Welcome to the 2nd Annual Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission's Geocaching Adventure! This is one of a series of 10 geocaches hidden throughout our parks and preserves system. Whether you find one or find them all, we hope you enjoy your visit!
The 2012 Geocaching Adventure is a high-tech, hide-and-seek game played in 10 different Washtenaw County parks and preserves. Visit each of the 10 locations and find the geocache hidden on the grounds! All 10 geocaches are hidden with varying degrees of difficulty to make the Adventure both fun and challenging. We hope that, in addition to geocaching, you will take a moment to enjoy the offerings at these properties, which include nature trails, bike paths, perennial gardens, lakeshore beaches, and much, much more.
There is no need to register with the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission in order to participate in the 2012 Geocaching Adventure. All you need is a sense of adventure, a GPS or a Smart Phone equipped with a geocaching application, and some form of transportation to each of the different parks and preserves. All set? Then let's begin! There are 10 caches total in our 2012 Geocaching Adventure, each hidden in a different Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission property. The caches for this year's event are listed as follows:
WCP12 - Rolling Hills (small entrance fee)
WCP12 - County Farm
WCP12 - Independence Lake (small entrance fee)
WCP12 - Burns-Stokes Preserve
WCP12 - Sharon Mills
WCP12 - Leonard Preserve
WCP12 - Sharon Short Hills Preserve
WCP12 - Park Lyndon
WCP12 - Miller-Smith Preserve
WCP12 - West Lake Preserve
You may wish to do only one or all ten. If you choose to complete the entire 2012 Geocaching Adventure, you'll need to bring along a notebook, as on the inside of each cache's logbook are code words that directly refer to an aspect of that particular property. To complete the 2012 Geocaching Adventure, you will need to collect all of the code words and phrases and email them to us along with your Geocaching.com user name, your real name, your email address, and your mailing address. Those geocachers who correctly complete the 2012 Geocaching Adventure will receive a Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission 2012 Geocaching Adventure tag. In addition, a special prize awaits the first geocacher to correctly complete the entire 2012 Geocaching Adventure. The 2012 Geocaching Adventure kicks off on June 15, so get ready to cache!
All 10 geocaches are either regular or small plastic containers with locking lids, labelled and hidden within a short distance from the main trails so relatively little bushwhacking is required, if any. As with any geocache, our 2012 Geocaching Adventure caches are loaded with all sorts of swag and goodies. You may wish to simply sign the log but, if you do choose to take something, please be sure to leave something in its place. Trackables are welcome guests! Please take care to carefully seal our cache containers and to return them to their original location (and keep them well concealed) in order to prevent the caches from being muggled. Should you find a cache that has been muggled or damaged, please do let us know!
While only 29 acres in size, its long, narrow shape makes Burns-Stokes Preserve feel like a much larger area. River shoreline — about three-quarters of a mile — makes up the entire southern edge of this little gem, and almost all of the property is forested with both rich floodplain forest and drier mature uplands. Start exploring and you'll find some surprises tucked into the woods: sunny little sedge meadows, two prairie remnants along the railroad tracks, and a stone tepee ring that was built by the former owners. While a popular destination for fly fishing, birdwatching, and nature study, the property is valuable from a historical perspective as well. Portions of an old mill dam and race provide evidence of the sites former use and are an important reminder of the water-powered past of local area industry.
Good luck, geocachers, and enjoy the 2012 Geocaching Adventure!