WELCOME TO MERIDIAN BASELINE STATE PARK, THE ONLY PLACE LIKE IT IN THE UNITED STATES! BEFORE HEADING DOWN THE TRAIL BE SURE TO READ BOTH HISTORIC MARKERS LOCATED IN THE PARKING LOT. FROM THE PARKING LOT, FOLLOW THE TRAIL INTO THE WOODS. ALONG THE WAY THERE IS A BENCH WHERE YOU CAN STOP AND ENJOY THE SURROUNDINGS. A SHORT DISTANCE BEYOND IS A BRIDGE OVER A BABBLING BROOK. WHERE THIS SECTION OF THE TRAIL ENDS THERE IS A SIGN THAT POINTS TO THE TWO DIRECTIONS THAT YOU WILL BE WALKING. Meridian-Baseline State Historical Park is a landlocked park that designates the precise location where all township range and section measurements used by surveyors begin for the entire state of Michigan. The 88-acre landlocked state park, which is being preserved for its historic value, contains the intersection of the meridian and the baseline used for the Michigan survey. In 1815, two surveyors set out with stakes, chains, and compasses to establish Michigan Territory's baseline and principal meridian, the standard coordinates by which townships and property descriptions would later be established. Michigan was the first state to implement the “rectangular survey” system in 1815. This system, advocated by Thomas Jefferson, was designed to facilitate the transfer of land among governments and individuals with the intent of providing farmland and educational opportunities to America’s citizens. No other state park in the United States offers visitors the opportunity to walk directly alongside a prime meridian and experience up close and first-hand this imaginary line on the Earth's surface that extends from the North Pole to the South Pole. The north-south meridian line in the state park extends from Sault Ste. Marie to Fort Defiance, Ohio. The east-west baseline line begins eight miles north of the center of Detroit and extends to a point north of present-day South Haven. To claim this EarthCache as a find and to log your visit email MISCRIBE your response to these questions: (1) AFTER VIEWING BOTH MONUMENTS, EMAIL MISCRIBE A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF HOW THE INSCRIPTION ON THE TOP OF ONE MONUMENT DIFFERS FROM THE INSCRIPTION ON THE TOP OF THE OTHER MONUMENT. (2) AS YOU WALK FROM ONE MONUMENT TO THE OTHER, COUNT THE PILLARS YOU SEE ALONG THE WAY AND EMAIL THAT NUMBER TO MISCRIBE. (3) WHAT DOES THIS LINE OF PILLARS REPRESENTS? (4) IN THE PARKING LOT ARE TWO MICHIGAN HISTORICAL MARKER. TO CONFIRM YOUR VISIT TO THIS STATE PARK, EMAIL MISCRIBE THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION: WHAT IS THE SEPARATION DISTANCE IN FEET BETWEEN THE DUAL INITIAL POINTS? NEED A HINT? JUST READ THE HISTORICAL MARKERS IN THE PARKING LOT. THANKS FOR VISITING!
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Virtual Reward - 2017/2018
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.