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 hike is about 2.5 miles if you take the loop trail back to the parking area, if you turn around after you find the cache and head back the way you came the hike is about 2 miles.
This is a Letterbox Hybrid cache. 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 or if you do not have your own stamp, just sign the log. DO NOT TAKE STAMP WITH YOU; IT IS NOT A TRADE ITEM!!!
This geocache is a part of the Trek Ten Trails 2017-2018 program. Participation in that program, while a lot of fun, is not required to log this cache here.
Trek Ten Trails 2017-2018 program marks the continuation of the Friends of the Parks Foundation’s call to explore the outdoors in Polk County. Several new caches 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 trails we have added this year 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 2017-2018 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.
Cache placed with permission