There are 50 geocaches hidden within 16 state parks and state historic sites in the Saratoga/Capital District region, and geocachers finding them all will be eligible to enter their names in a drawing for valuable prizes. If you are interested in taking up the challenge, you can pick up a geocache passport at any of the participating parks and sites, or download the passport at www.nysparks.com.
This cache contains a unique stamp which must stay with the cache. Use this stamp to stamp your passport. This stamp is NOT a trade item. The first 25 people to find all five caches in Mine Kill State Park will win a $5 gift certificate to our concession stand! Enjoy!
Park at the lower level parking lot (N42 26.426 W074 27.268). The cache is an ammo can nestled among a grove of beautiful hemlock trees. We bring you to this site so that you will learn to identify HWA – Hemlock Wooly Adelgide. The hemlock wooly adelgide is a very small beetle that attaches itself to the base of hemlock needles and feeds on the starches in the needles. Usually within 3- 7 years, the tree succumbs to the adelgide and dies. Imagine this beautiful site, this beautiful park, without a hemlock tree. HWA came from Asia in the 1920’s; starting it’s spread in Virginia and is now spread along the coastline from Georgia to Maine. What you are seeing here is what is known to be the northern most edge of HWA in this area. When you find the cache, look west and you will see a mark on every tree that is infected; and then look at the tips of the branches and learn to identify HWA so you can keep searching for this beetle as you continue the Geocache Challenge. HWA is identified by the white woolly looking dots on the underside of the hemlock branches. This area is heavily infested and easy to spot. For more information on HWA and what the park is doing to battle this beetle come to the park office. If you cannot find the HWA, please call the park office, 518-827-6111, and someone will help you.
Mine Kill State Park is open during the summer months from 7:30am to 8pm and 7:30am to 4pm the rest of the year. There is a $3 entry fee into the park during the summer months. You can reach the park office at 518-827-6111 for more information.