Here is a Virtual that can easily be logged by ANYONE!!
That said, I do require a very specific photo in order to claim the find.
The Erie Land Lighthouse, as it is now commonly referred to as, was the FIRST commissioned lighthouse along the Great Lakes.
Built in 1818 out of wood, the light was positioned on a cliff overlooking the entrance to Presque Isle Bay. The original structure was a 20-foot-high square wooden tower with an enclosed lantern room. The lamp that would light the way for ships was a nine-lamp array that was fueled by whale oil.
The lighthouse's location was strategically chosen at the entrance of what was then an 's' shaped entrance to the bay and the port of Erie. Presque Isle is a dynamic landmass that has changed significantly over time. In the early 1800s, submerged sandbars had made entering the bay nearly impassable. A proposal to engineer a uniform channel depth was made to Congress around the same time at funds were secured to construction the Land Lighthouse.
This lighthouse aided travelers for nearly 50 years before the structure began to fail. Over time, the lighthouse started to lean. Metal bands were placed around the light to attempt to stabilize it, but these efforts for unsuccessful and it was clear the tower needed to be replaced.
In 1857 a new tower was constructed. The new tower was 56 feet high, round, and constructed of “Cream City Bricks” from Milwaukee with a spiral cast iron staircase and a 16 ft lantern room.
The soft ground and poor foundation proved to be a problem and 10 years later, in 1867, the current lighthouse was constructed 200 feet east of the original site. To ensure this light's longevity, it was constructed with a 20-foot foundation of oak timbers, crushed limestone, and Portland cement to support the round brick tower with Berea sandstone exterior. A third order Fresnel lens was installed that had a focal plane of 128 above the lake and could be seen 15 miles out into the lake.
The lighthouse operated until 1880 when, based on the recommendation of the inspector of the Tenth Lighthouse District, it was discontinued. The property then fell into private hands for a short time until, after public protest, Congress appropriated $7,000 for the reestablishment of the lighthouse in 1884. The light remained active until 1899 when it was finally closed. The lens was removed a few years later and is now at the Marblehead Lighthouse in Sandusky, OH.
In 2004, the Erie Land Lighthouse has been restored thanks to the efforts of the City of Erie and the Erie Port Authority. While no longer an active aid to navigation, the site provides spectacular views of Lake Erie and Presque Isle and is open to visitors seasonally.
SOME SKINNY ABOUT THE LIGHTHOUSE AND GROUNDS
- 49′ high, 19′ bottom base, 14′ top base
- 69 steps to the top
- FREE Admission on the First TUESDAY of every month!
- LIGHTHOUSE Hours of Operation :
- 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM - From April through November
- Closed most Holidays
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
There is a City park adjacent to the lighthouse. The park is a pet friendly, (Pets must be leashed and owners are responible for pet clean ups), and child friendly. There is a nice playground for the kids, a couple of benches for resting and there is a covered picnic pavilion with a couple of trash recepticles. There are NO RESTROOMS available. The posted city park hours are from 8AM to 9PM.
____________________________________________________________________________________
LOGGING INSTRUCTIONS
There are a couple ways to log this cache. Please read them and understand them BEFORE you go to the sight and claim a find. My instructions are very simple but very specific for logging.
- The first way is to post a selfie of you pointing at the light on top of the lighthouse from one of the below specific points.
- If you are with a group, I will accept a group photo of evryone, including the photographer, pointing at the light.
- The second way of logging is for those cachers who choose not to post a selfie photo. In this case I will need a photo of your arm pointing at the light while holding a piece of paper with your geocaching name clearly visible in the photo. This photo also needs to be taken from one of the below specific points.
For anyone recovering from an injury or having special needs, I will gladly accept a selfie taken from inside your vehicle doing your best to abide by the above restrictions.
The photo can be taken from these specific points:
- Inside the lighthouse tower. In this case the terrain rating is well earned.
- Anywhere on lthe lighthouse grounds.
- From the adjacent city park or playground for times when the lighthouse is closed. Please pay attention to the posted City Park hours.
- Again, for anyone recovering from an injury or having special needs, I will gladly accept a selfie taken from inside your vehicle doing your best to abide by the above restrictions.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I have the best of intentions with this virtual. My goal is to make the logging very simple for evry single geocacher. Please tell me about your visit to the site and feel free to post any additional photos. I love reading the stories and perusing the photos. If you like just saying TFTC then thats ok too! Please enjoy this awesome Erie landmark!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.