Dry Oak Hickory Forest
The Dry Oak Hickory forest is a typical ecosystem for this area, as well as much of eastern and central North America. At the Arboretum, it is found on the north side of Wolf Creek above the floodplain and also the higher areas south of Wolf Creek where the soil is drier than in the floodplain. Post Oak, Black Oak, and Shagbark Hickory, the dominant trees here, are examples of "deciduous" trees, meaning they lose their leaves in the fall and winter. By contrast, "evergreen" trees, such as cedar, pine, and spruce, stay green year-round. The Eastern Red Cedar is the only evergreen native to Kansas.
This letterbox hybrid geocache is within the boundaries of the Overland Park Arboretum.
To reach this geocache, you will need to enter the Arboretum through the main entrance gate which is immediately adjacent to the visitor's parking lot.
Click Here to find information about the Arboretum including a link to current hours and fees.
Friends of the Arboretum always have free admission!
**Entirely Optional Bonus Activity**
This is an *entirely optional* bonus activity and its completion is not required to find or claim any of the geocaches within the Arboretum.
For anyone who wishes, stampbooks are available for use while finding the eight GeoArboretum Trail geocaches. If a visitor stamps all eight pages of the stampbook with the letterbox stamps found within the eight GeoArboretum Trail letterbox hybrid geocaches, they can then present their completed stampbook at the Visitor's Center to receive a limited-run wooden Arboretum Coin (while supplies last).
The stampbooks can be found in a mailbox labeled with the Geocaching logo at the front door of the Arboretum Visitor's Center.
The GeoArboretum Trail Geocaches
GeoArboretum Trail #1 - Dry Mesic Prairie
GeoArboretum Trail #2 - Dry Wooded Swales
GeoArboretum Trail #3 - Riparian Woodland
GeoArboretum Trail #4 - Mesic Oak-Hickory Forest
GeoArboretum Trail #5 - Old Field
GeoArboretum Trail #6 - Wooded Draws
GeoArboretum Trail #7 - Dry Oak-Hickory Forest <<< This cache
GeoArboretum Trail #8 - Dry Oak Savanna