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 mystery gadget cache that is at the posted coordinates which take you to a plaque. You need to use something off the plaque to get the cache open. If you need it, use the hint. You are looking for a Regular size container. Please return everything as good or better than you found it.
Thank you
Bapman Crew
for creating, hiding and maintaining this MSPC GeoTour cache.
Photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
James Scott Memorial Fountain on Belle Isle
Belle Isle State Park:
Belle Isle is a recreational island park located in the Detroit River between Detroit, Michigan and Ontario, Canada. Belle Isle is the country′s largest city island park; at approximately 980 acres, it is larger than New York City′s Central Park. The park includes three lakes and 150 acres of wooded area.
An island oasis, connected to Detroit by the MacArthur Bridge, it is rich with unique architecture, fountains, statues and man-made lagoons. It is home to a Coast Guard post, as well as the William Livingston Memorial Light, the only marble lighthouse in the nation.
Photo courtesy of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Whitcomb Conservatory
One of the island′s most famous structures is the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, the oldest conservatory in the country. This free botanical garden and greenhouse is open every day of the year. Belle Isle is also home to the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, which preserves and celebrates the maritime history of the Great Lakes. The Museum boasts the world′s largest known collection of model ships.
History:
The island has had at least 8 recorded names by Native Americans, the French and the Americans. On July 4, 1845 a picnic was held to celebrate the island′s new name, and it became known as Belle Isle, named after Miss Isabelle Cass, daughter of the then current Governor Lewis Cass.
In 2013, the State of Michigan signed a 30-year lease to care for the park; Michigan′s Department of Natural Resources now operates the park, the 102nd State Park. DNR improvements are underway as this gem is being restored to its former beauty, aided by the Belle Isle Conservancy. One of the first things you see on the island is the James Scott Memorial Fountain, located on the western end of the island. The fountain was designed by architect Cass Gilbert and sculptor Herbert Adams and was completed in 1925 at a cost of $500,000. It remains today as one of the island's most popular attractions.
Map courtesy of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Activities:
Today, Belle Isle boasts a nature center and trail. There are picnic pavilions, beach access and a
playground. Sports fans enjoy the island's baseball field, tennis and basketball courts and a small
golf course, as well as kayak/canoeing, biking, hiking, fishing and much more.
The historic Detroit Yacht Club, and the Detroit Boat Club, are also located on the island, as is the Belle Isle Aquarium. Belle Isle hosts the Detroit Grand Prix each year in the late spring (May 31st through June 1st, 2019). Unless you are a race fan, you want to time your visit to avoid that weekend.
Information:
For more information, reservations and a calendar of events, follow this link to
Belle Isle State Park.
Special thanks to
scrapcat
for help with this geocache.
Special thanks to beenhere, HNY Event Staff and LynnGeoGin for the Southeast regional prize.
Resources: