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 multi-cache with a field puzzle and is not at the posted coordinates. The first stage is the entrance to a parking area. There is nothing at stage 1. Pull in and park. Proceed to stage 2 (44° 30.949 W 084° 45.463) on foot. Have a look around while you are here. There is a terrific mystery cache here also. One of its information stages is stage 2 of this multi. That is the reason stage 1 of this multi is at the entrance to the parking area. To determine the location of the final, answer the following questions with information at stage 2.
- N 44° 30.ABC W 084° 45.DEF
- A = The fourth digit of the year the forestry commission was created.
- B = The number of times the word oak appears on the marker.
- C = The second digit of the year the first state forest was set up.
- D = The fourth digit of the year the first state forest was set up.
- E = The second digit of the year of the that organized forest fire protection was set up, minus two.
- F = The second digit of the registered site number plus the third of the registered site number.
- North Checksum: A+B+C = 18
- West Checksum: D+E+F = 17
You are looking for a Regular size container. Please return everything as good or better than you found it and cover it up.
Thank you
aghudley
for creating, hiding and maintaining this MSPC GeoTour cache.
Photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Beach through the trees at North Higgins Lake State Park
North Higgins Lake State Park:
North Higgins Lake State Park, located in the northern Lower Peninsula on the north shore of Higgins Lake, offers 449 acres of lakeside recreation and camping in a natural wooded atmosphere. The park is situated on the site of what was once one of the world′s largest seedling nurseries and features a museum dedicated to telling the story of that nursery, forestry in Michigan and the Civilian Conservation Corp′s efforts in Michigan.
It is home to two campgrounds, two mini-cabins, a boat launch, a popular swimming beach, a picnic area and more than 8 miles of trails, including a 1.5-mile looped fitness trail located adjacent to the CCC Museum. The trails are available for hiking, cross-country skiing (groomed) and biking. The shaded beach is a great place for family reunions and picnics. The campground is open all year.
Approximately 1.9 miles of the Iron Belle Trail biking route runs from the east side of the park to the west side of the park and connects the park to the neighboring RAM Center.
Photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
The Cone Shed, Higgins Lake Nursery and CCC Museum
History:
Though not well documented, there is evidence that the area around the park was a popular deer and bear hunting site for Native Americans. These peoples also use the Muskegon River, Higgins and Houghton Lakes and connections to the Au Sable River for cross-state transportation.
In the 1860s, logging of the area′s forests began. This was a prime logging location due to its proximity to waterways and large stands of white pine, which make it easy to transport logs down the Muskegon River. White pine was the main species logged in the 1860s and 70s, with other species logged later. Within a short time, most forests in the vicinity were logged or denuded by forest fire, leaving a wasteland with only scattered areas of second growth forest.
In 1899, the Michigan Forestry Commission was established by the legislature. Soon after, close to 60,000 acres of tax delinquent land in Crawford and Roscommon Counties was dedicated as a forest reserve to be managed by the Forest Commission, creating Michigan′s first state forest. Within these lands, a forest nursery was established in 1903 to reforest the logged and burned land across the state. The first fire tower in Michigan was erected on site. This tower is now part of the Historic Higgins Lake Nursery and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Museum. This nursery grew over the years to a peak production of 22 million seedlings in 1931, making it one of the world′s largest forest nurseries. The nursery was in operation until 1964.
The Higgins Lake Nursery and Civilian Conservation Corps Museum tells the story of the Civilian Conservation Corps and its role in providing work to young men during the Great Depression.
Map courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Activities:
Higgins Lake is Michigan′s 11th largest inland lake. It is also one of the more popular fishing and boating lakes in the state. Several species of fish are available including smelt which can be caught on a hook and line through the winter ice. Kayaks and paddleboards are available for rent. There is a nice swimming beach at the park. There are eleven miles of trails open to hiking, biking and cross-country skiing. The Iron Bell Trail Bike Route passes through the park. The campground is open year-round.
Information:
For more information, reservations and a calendar of events, follow this link to
North Higgins Lake State Park.
Special thanks to
Clatmandu
for help with this geocache.
Special thanks to Are You Geocacher Enough? Road Rally for the Northern Lower regional prize.
Resources: