History of the Site
In 1869 two English immigrant couples settled parts of The Hollows and built a dairy farm. By the 1880's the property belonged to a German immigrant and railroad foreman who rented the land to the Kems brothers. They made and sold cheese. In 1891, Wisconsin Lime and Cement Co purchased the property and began mining the rocky soils for gravel. The land changed hands several times but mining was continuous from 1925-1955. In 1977, the Conservation District acquired 336 acres from Vulcan Materials. This site was opened to the public in 1983. Today, two lakes, Lake Atwood (22 acres) and Little Atwood Lake (2.5 acres) are remaining relics from the gravel mining days. Each year at the end of March, Lake Atwood is closed and stocked with rainbow trout. The lake reopens on the opening day of trout season (the first Saturday in April). Lake Atwood is home to a beaver. He is not seen often but from time to time during busy hours (especially the opening weekend for trout season) he can be seen floating on his back, slapping his tail against the water as warning.
About the Cache
This cache was placed for the 2011 Cache Your Way program but remains in play for the fun of it! For more information about current and upcoming Cache Your way programs, visit our website or follow us on Facebook
District Geocaching Rules
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The location can only be in an area open to the public and within 12 feet from a trail.
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The container must be made of clear material, not to exceed 4" x 8" x 12".
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Only three caches allowed per District site. Due to environmental reasons, certain sites or areas may be closed to geocaching.
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The cache may not contain food items, inappropriate, offensive or hazardous material.
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The cache may not be buried and vegetation or other natural features are not to be disturbed.
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Caches may be hidden under logs, in tree holes, in/under downed trees, in/under brush, etc. The cache may not be affixed to any man-made structure (bench, sign, pole, fence, water pump, building, etc.) or natural feature (rock, tree, stump, root, etc.) in any manner. This applies to items requiring magnets, tapes, nails, rope/string, staples or anything else to hold them in place.
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All caches must be removed or renewed at the end of each calendar year.
For a complete list of rules, visit our website www.mccdistrict.org/web/re-geocache.htm
McHenry County Conservation District Information
Visit our website at www.mccdistrict.org or call 815-338-6223 for camping/shelters, 815-479-5779 for educational programs or 815-678-4532 for the Lost Valley Visitor Center