Big Foot beach and park are named for Big Foot (a translation from the Potawatomi Maumksuck (Mmangzed), also known in French as Gros Pied), an early Potawatomi leader in the area until his band was forcibly relocated by the United States in 1836. Big Foot Lake was the original English name of Geneva Lake.
It was not so many years later, that Big Foot Beach State Park had another visitor bearing the same name - Big Foot., also known as Sasquatch. He was sighted several times by local campers over a period of two weeks and then, just as quickly as he appeared, Big Foot disappeared, never to be seen again. There has been talk in the years since that Big Foot left behind a treasure. Could this be true? Perhaps, you the geocacher should investigate.
You begin your trek at the posted coordinates and immediately you see a bridge. It beckons you to cross and so you do, walking east about 150 feet. You stop and observe a feint trail cutting into the woods. You determine that this is the route that Big Foot would have taken and you cut into the woods, walking NNE, about 92 feet. You spot an old decaying stump. As you look at the stump thinking maybe the treasure is there, you spot something in a nearby tree which lets you know you are on the right track. You look closely at what you have found and find information that you are certain you will need should you find the treasure. You make a note of this information.
Continuing on in the same direction, you soon see a trail and decide to head north on that trail. You continue on about 270 feet and it is here that you spot a culvert. That would make a great hiding spot for the treasure, but alas, upon closer examination, you find no treasure in the culvert. You decide to cut southwest into the woods and you go about 35 feet and something catches your eye. More evidence that Big Foot had passed this way. You examine the object more closely and find that you have additional information that you think will be useful. Your heart begins to soar and you are hopeful that the treasure does indeed exist and that you are on the right track.
You return to the trail heading north and soon you seen another bridge. Just as before, the bridge beckons you to cross. Once on the other side, you look south, but something tells you not to go that way. You make the decision to turn to the north and continue on for about 345 feet. It is then that you see what has been hidden for all of these years - a sign that Big Foot has passed this way and a feeling that the treasure is near.
You begin your search and hours later (okay - maybe that's a stretch) - you spot the goods. You cannot believe your eyes. You grab the treasure - but WAIT - it's locked and secure. This is when you remember the information you discovered on your long journey and you are thankful that you made note of the information. You take what you want, sign the log so that anyone coming after knows that you have been here and you replace the treasure as found (because that is what good geocachers do).
You are giddy with delight! Your life is complete. The legend of Big Foot lives on!
Big Foot Beach State Park requires a fee to get in and enjoy the park. It is $8 per day or $28 for an annual pass for Wisconsin residents. Please visit here for the current fee schedule: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/admission.html
The Geocache Notification Form has been submitted to Anne Korman of the Wisconsin DNR. Geocaches placed on Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource managed lands require permission by means of a notification form. Please print out a paper copy of the notification form, fill in all required information, then submit it to the land manager. The DNR Notification form and land manager information can be obtained at: http://dnr.wi.gov/files/PDF/forms/2500/2500-118.pdf