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.
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 is a traditional cache hidden at the posted coordinates. You are looking for a Regular size container. Please return everything as good or better than you found it.
Thank you
Ranger4+1
for creating, hiding and maintaining this MSPC GeoTour cache.
/>
Photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Wilson State Park swimming beach
Wilson State Park:
Situated on 36 wooded acres with a sandy beach on Budd Lake, Wilson State Park is located on the north end of Budd Lake in Harrison, Clare County.
/>
Photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Wilson State Park Bath House and Shelter constructed by the CCC
History:
The park was originally the site of the Wilson Brothers Sawmill and Company Store, which thrived in the late 1800s. The land was deeded to the City of Harrison in 1901 and in 1920 was turned over to the State of Michigan to be used as a state park. The park was officially dedicated in 1927. The beach overlook and the rental cottage at the park entrance were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps from 1939 to 1941.
Map courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Activities:
Besides camping, activities include Boat Rental, Fishing, Metal Detecting, Paddling and Swimming
No hunting is allowed in Wilson State Park, but there are thousands of acres of state land which are
open to hunting only a few miles away. Grouse, woodcock, squirrel, rabbit, deer and bear are all popular
game animals in the surrounding hunting areas.
In the winter, ice fishing, snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing are the major winter recreation activities around the park. There is also downhill skiing at Snowsnake Mountain, winter hiking, and golfing at the annual Frost Bite Open Golf Tournament on Budd Lake. The Clare County Fairgrounds are across from the park and host many activities in the summer months including the County Fair, Michigan Bow Hunters Rendezvous, Monster Truck Show and the Exhibitor′s Exposition. Other local activities are miniature golf, arcade games, batting cages, go-carts, canoeing on the Muskegon River, golf, biking and nature observation. There are also, as of this writing, over 25 caches in the town of Harrison and surrounding area.
Information:
For more information, reservations and a calendar of events, follow this link to
Wilson State Park.
Special thanks to
ReichyDDom
for help with this geocache.
Special thanks to Are You Geocacher Enough? Road Rally for the Northern Lower regional prize.
Resources: