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
C and Z's Loot
for creating, hiding and maintaining this MSPC GeoTour cache.
Photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Lake Hudson Recreation Area Grassy Landscape
Lake Hudson Recreation Area:
Lake Hudson Recreation Area is in southern Michigan, just south of the small town of Clayton and north of the Ohio border. The park consists of over 2700 acres and offers a rustic campground, a no-wake lake, a large swimming area, a boat launch, trails and a picnic shelter. In addition, there are opportunities for hunting and fishing (known for muskie), geocaching, metal detecting and more. The park features numerous grassy fields and wood lots.
Photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Dark Sky Preserve
History:
In 1993, Lake Hudson State Recreation Area, became the very first Dark Sky Preserve in Michigan and in the nation. The preserve provides a low light area for night sky viewing that also allows other park users access and availability for other activities. The park uses lighting fixtures that minimize light pollution and motion sensors on lights when possible. It is a great place for star gazing, watching Meteor showers or other astrological events.
Map courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Activities:
Visit Lenawee has information on guidelines for this Dark Sky Preserve as well as a link to the website for the Clear Sky Chart which gives an astronomer's forecast for Lake Hudson. There is also information on Michigan's DNR Dark Sky Preserves page.
Southern Lower Michigan has an active and imaginative Geocaching community. Located slightly north west in the town of Hudson are two virtual caches, GC8848 and GC8845, both placed in September 2002. You may also want to head a short drive south and visit the small community of Morenci and grab GC1Z6T9. There are also many other caches in these communities and the surrounding area.
Another of Michigan's wonderful state parks lies just 20 miles north, Cambridge Junction Historic State Park. Cambridge has limited hours, but if you are in the area during the summer when the historic buildings are open you won't want to miss stopping by. Cambridge offers an Open-Air Farmer's Market on Sundays and vintage baseballs games on summer weekends as well as concerts and kid's programs.
Information:
For more information, reservations and a calendar of events, follow this link to
Lake Hudson Recreation Area State Park.
Special thanks to
M0M0f5
for help with this geocache.
Special thanks to beenhere, LynnGeoGin and HNY Event Staff for the Southeast regional prize.
Resources: