuckle