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 traditional cache hidden at the posted coordinates. The container has a combination lock that you may need the hint for, or simply look at the cache. You are looking for a Regular size container. Please return everything as good or better than you found it.
Thank you
2277
for creating, hiding and maintaining this MSPC GeoTour cache.
/>
Photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Lake Michigamme Sunset
Van Riper State Park:
Van Riper State Park contains one-half mile of frontage on Lake Michigamme with a fine sandy beach. There is also one and one-half miles of frontage on the Peshekee River. A slow drive through the north of the park may reward you with the sight of a majestic moose!
/>
Photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Flowers near the beach
History:
This park is named for a long time local doctor, Dr. Paul Van Riper. Van Riper was also a local politician. As a member of Marquette County Board, VanRiper was key in getting a donation of land from the Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company in the early 1920s for use as a township park. The county inproved the property, adding a pavilion and changing house. the property was turned over to the state in 1956 and became Van Riper State Park.
A total of 59 moose from Algonquin National Park in Ontario were released north of the park in the mid 1980s. The herd has grown steadily since the. Moose are spotted regularly along the trails in the north end of the park. Do not attempt to approach them.
Map courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Activities:
The state park offers a water park. swimming, picnicking, fishing, and camping. There are 147 modern campsites, 40 rustic sites and rustic cabins. Van Riper offers a half mile of sandy beach on the east end of Lake Michigamme.
/>
Photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Peshekee River Cabin
Lake Michigamme is one of the top walleye lakes in the Upper Peninsula, producing fine catches of bass, perch, trout, northern pike and muskellunge. Improved woods roads also provide access to many streams, lakes and the great forest which lies to the north of the park.
Information:
For more information, reservations and a calendar of events, follow this link to
Van Riper State Park.
Special thanks to
CharleyWCache
for help with this geocache.
Special thanks to Cherry Capital Cachers for the Upper Peninsula regional prize.
Resources: