10/11/2020-Posted Coordinates were updated to the new object to visit in order to log this virtual. Anyone that still had the previous information/waypoints loaded on their devices and visited those locations in order to log this virtual, please feel free to claim your find. The point of this listing is to get you to this beautiful park, to enjoy it and if you have the chance, to take in some incredible stargazing.
On June 7th, 2017 Newport State Park was the first park in Wisconsin to be recognized by the International Dark-Sky Association as an International Dark Sky Place. If you wish, you can follow the link to read up on this organization and their efforts to promote unobstructed sky views of the stars and heavens, as well as maintaining a natural light pollution balance. Newport State Park, which is also Wisconsin's only designated wilderness park, is one of only 48 Dark Sky Places in the entire world to be bestowed with that honor. It truly is a special place.
While Newport State Park is a ruggedly beautiful park to visit at any time, this virtual is intended to highlight the designation of this park being an International Dark Sky Place. Thus, this virtual is best completed on a clear, moon-less night so that you can take full advantage of those dark skies and behold the heavens above in one of the most pristine star viewing areas of the world. That is not a requirement, of course, as you can visit the posted coordinates any time that the park is open. Newport's hours are 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Both Europe Bay and Newport Bay are beautiful places, day or night and if you wish to visit this virtual during the day and forgo the stargazing aspect of it, I think that you will not be disappointed in the least.
For those who are interested in attempting this cache at night and trying to line up a visit during a new moon, follow this link to see the expected lunar phases: Moon Phases Calender
To log this virtual cache, visit the posted coordinates, which are right next to the main parking area of Newport State Park. This will bring you to a three panel informational sign. On the third panel, you'll see a quote from a legendary naturalist. Send me a message or email with the quote and who spoke it (or take a picture of it, if you wish). Please do not post the answers in your log or it will be deleted!
Newport State park has no shortage of places where viewing a dark sky is possible and on a clear night with no moon, you will be amazed at the incredible blanket of stars looking back at you. With so many places in the world becoming more polluted with light and noise, finding a place where you can get away from it for a bit is invaluable.
Visiting Newport State park to log this virtual cache will require either a state park sticker be purchased or a daily entrance fee to be paid in order to access the park.
The Geocache Notification Form has been submitted to the Wisconsin DNR Central Office in Madison. Geocaches placed on Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource managed lands require permission by means of a notification form. Please print out a paper copy of the notification form, fill in all required information, then submit it to the land manager. The DNR Notification form and land manager information can be obtained at: http://www.wi-geocaching.com/hiding.
This cache placed by Crow-T-Robot, a member of:
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Please leave the following text at the bottom of the page, so cache finders understand the Virtual Reward project.
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.