UPDATE: 3/1/2024:
2019 was the 100th Anniversary of Michigan State Parks and we're still celebrating!. Join the Michigan Geocaching Organization (MiGO), the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Geocaching.com for the first official GeoTour in Michigan.
This tour was originally scheduled to run for three years, kicking off on Friday of Memorial Weekend in 2019 and continue through May 31, 2022. The success of this awesome tour has not gone unnoticed. On February 2, 2022, The DNR announced the extension of the GeoTour through September 24, 2024! Join us in making a final push to complete this very popular and very successful GeoTour before the sun sets on it.
Each geocache is in one of Michigan's state parks. The geocaches are arranged by MiGO Region, with twenty-five geocaches per region. The Ticket to Celebrate 100 is available for download from the DNR's Geocaching page. It explains how to qualify for prizes in each of the four regions and for the GeoTour as a whole.
Day use areas of state parks are open from 8AM to 10PM. Geocaching is limited to those hours. Entry into Michigan's State Parks requires a Michigan Recreation Passport. See the Resources section below for more information.
The sun will set on the MSPCGT at midnight Tuesday, September 24, 2024. The MSPCGT will go off the air as a GeoTour and the caches will disappear from the map. There is a lot of construction going on in our State Parks in 2024. Some of the GeoTour caches will have to be pulled earlier. The remaining geocaches in the tour will be archived October 1, 2024. Players will have until December 31, 2024 to claim any prize they have earned. Hiders will be contacted to request removal of the geocaches they hid unless they have made arrangements with park managers and have their own permit in place to keep the geocache in play, with a new GC Code.
Now for some good news: MiGO and the DNR are busy working on a new project that will kick off in the Spring of 2025, code named MSPGT 2.0. Are you interested in helping? Keep your MiGO Membership up to date and stay tuned to the website.
Cache:
This cache was hidden as part of the Michigan State Parks Centennial GeoTour, presented by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Michigan Geocaching Organization. Record the codeword printed on the log book and on a label inside the cache container to the appropriate box on the Ticket to Celebrate 100 form. See the instructions on the form to claim prizes.
This is a simple gadget cache with a locked container. Read the hint before you come to the park. Use the hint to retrieve the clue. Cachers should use the park walkway to access the cache, not approach from the beach. You are looking for a Regular size container. Please return everything as good or better than you found it. Pay attention to the instruction within the cache for closure.
Please pay attention to how the lock is in place before removing it and put it back the same way. If you need some instructions, click this link for instructions on how to replace the lock.
Thank you
TinaAlmighty
for creating, hiding and maintaining this MSPC GeoTour cache.
Photo courtesy of the Bay City State Park Staff
Sunset over the Lagoon
Bay City State Park:
Bay City State Park, situated on the shores of the Saginaw Bay, boasts 2400 acres of opportunity for you to enjoy along the shoreline of the Saginaw Bay. With strong community support and involvement, it is a delightful blend of both preserved natural resources and modern advancements. Bay City State Park is home to one of the largest remaining freshwater, coastal wetlands on the Great Lakes, the Tobico Marsh. More than a thousand feet of sandy beach and over 2,000 acres of wetland woods, wet meadows, cattail marshlands and oak savanna prairies make it an ideal staging area for migratory birds. The park has long been known for its outstanding variety of bird life and as a haven for wetland wildlife and plants.
Photo courtesy of the Bay City State Park Staff
A undetermined intruder, perhaps a juvenile bald eagle attempting to return to last year's nest.
The park has long been known for its outstanding variety of bird life and as a haven for wetland wildlife and plants. There is a large Bald Eagle population in the park, and even a webcam to view one of the nests within the park.
Photo courtesy Bay City State Park Facebook Page, photographer unknown
A busy beaver
History:
Bay City State Park was created in 1923 by the Michigan Conservation Commission after a 1922 transfer of 258 acre parcel of land from the City of Bay City. In 1955, the Tobico Marsh State Game Area was created after the purchase of 870 acres of private marsh and hunting land from the Tobico Hunt Club. In 1995, the State Park and State Game Area were combined to form the Bay City Recreation Area. After several years of confusion about the name, the designation State Park was re-established in 2017.
Map courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Activities:
Whether you are attracted to the 1200 feet of groomed sandy beach, 7 miles of paved and natural trails, lagoon fishing from a pier, 12,000 square foot playscape, spray waterpark, or renowned bird populations, this park has something for everyone. The sandy beach makes from good swimming. Fishing is available in Tobico Lagoon. There are seven miles of trails for hiking in the summer and cross-country skiing in the winter. There are three observation towers for wildlife, predominately birds. Deer hunting is allowed in the marsh area, in season.
The park also offers such amenities as full hook-up camping, multiple picnic areas and reserve-able shelters, a nature center, and a myriad of educational interactive programs. The park is also the first to provide a rapid-charging station for electrical vehicles to keep you going and a solar powered picnic table for charging cell phones, tablets, and your GPSr. You can even enjoy WiFi hotspots at the spray park and campground host site if you need to download cache details for offline use.
For geocachers, the park also offers a variety of cache types including two earthcaches, several traditional caches, and a puzzle in addition to this GeoTour cache
Information:
For more information, reservations and a calendar of events, follow this link to
Bay City State Park.
Please always be respectful of the park and the resources it provides. Don't forget to CITO!
Special thanks to
medicfawn674
for help with this geocache.
Special thanks to beenhere, LynnGeoGin and HNY Event Staff for the Southeast regional prize.
Resources: