Heath Creek woods is an undeveloped woodland area of St. Olaf
College.
At the turn of the 20th Century, it was a favorite picnic and
recreation spot for young men and women in Northfield, but in
recent years has been the site of environmental study in botany,
watershed ecology and in all likelihood, entomology. (That means
bugs….)
You are likely to find the regular variety of small woodland,
wetland and creek critters in here, but we've also spotted fox,
turkeys, trout and deer.
There are some unmaintained trails in the woods which will help
somewhat in the hunt for the cache, but bushwhacking is going to be
required. (If you don’t like that, take up golf, and learn to
hit the ball straight.)
It is imperative that cachers enter the woods through an
unmarked gate along HWY 19, near the entrance to St. Olaf College.
Coordinates for the gate are N44* 27.403 W93*11.389. This area is
owned by the College, and we have permission to enter here.
Parking can be tricky as well. There are 3 caches located near
Heath Creek, and I would suggest parking along the south side of
Highway 19 where the shoulder is wide. Be careful though, as
traffic is moving very quickly along here.