The Crosswinds Trails Geocache Series
Shortly after the first of the year the Crosswinds Cache Crew met with the park manager and naturalist to develop plans for 2020 events and geocache series. Shortly after that it became apparent that the COVID-19 pandemic was going to make group meetings and events impossible for most of 2020. One the Crosswinds Cache Crew's objectives is to archive their caches in about a year and launch new caches in new locations to reduce the impact on the area with "Geo-trails" This series is the first for 2020. There is no event associated with this series.
One of the popular features of Crosswinds Marsh is its trails. There are nine named trails. Crosswinds offers seven miles of hiking trails, and 4.5 miles of horseback riding trails
North Horse Trail
The North Horse Trail is the highest part of the marsh and has heavy forest cover for most of its length. If you look closely you can see signs of fire and charred trees. This was from a controlled burn a few years back along this part of the horse trail.
Blanding’s turtles are known for their grin. These turtles have a rounded snout and notched upper jaw that gives them the appearance of a permanent smile. While many aquatic turtles need to be underwater to swallow food, the Blanding’s turtle does not. These turtles can live more than 70 years and are not able to start reproducing until at least age 12. Like most turtles, the gender of their young is determined by the temperature of the nest. Temperatures above 86F produce females and temperatures below 80F produce males. Those temperatures in the middle produce a mix of males and females. A species of special concern in Michigan, these turtles are not often seen basking or moving around as some other Michigan species. So consider it a treat if you do happen to, especially where we see them most often, on the Horse Trail.
Crosswinds Marsh Rules
No fires
No bikes / ATVs / personal watercraft
No swimming or ice fishing
Dogs must be leashed
No alcohol or illegal substances
No camping
Fishing in designated areas only
Collecting of plants & animals prohibited
Park only at N 42 05.744 W 83 26.552
All Geocachers must follow the above rules.
Crosswinds Marsh is open from DAWN to DUSK. Admission is free.
This cache has been placed with the permission of Wayne County Parks. Permit 2020CT10 has been submitted and is on file at the park office.