Hidden Lake Traditional Cache
jak324: Need to archive this one. Will put another cache close to this one next year.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Geocache is in Wildlife Prairie State Park. You must pay to enter this not-for-profit State Park.
Wildlife Prairie Park began in the late 1960's when the Forest Park Foundation established a working relationship with the Chicago Zoological Society, Brookfield Zoo to use some Foundation land as an endangered species breeding farm and rest area. The idea was abandoned when the Brookfield Zoo became involved in a major renovation and management change.
The plan was then to use the land to create a park where the animals could live some-what freely. Among others, Marlin Perkins agreed with our idea that it only be for native Illinois animals. Very few parks had been built around similar themes, wintering the animals would be easier, and it would better portray Illinois' natural history.
From that point on, the Park began to evolve into what it is today. Extensive construction work was begun. As often as possible, recycled materials were used to reduce costs and to save resources as much as possible. Some of the recycled materials used in the building of the Park are the bricks in the patio near the Visitor Center and at the Train Depot, the old whiskey barrels used as refuse containers, the re-sawn timbers in the buildings and the many telephone poles used in the gates and bridges throughout the Park. Many of the bridges and habitats had to be built totally by hand to protect the natural foliage.
Throughout its construction, the Park has had three purposes: these are to conserve; to educate about conservation, wildlife, and many other resources; and to provide a place where this can be accomplished while having fun. The Park continues to work toward these goals. The Park opened for the first time in the fall of 1978 for six weeks. On September 5, 2000 William Rutherford Jr. presented the deed to Wildlife Prairie State Park to Governor George Ryan. Shortly thereafter, Wildlife Prairie Park became The Hazel & Bill Rutherford Wildlife Prairie State Park.
*The above was taken from the Wildlife Prairie State Park website.
So you’ve been to Wildlife Prairie State Park. But have you really seen WPSP? I noticed one day on the map that there is a 4-mile hiking trail (turns out there are 10 miles of trails!) that I had never seen. After taking the trails a couple of times, it dawned on me that probably 90% of the park visitors had never seen these trails. The trails will take you 25 feet from this cache. You will have to bushwhack through a little (you can walk around/over it) poison ivy to reach this cache. The First to Find prize is 2 tickets for the train. Please enjoy the animals, the scenery, and support this wonderful asset to Central Illinois.
There are $2 Tuesdays and they have a great Sunday Brunch. You might want to find the cache before you eat the brunch!
Cache is available during the following times:
March 1st - April 30th
9:00am - 4:30pm
May 1st - May 28th
9:00am - 6:30pm
May 29th - Sept 3rd
8:00am - 6:30pm
Sept 4th - Sept 30th
9:00am - 6:30pm
Oct 1st - Dec 9th
9:00am - 4:30pm
Please visit Wildlife Prairie State Park for more information
Cache is placed with the permission of the Wildlife Prairie State Park Staff. They are very supportive of these caches and have provided a lot of coupons for free popcorn. Please use them.
1. Geocache is placed on Department managed property with permission.
2. Do not place the following items in the Geocache: Food items, inappropriate, offensive, or hazardous materials.
3. It is the visitors responsibility or orient themselves with policies and rules pertaining to this Department managed site.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ng gur onfr bs n gerr