Fat Man's Misery Traditional Geocache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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This cache will take you on a 6-mile round-trip journey along the scenic Black Water Creek in Seminole State Forest and the Lower Wekiva River Preserve State Park. Although you can reach the site on foot, I highly recommend using a kayak or canoe instead. You will be able to see more wildlife that way, which may include alligators, otters, deer and even black bears. If this sounds interesting to you, please read on for more details such as required permits and possible approaches.
If you have ever been inside Mammoth Cave up in Kentucky, you're probably familiar with a place called Fat Man's Misery. It's a narrow section of passageway that can give some of the larger folks a bit of a tight squeeze. Well in Florida there aren't too many caves to go spelunking, but I think I found the perfect alternative and it even comes with a tight squeeze. All you have to do is grab yourself a kayak or a canoe and head on down to the Black Water Creek landing in Seminole State Forest.
But before you go, you need to contact the number below and request a forest use permit. Don't worry, it's easy and it's free. All you have to do is provide your name, address, phone number, e-mail address or fax number, number of people in the group, and a reason for access. As long as there's no conflicts with scheduled hunts, you will be issued a permit along with the combo to the front gate. Be sure to leave a copy of the permit on your dash upon entry. Note: You still need to pay the normal day use fee - $2 per person - at the entrance.
If you don't like the idea of getting a forest use permit, you can launch your kayaks or canoes from Katie's Landing and paddle down the Wekiva River for about 4.1 miles until it merges in with Black Water Creek. From there it's a 1.8 mile paddle upstream to the cache site. This would be considered a long paddle for most unless you have another vehicle waiting to pick you up. When I did the paddle a couple weeks ago, there were no major hurdles -- i.e. down trees or pullovers. The current is very slow on Black Water Creek so it's not too difficult to paddle upstream.
Once you get to the cache site, be sure there are no bears in the area. This being a "Florida cave", you never know what to expect. When you approach the entrance, note how the temperature drops a few degrees. You should feel a cool breeze coming out. The cache is inside of course. You'll be looking for an tethered ammo box. When trading items, please do not leave toxic or explosive items including batteries, lighters, matches, aerosol cans, etc., per Florida State Park regulations. Feel free to take one of the cache buttons if there are any left.
Good luck, enjoy the adventure and be safe!
Contact Info for Seminole State Forest:
Florida Forest Service
Leesburg Forestry Station
9610 CR 44
Leesburg, FL 34788
Telephone: 352/ 360-6675 or 352/ 360-6677
Cache Approvals:
Cache placement has been approved by Scott Mowry of the Wekiva Springs State Park and the Wekiva River Basin State Parks.
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