The cache is not at these coordinates.
But, this is where you should start your journey. This hike will probably take a couple hours. BEWARE: Archery hunting is allowed in this area (9/15 - 12/31).
Welcome to the Wilkie Unit area of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The Wilkie Unit is located predominantly in river bottoms, and features three prominent lakes (Blue, Rice and Fisher) and large areas of associated marshes. The trail also has some awesome views of the Minnesota River.
This is the next of Hike with Me caches that I have started since moving to MN. Since most of my cache finds are done while exercising, I thought I would offer this delight to others. These caches will not necessarily be hard to find, but you will have to put some miles on the legs for them. So lace em up, grab some water, and come join the fun.
The trails of the Wilkie Unit have changed over the years. Once you hit the river, there once was a path heading east, but it is now overgrown. In turn, once you head west, a new extended trail brings you closer to Blue Lake. I am not sure yet if you can find a continuing trail to make this a full circle hike.
Totally, this will be maybe 5 miles, depending on how much you wander around. The waypoints are all on trails, which can be accessed all year long. The final coordinates for the cache are placed in a winter friendly place not too far from the parking lot (on state-owned land and not within the National Wildlife Refuge).
All Refuge lands, including the Wilkie Unit are open from sunrise to sunset, 7 days a week. Trail conditions on the Refuge vary throughout the year. Be prepared, as you may encounter changes in trail conditions while hiking, including periodic flooding, wet or muddy areas, thorny vegetation, and rough ground. Trails are ungroomed in winter and may be snow-packed and icy. To protect wildlife, please stay on designated trails and keep pets leashed at all times while visiting the Refuge.
As for the waypoints ...
Bridge With a View – If you look west toward Valley Fair, you will see two towers with another ride in the middle. Is it a 1 – slingshot, 2 – carousel, 3 – bumper cars, 4 – a roller coaster. Consider this A.
Warning Sign – Look at the big sign on this side of the river. There is a phone number here with the last four numbers of B41C.
Survey Marker – The trail ended here in the past. The third word on this sign has how many letters. Consider this D.
Concrete Dam Weight Limit – On the back of this sign, there is a phone number ending with 6E00. Consider the missing number E.
Then consider N 44 47.EAC and W093 25.DDB
Earn the 75 and 150 mile Pathtag!
So far there have been 37 of these Hike/Bike/Run With Me Multi-caches - if you were to complete them all, you would have travelled more than 210 miles. Currently (August 2023), there are 32 active geocaches totaling 185 miles (This includes three Hike With Me Adventure Labs). I wanted to give something to the geocachers who have "put a big dent" in trying to find these. So I created two pathtags for all cachers who completed at least 75 and 150 miles while trying to get smileys on these caches. On each of the cache pages, I mention how long the travel should be for that cache. They vary from just a couple miles to a 20-mile mountain bike ride.
Here is a bookmark list of all of the caches.
So, take a look at your finds, add up the miles, and if you are more than 75 or 150 miles, let me know. You can either PM me, email me, or just grab me at an event. You do not have to show/prove anything to me about you qualifying. I will give you one if you say you have qualified.