The park is open from 9:00am to 5:00pm Wednesday through
Sunday. It is closed on Monday and Tuesday. There is a self-service
park admission fee of $4.00 per vehicle (up to eight visitors).
The Earthcache can only be completed when the
park is open. It is not necessary to descend into the
sinkhole to complete the Earthcache.
Some 10,000 to 14,000 years ago, acidic rainwater soaking into
the ground caused the limestone bedrock under the earth at this
site to slowly dissolve, forming small cavities, which after
thousands of years became a large cavern. As the cavern grew too
large to support the weight of the overlying earth, the roof
collapsed, forming the sinkhole. Today, small streams form
waterfalls that cascade down the steep sides of the sinkhole,
returning water to the aquifer.
Stream in Devil's Millhopper
Sinkholes are quite common in Florida, and Devil's Millhopper is
one of the state's best known, having attracted visitors for over
120 years. The unique name dates from a time when farmers ground
grain in grist mills. The mills had funnel-shaped hoppers which
held the grain; the sinkhole has a similar shape. Many fossilized
bones and teeth have been found at the bottom of the sinkhole,
giving rise to the legend that the sink was used to feed bodies to
the devil.
While at the park, stop at the visitor center to view the
exhibits and an audio-visual program. Guided walks with a park
ranger are available on Saturday mornings at 11:00am. The walk to
and from the observation platform near the bottom of the sink (N
29° 42.435 W 082° 23.662) offers splendid views of the
sinkhole and the forces that still shape the land.
Moss-covered Crevasses in Devil's Millhopper
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To claim credit for this cache
1) Visit Devils Millhopper Geological State Park, and locate
the visitor center.
2) Have your photograph taken in front of the visitor
center with your GPSr, so the distinctive top of the building is
visible, as shown in the sample photo. For solo cachers, a photo of
your hand holding your GPSr in front of the visitor center is
certainly fine. If your GPSr and phone are in one unit (e.g., an
iPhone with Geocaching app), a creative photo of your choosing at
the site is also acceptable.
3) Immediately before logging your find, e-mail the answers
to the following three questions
using this link. Do not post the answers in your
log!
Question 1 - The middle of the visitor center features an
open air audio-visual room (behind the ranger station). Around the
room are six exhibit panel walls and the audio/visual screen. Fill
in the blanks to identify the exhibit panel titles arranged
clockwise from the entrance:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Survival
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Record of the Ancient Past
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
. . . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _?
(the audio/visual screen
panel)
Water ... For Life and Enjoyment
of the Millhopper
Question 2 - In the visitor center audio-visual room,
according to the Record of the Ancient Past panel, where are the
bones and teeth of land animals found within the sinkhole?
Question 3 - A plaque is located at N 29° 42.416 W
082° 23.696 near the top of the boardwalk steps. What does this
plaque commemorate?
4) Upload your photograph(s) when you log your find. Logs
without at least one photograph will be deleted, hence the (albeit
modest) difficulty rating.
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View Into Sinkhole |
Observation
Platform |
View From
Sinkhole |
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Please Note: Newly-formed sinkholes can
be dangerous, as catastrophic changes to terrain can result without
warning. Do not explore sinkholes of unknown origin or
stability.
Information for this Earthcache was gathered from several
sources, including literature available at the park and the
Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park
website.
Click to visit the Florida Geocaching Association