BEGINNING OF WSGA. In September 2002, a group of 19 concerned geocachers scheduled a meeting after hearing that the Washington State Parks was considering banning geocaches in the state park system. Out of this meeting, the Washington State Geocaching Association (WSGA) was "born" with its core values of promoting geocaching as a fun, family-oriented outdoor activity that increases awareness and appreciation of the environment and our parks and trails, provide opportunities for participants to enjoy geocaching and to socialize with other geocaches, educate park systems and land managers about geocaching and its benefits, increase awareness and support of the geocaching through interaction with other outdoor groups and the public, encourage low-impact geocaching and promote stewardship of our natural resources, and support "Cache In Trash Out" activities to help maintain parks and trail systems.
WSGA TODAY. In 2022, the WSGA turns 20 years young. To celebrate this milestone, the WSGA is hosting a 20th-anniversary GeoTour. This GeoTour will give you the opportunity to travel to all corners of the Evergreen State while you search for 140 GeoTour caches. To make it easier to tackle such a large GeoTour, each of our 7 regional chapters will host a bite-sized GeoTour consisting of 20 GeoTour caches with the entire GeoTour consisting of 140 caches. To learn more about our GeoTour, please visit the GeoTour page on our website which you can find HERE. We hope that you enjoy getting back out on the road while touring around Washington State. If you have any questions about our GeoTour, you can reach out to us via the contact tab on our website.
CITY OF MERCER ISLAND's Park System consists of 30 developed and semi-developed parks. More than 50 miles of marked hiking trails within 474 acres of parks and open spaces offer a range of recreational opportunities from beach parks to sports fields: swimming beaches (open June-September), public boat launch, fishing docks, public tennis, public basketball courts, a skate park, picnic spots, children's play structures, horse trails, nature areas, bird watching, Shakespeare in the Park (July & August), Outdoor Film Festival (August), and, of course, geocaching. Sculptures, memorial benches, and artist designed steel ribbons on light fixtures embellish artistry of the the City. Major Mercer Island Parks include Luther Burbank and Park on the Lid at the North; Mercerdale Park and Gallagher Hill Open Space at the South of I-90 Freeway; Ellis Pond and Island Crest Park and SE 53th Open Space at mid-island; expansive Pioneer Park and Clarke Beach Park toward the South. Parks close daily at 10 p.m. and dogs must be on a leash unless posted otherwise. https://www.mercerisland.gov/parksrec/page/trails
THIS GEOCACHE is placed to commemorate WSGA's 20th anniversary. It is in the Park on the Lid in the most North-West sub-park on Mercer Island. Already on Mercer Island, you may approach it by driving directly to it (if no construction in area), or by walking or biking on the I-90 Trail (parallels I-90 Freeway) Westbound, then taking the paved trail down to the waterfront park. Geocachers should watch out for cyclists and assume all risks during hunts. Separate from this geocache, you may walk or bike on the paved I-90 Trail off Mercer Island to Seattle on the West or to Bellevue on the East. It is an easy beautiful 2-miles walk or bike over the Mercer Island Floating Bridge. While you are on Mercer Island, you may want to spend time to enjoy the parks, beyond geocaching, with take-out picnics from the Sunday Farmer's Market (May-October), or the various local food businesses.
GEOTOUR participants should note the CODE that is taped under the lid of the container. Write this CODE on your GeoTour form to get credit for this geocache.