The coordinates will take you to not only a very uniquely crafted historic structure, but one built in a very unique geographic location as well. Parking is available in lots to the the south, west, and north-east as well as along the streets. Though the building is open only to members of the church who choose to meet certain qualifications, the gorgeous Logan Temple grounds are open to the public. So if the gates are open, feel free to enter and take a stroll around these peaceful grounds. Please be mindful and respectful as this area is consecrated and considered sacred. No smoking is allowed. The spectacular landscape is especially beautiful in spring when colorful tulips burst out of the ground, and the pioneer-inspired oval reflecting pool is truly stunning in any season. In winter it is still a pleasure to walk the grounds as heated sidewalks help keep these paths clear even in heavy snowfall.
The Logan Temple was the second LDS temple completed in Utah, the fourth overall. From the groundbreaking in May of 1877 to the dedication in May of 1884, this five story sacred edifice was constructed by more than 25,000 people who volunteered their labor out of love and devotion to God. One of the first things you will notice is the rough purplish-brown quartzite, a very hard compact stone that makes up the primary construction of the temple. This quartzite was hand hewn and hauled, mostly in winter by sled, from a quarry seven miles to the north-east in Green Canyon. If you get up close to the temple, you can feel and see the roughness of the stone. You will also notice streaks and blotches of purple, brown, pink, grey, black, and even green. As your gaze ascends up the temple walls, you will notice buff-colored sculpted sandstone, which being softer, was used for the more intricately detailed and shaped pieces. To hide the dark, rough-hewn stone, the temple was originally painted a pinkish off-white color, but the paint was allowed to weather away in the early 1900's, uncovering the beautiful dark, unique stone that characterizes and sets the Logan Temple apart today from other LDS temples of lighter white, cream, grey, and buff hues. The Logan Temple was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 20, 1975.
If you choose, a waypoint directs you to the western side of the temple where a magnificent view of Cache Valley and the Wellsville Range awaits to delight you. If you happen to visit in the summer and the expansive, iconic lawn is brown, it is not dead but dormant. With the severe droughts the past several years, even the Logan Temple is cooperating with the community in efforts to ration and conserve water.
So now to the unique geography of the temple site where you stand. This 9-acre plot had been selected by the then president of the church, Brigham Young. It was held in reserve for many years and used as a park and public grounds before being dedicated as the site for the temple. What is so special is this "hill" is actually a unique sub-level, or bench, found only in Cache Valley that was created when the ancient Lake Bonneville slowly receeded over thousands of years. Named the Temple Level, this bench is 180' lower than the Provo Shoreline Level that Utah State University sits on, and 540' lower than the Lake Bonneville Shoreline. How fascinating it is for the Logan Temple to have such unique geologic and geographic features! That is why I felt it appropriate to place my Virtual Reward Cache here to celebrate and bring attention to these features and thus unite the Logan Temple with our worderful world of Geocaching!
Requirements for logging:
Very simply, the ONLY logging requirement is to post a photo of you, a personal item, OR your Geocaching name on a piece of paper with your favorite view or angle of the Logan Temple in the background with your Found It Log. I reserve the right to delete the log if your photo is just of the temple, from a previous visit, an internet photo, or otherwise lacking in proof you were there.
Logs without the required photo and proof of your visit will be deleted.
Please be mindful and respectful as this is consecrated and sacred ground. No smoking is allowed anywhere on the grounds.
Congratulations to Oreoshakers and grumpywombat for a cooperative FTF!
NOTE: A second waypoint associated with this cache directs anyone interested in a side adventure about a mile and a half into Green Canyon. At the waypoint you will find a wooden sign that also marks the trailhead of a fairly easy to moderate quarter mile path leading up to where the quartzite was taken from the mountainside. The road is dirt and gravel, and if the road is dry, just about any standard vehicle can make it to the sign. There is parking for a few vehicles at the site, and several pullouts and campsites dotted along the road. There is also a hiking/biking path south of the road with places to picnic, so this makes for an enjoyable family adventure outing as well. Vault toilets are located at the mouth of the canyon near King Nature Park. If you visit the quarry, feel free to take a chunk or two of stone home as a memento of your visit to Logan Temple and the quarry. If you do visit the quarry, I'd love to see a picture of the rock you chose to haul out! I have my haul of quartzite is posted in the gallery. Visiting the quarry is not a requirement for logging this Virtual Cache.
Reference links:
Logan Temple: 12 Facts About It's History
Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: Logan Utah Temple
Wikipedia Logan Utah Temple
Goodbye Green Logan Temple Lawn
I am grateful to have been given this unique opportunity to place a Virtual Reward Cache in my new home of Cache Valley!
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.