First State Park in Michigan Traditional Geocache
First State Park in Michigan
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(regular)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
NOTE ABOUT ACCESS TO THIS CACHE: Please note: It is NOT necessary, and is dangerous, to climb the fence surrounding the State Park to access this cache. You DO have permission to enter the park by way of the corner opening in the fence, and the only way you would have to pay is if you want to take your vehicle into the park. Please DO NOT climb the fence to access this cache, or I may be asked to remove it from the park.
CONGRATS TO "GeoPirates....ARRGH!" ON YOUR FTF !!! NOTE: MAKE THIS A TWOFER - GO GET THE OTHER GEOCACHE ON THE SOUTH END OF THIS SAME PARK !!! CACHE DESCRIPTION: Camouflage painted ammo can with logbook, pens/pencils, and usual cache items inside. This cache is located in a wooded area near the entrance road to Interlochen State Park, a Michigan State park located approximately 12 air miles south west of downtown Traverse City, Michigan. This being a natural, wooded area there may be skunks, porcupines etc in the area. This park was established in 1917 as the first Michigan State Park, and was originally known as "Pine Park". The park was established to preserve the virgin pine stand for the people of Michigan. In 1928, the National Music Park was established on the northern end of the park, and some of the original buildings are still there and visible from the cache area. In trying to look up some of the history of the State Park and the National Music Camp, I became lost in the amazing history of this area. I would like to encourage everyone to do as I did, go on the internet, and just start reading and looking at the pictures !! There is alot of interesting things to learn about the area this cache is in !! I was fortunate to get permission to put a cache on the State Park property, and this cache being here is contingent on : --The behavior and actions of the visitors --Litter management - take more than you bring (practice CITO) --Please drive slowly in and around the parking area and the roads nearby, as there is usually quite a few young students from the Music Camp walking everywhere. --PLEASE respect the plant and animal life and the beautiful pines in the park, and (please do this for me) do not smoke or light any kind of flame in the wooded areas - as a 24 year veteran of the fire service I can assure you that once a fire has destroyed a wooded area, it takes decades to even partially recover, and it is never the same. I live right across the lake from the park, and I have been here since 1998, and after all of this time I am just discovering what this area has to offer, and what the history is. Don't let it pass you by - read up on it - get a campsite for a weekend or so - get out and look and feel what this State Park and the Interlochen area has to offer !! Also: Please look into the new State Park "Recreation Passport" - for a small fee on your vehicle registration you can access the Michigan State Park system without paying a vehicle entry fee each time you go to the parks. I think this is a good deal. For information please go to: http://www.michigan.gov/recreationpassport P.S. There has been recent discussion as to the name of this cache, so to clarify the question here is a part of a article I found on the Michigan DNR website: “ MICHIGAN'S FIRST STATE PARK? As the DNR celebrates the 100th anniversary of Michigan state parks system, a natural question arises – what was Michigan’s first state park? Well, the answer depends on how you interpret the question and isn’t simple. The 2019 state parks centennial celebration is centered around the formation of the Michigan State Park Commission by the state Legislature on May 12, 1919. The commission was given responsibility for overseeing, acquiring and maintaining public lands and establishing Michigan’s state parks system. One of the state’s earliest purchases was the site of Interlochen State Park in 1917. Although the land was purchased prior to 1919, Interlochen was the first public park to be transferred to the Michigan State Park Commission in 1920 and is considered Michigan's first state park. However, many consider Mackinac Island as Michigan’s first state park, which is also true. Approximately 25 years before legislation established the state park commission, the federal government gifted the Mackinac Island property it owned to the state in 1895. The island was designated as Michigan’s first state park under the Mackinac State Park Commission. Because Mackinac Island is operated under the Mackinac State Park Commission and was not placed under the Michigan State Park Commission, there is more than one answer to the “first state park” question.” Hope this helps !!
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)