The almost 5000 acre Tiger Creek Preserve is located on the edge of peninsular Florida's oldest and highest landmass, the Lake Wales Ridge. The Ridge shelters one of the highest concentrations of threatened and endangered plants and animals in the United States Only 10 percent of the native habitat that once covered the Ridge remains. Tiger Creek is a high-quality blackwater seepage stream, so called because it drains wetlands, and the vegetation that falls into the creek colors the water. There are only two other high-quality streams like it left on the Lake Wales Ridge. The preserve protects various Florida habitats, hardwood swamps, hardwood hammocks, scrubby flatwoods, pine flatwoods and sandhills - and rare plants and animals, including Florida scrub-jays, bald eagles, gopher tortoises, Lewton's polygala and Carter's mustard. The Heron Pond Loop Trail is dedicated to Ken Morrison’s memory. It is a two-mile extension of the Highlands Trail that traverses longleaf pine and turkey oak habitat, traveling along one of the highest ridges on the preserve, ending at an overlook at Hell Pond. a great spot for observing wildlife in the mornings and evenings.
For anyone not familiar with Letterboxing there is a log in the cache for you to sign and stamp (with your stamp), then you stamp your own log or paper (with stamp that is in the cache). If you do not have your own stamp, then stickers or handrawn artwork is acceptable. DO NOT TAKE STAMP WITH YOU; IT IS NOT A TRADE ITEM!!!
This geocache is a part of the Trek Ten Trails 2014 program. Participation in that program, while a lot of fun, is not required to log this cache here. Trek Ten Trails 2014 program marks the seventh year of the Friends of the Parks Foundation’s call to explore the outdoors in Polk County. Fifteen nature trails and a bonus cache have been hidden at nature trail locations throughout Polk County this year. Each nature trail includes geocaches with a self-inking stamp for validating your visits to at least ten of the featured trails. To receive a completion certificate and be eligible for a other prizes you must find ten caches. Of course you may trek all fifteen trails and we hope you do!
New validation game cards, which participants stamp are available at various locations and are listed on the Friends of the Parks website and OUTPOST 27 CACHE. Trek Ten Trails 2014 program maps, game cards and other information about each of the featured nature trails may be downloaded from the Friends of the Parks website. Check out our Profile for more details.
This cache was placed with the assistance of the
Florida Geocaching Association
Cache placed with permission