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.
Construction starting in the west loop of the modern campground in August, 2024, should not impact this geocache.
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
Bjb_fam
for creating, hiding and maintaining this MSPC GeoTour cache.
Photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Parade Grounds with the Hospital, Company Quarters and Mess Hall
Fort Wilkins State Park:
Fort Wilkins Historic State Park, located in the northern Keweenaw Peninsula, features camping, day-use facilities, a restored 1844 army military outpost and one of the first lighthouses on Lake Superior built in 1866. Fort Wilkins became a state park in 1923. Extensive restoration work and development began in the 1930s under the Work Project Administration.
Photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Historical re-enacter fetching water.
History:
Military from the Fort Wilkins Natural History Association:
1844 - With the War of 1812 fresh in its memory and lessons being learned in its westward expansion, the US government established Fort Wilkins to protect its interests in the region's Copper Boom. Its location at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula allowed its garrison to oversee the copper shipping route and to police the area's indigenous Native Americans.
The post was built as a typical stockade frontier fort with a central parade surrounded by the officer's quarters, enlisted barracks and a hospital. The powder magazine, guardhouse, sutler's store and quartermaster stores were located in back of the quarters. The stockade enclosed all of the structures on two sides with Lake Fannie Hooe and a creek forming the other two sides. The married enlisted quarters were outside the compound at the entrance to the post.
1846 - The United States war with Mexico required that the garrison be replaced and shipped to the warfront. A year later the replacements were pulled for the war effort leaving a single caretaker behind- Sergeant William Wright.
1867 - Immediately following the American Civil War, the post was re-occupied by the US Army as a site for soldiers to serve out their enlistments. The post was permanently abandoned by the government in August of 1870.
Park History:
1923 - The fort and adjacent lighthouse became a State Park. The park personnel stabilized the few remaining buildings and supervised the reconstruction of the fort by the Work Projects Administration (WPA). The work was completed between 1939 and 1942. The improvements included a 200 car parking area, upgraded campsites, water and sewer systems, a park store and campground shower building.
1969 - The partnership between Michigan state parks and non-profit, interested groups begins with Fort Wilkins Natural History Association being the state's second registered partner.
Today - Fort Wilkins is a well-preserved example of mid-19th century army life on the northern frontier. Through exhibits, audiovisual programs and living history interpretation, visitors may explore the daily routine of military service, experience the hardships of frontier isolation and discover the lifeways of another era. The park also includes the Copper Harbor Lighthouse Complex with a restored 1848 light keeper′s dwelling, 1866 lighthouse, and interpretive trails.
Map courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Activities:
The park includes two miles of hard packed gravel trail suitable for biking, hiking and running in the summer and cross-country skiing in the winter. Mountain biking is very popular in the area which contains miles of world class, intermediate and difficult trails. Lake Fannie Hooe provides both walleye and splake fishing. Copper Harbor also is good splake fishing.
Information:
For more information, reservations and a calendar of events, follow this link to
Fort Wilkins State Park.
Special thanks to
Wandering Tracks
for help with this geocache.
Special thanks to Cherry Capital Cachers for the Upper Peninsula regional prize.
Resources: