Hidden in Shades Mills Conservation Area. Hide as you find it, on the side AWAY from the trail and out of sight. I always like hiking this park, close to Cambridge but feels far away! I especially love to walk along Mill Creek upstream of the reservoir. This geocache is on the same side of the stream as the trailhead, you must follow the Toyota Way Trail upstream. It is a beautiful walk along the creek that I enjoy each summer. If you want to hike the entire way follow the dark blue arrows to the bridge and over the creek (and maybe try for a few other geocaches). This trail will eventually take you over a bridge and along a 2.5 KM looped hike through this forest ending by coming back over the bridge and takes this same trail back to your car. This cache (Blowdown) is only a short hike down the Toyota Way trail.
This section of trail has has a lot of damage in the year before this one was placed. Some was ice damage but more than that there have been a large number of trees and branches blown down by the windstorms.
From the GRCA website: "Shade's Mills has been called the best-kept secret in Cambridge. Favourite activities in this day-use area include swimming, sport fishing and canoeing. The conservation area has 12 km of hiking trails through a mature hardwood forest that winds along Mill Creek. There is good fishing for northern pike, perch, largemouth and smallmouth bass in the 32-hectare (80 acre) reservoir behind Shade's Mills dam. It is open for cross country skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing during the winter."
There are now automated gates present. Regular entrance fees apply (if you live in Waterloo Region our libraries have passes available you can borrow, get in for free and see if you want to invest in a season pass). If you do not have a seasons pass you should be able to pay at the automatic gate with a credit card, otherwise you will not get in unless there is someone on the gatehouse....and that is rare, usualy only busy summer weekends (10 to 4 or something) is the gatehouse manned. There are also limits on number of visiters at a time so park may not admit if it is at capacity (peak summer weekends sometimes). Please check website to plan apropreatly or call the park directly : 519-621-3697 . Season passes are available see the GRCA website for details and current entrance rates. https://www.grandriver.ca/en/grand-river-parks.aspx Park closes at dusk.