UPDATE: 3/1/2024:
2019 was the 100th Anniversary of Michigan State Parks and we're still celebrating!. Join the Michigan Geocaching Organization (MiGO), the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Geocaching.com for the first official GeoTour in Michigan.
This tour was originally scheduled to run for three years, kicking off on Friday of Memorial Weekend in 2019 and continue through May 31, 2022. The success of this awesome tour has not gone unnoticed. On February 2, 2022, The DNR announced the extension of the GeoTour through September 24, 2024! Join us in making a final push to complete this very popular and very successful GeoTour before the sun sets on it.
Each geocache is in one of Michigan's state parks. The geocaches are arranged by MiGO Region, with twenty-five geocaches per region. The Ticket to Celebrate 100 is available for download from the DNR's Geocaching page. It explains how to qualify for prizes in each of the four regions and for the GeoTour as a whole.
Day use areas of state parks are open from 8AM to 10PM. Geocaching is limited to those hours. Entry into Michigan's State Parks requires a Michigan Recreation Passport. See the Resources section below for more information.
The sun will set on the MSPCGT at midnight Tuesday, September 24, 2024. The MSPCGT will go off the air as a GeoTour and the caches will disappear from the map. There is a lot of construction going on in our State Parks in 2024. Some of the GeoTour caches will have to be pulled earlier. The remaining geocaches in the tour will be archived October 1, 2024. Players will have until December 31, 2024 to claim any prize they have earned. Hiders will be contacted to request removal of the geocaches they hid unless they have made arrangements with park managers and have their own permit in place to keep the geocache in play, with a new GC Code.
Construction in the campground beginning August 1st, 2024 should not impact this geocache, but alternate parking may need to be used.
Now for some good news: MiGO and the DNR are busy working on a new project that will kick off in the Spring of 2025, code named MSPGT 2.0. Are you interested in helping? Keep your MiGO Membership up to date and stay tuned to the website.
Cache:
This cache was hidden as part of the Michigan State Parks Centennial GeoTour, presented by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Michigan Geocaching Organization. Record the codeword printed on the log book and on a label inside the cache container to the appropriate box on the Ticket to Celebrate 100 form. See the instructions on the form to claim prizes.
This cache is a Letterbox Hybrid and is not at the posted coordinates. From the posted coordinates, follow the Bear Lake Trail across the first bridge and walk approximately 500 feet until you meet three large red oaks guarding the trail on the left side. Walk approximately 10 yards further along the trail and look for a stump holding the cache near a white pine. Please remember the rubber stamp is not a trade item but intended to stay within the cache. Please bring your own stamp pad.
You are looking for a Regular size container. Please return everything as good or better than you found it.
Thank you
Bjb_fam
for creating, hiding and maintaining this MSPC GeoTour cache.
Photo by Brandon Bal © 2018
Lake Superior shorline at McLain State Park
FJ McLain State Park:
Situated on Lake Superior in the heart of Michigan′s Keweenaw Peninsula, F.J. McLain State Park offers breathtaking lake views and is a popular destination for camping and swimming. While most of the park's two miles of shoreline is characterized by rocky beaches, there are sandy beaches along a stretch of land known as the Breakwaters located on the edge of the park near the Keweenaw Waterway.
Photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Northern Lights from McLain State Park
History:
Houghton County State Park was established in 1930 as a joint venture between Houghton County and the State of Michigan. The state owned 142 acres with 3,800 feet frontage on Lake Superior from tax reversion. The County pursued acquisition of surrounding land. It was the vision of Frederick J. McLain, a Houghton County Commissioner, who was instrumental in securing ownership of the first parcels of land. In 1931, the park was renamed for him. In 1964, M-203 was moved to its present location so that F.J. McLain State Park could be developed without a main road through the center of the park. A new entrance and contact station were built in 1965. The Work Projects Administration (WPA) was responsible for nearly all construction done in the park.
Map courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Activities:
The park offers two miles of sand beach on Lake Superior, 4 miles of hiking and cross country skiing trails. Visitors can also enjoy a variety of activities in the park: fishing, windsurfing, berry picking, beachcombing, rock hounding, sight-seeing and hunting. The sunsets at McLain State Park are spectacular and the view of the lighthouse is magnificent.
Information:
For more information, reservations and a calendar of events, follow this link to
FJ McLain State Park.
Special thanks to
demophonegps
for help with this geocache.
Special thanks to Cherry Capital Cachers for the Upper Peninsula regional prize.
Resources: