The official start is Thursday afternoon, the Official end is Sunday morning. Every year, we gather on Rock Island, Wisconsin’s most beautiful and distinctive state park, for 2 to 4 days of geocaching, hiking, and exploring. Enjoy Wisconsin’s oldest lighthouse, the unique Thordarson estate, 3 cemeteries, some of Wisconsin’s best sand dune beaches, and camaraderie around the campfire, with our legendary beer and cheese & sausage tasting event.
Welcome to the BEST and LONGEST RUNNING member-hosted overnight campout of Wisconsin's Geocachers in the state!
Annually held since 2005, Twenty years and counting! Group Site I has been reserved from Monday the 17th (for those showing up early) through Monday (for those staying one more day on the island), but some people will arrive earlier in the week, and stay at an individual site until the group site opens up. Arrive on whatever day your schedule permits, including day trippers!
About The Island:
Rock Island is Wisconsin's most remote State Park. Cars and bikes are not allowed on the 912-acre island, making for an experience unlike any other. The camping is considered rustic, but flush toilets, running water, picnic tables, and other limited amenities, as well as souvenirs, are available. Firewood is for sale or can be gathered from the woods for free. There is a short hike from the boat dock to the campsite, so using a cart or wagon is helpful for hauling gear. Your Geocaching friends are always willing to help haul your gear. Over the past eighteen years, we've seen the use of canoes and kayaks rise by attendees as well.
If you are unfamiliar with Rock Island State Park, check out these links to learn more:
Trip Advisor
Chicago Tribune
Voyageur Magazine
BackPacker Magazine
About the Event:
Rock Island Getaway 20 is not just about accumulating a high number of geocaches in a short period of time. (although you could!) It's about sharing knowledge and experience with less-experienced geocachers, partaking in planned activities, NOT partaking in any activities, reading a book, star-gazing, or just striking out on your own to explore the island's geocaches and other interesting and historic sites. Although the group site is reserved, you can also reserve your own site, if you so wish. At this time of year, the campground is typically 1/3 - 1/2 full, so there will be plenty of solitude and other sites available. The group site is very spacious, so people can spread out quite a bit. This event attracts a broad spectrum of Geocachers: young, old, families, singles, newbies as well as experienced 'cachers. All are welcome. Here are some of the planned activities (subject to change):
Role Playing Games ~ Kite Flying ~ Astronomy/Star Gazing ~ Camping Technology Demonstration & Showoff ~ Hikes ~ Tours ~ Famous Beer, Cheese, and Sausage Tasting Event(s) ~ Cemetery Walk ~ Campfire Log ~ and more!
Costs:
There is no cost for the event itself! However, the group site costs money to reserve, and a bit more for firewood, so we would like to recoup those expenses and not create a burden for your humble organizers. A suggested donation of $10 per group per night should cover the expenses of reserving the site and purchasing some firewood for the nightly group campfire This is quite a bit cheaper than reserving your own site for two nights. The Rock Island Getaway event generally breaks even; nobody is making a profit from this event. We may pass the hat at the Saturday group campfire, and any donations over and above expenses will either be contributed toward reserving a spot for 2024 or be donated to the Friends of Rock Island for projects and maintenance on the island.
You will probably take a ferry there and here is the link https://wisferry.com/rock-island Buy the combo ticket for Washington and Rock Islands.