This cache is on private property (with
permission from John Sommerhof) and in an Illinois Nature Preserve.
Please make sure you follow the rules of the area and the
directions for this cache carefully. One of the rules of this area
is to stay on the trails and do not bushwhack. So please stay on
the trail until you get to the cache. The property owner saw some
logs mentioning going off the trails and asked to me to warn people
they need to stay on the trail.
This is one of three caches I have placed in the Olin Nature
Preserve. When I was a kid, I lived near here and I hiked and
explored this place all the time.
No dogs, pets, bikes, etc are allowed in the Nature Preserve. It
is private property (owned by the Nature Institute), but open to
the public. All plants and other features are protected by state
law.
The area is closed between mid November to mid March because the
area is used by bald eagles as a night roost. The cache will be
disabled during this period. The owners have asked me to tell you
in addition to closing for the Eagle Roost, they close the preserve
on certain occasions for management and all visitors should adhere
to the signage at the entrance to the preserve.
To get to the preserve, go Route 3 and get off on Levis Lane
(N38° 55.754 W90° 12.774) and head back to the Nature Preserve.
Park at N38° 55.080 W90° 13.449. Do not enter the preserve any
other way, particularly from the River Road. You will encounter No
Trespassing signs and entering this way is trespassing.
The suggested order for the caches are Overlook, Beaver Falls,
and then Olin Nature Preserve.
There is a nice overlook of the Mississippi from this cache.
This is one of the best publicly accessible views of the river. It
also over looks a hill prairie bing restored. The two buildings
used to be used for shooting skeet. The limestone wall used to be a
barbeque grill. John Olin (of Olin Brass and Winchester) used to
own this and he would wine and dine people here. He donated this
land and it was subsequently dedicated as a Nature Preserve. Make
sure you go to the overlook and there is a trail to a few feet of
the cache by one of the skeet buildings.
This is my 82nd cache I have hidden. It is a WAAS Differential
reading. The cache contains a log book and pencil.