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 whereigo cache not hidden at the posted coordinates. This cache is a guided tour through the history and make up of Holland State Park. It uses the Wherigo player to provide the tour experience and help you navigate through the park. This park is made up of two distinct parts. You won't see all of it but you will see a lot of it so prepare for a hike. Take a water bottle with you. This is one of the busiest parks in the system with over a million visitors a year. On nice summer days parking is a premium so figure on parking and leaving your vehicle in one spot while you play the wherigo.
Don't have a wherigo player? All you need to play it is a
smart phone or a wherigo compatible GPSr. The Garmin Colorado and Oregon series up through the 550 are compatible. For the smart phones you can download one of the players here:
For the iPhone - click here for the
Wherigo player.
For the Android Smart-phone - click here for the "WhereYouGo app."
Download the cartridge here:
The wherigo zones have been set to trigger when you get within 10 meters of the virtual zone. The game is saved after each zone is completed so there should be no reason to have to go back. If you restart the game and the zone doesn't do anything try to walk away and come back. You may be inside the zone, if you leave it should fire. the tour takes you past several other caches in the area. I've written the cartridge in a manner that will allow you to exit at any time to find other caches and then restart your tour without having to backtrack.
Thank you
BoxmanCrew
for creating, hiding and maintaining this MSPC GeoTour cache.
Photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
The Holland Harbor Lighthouse known as Big Red
Holland State Park:
Holland State Park is best known for sugar sand beaches, beautiful sunsets and views of the iconic "Big Red" lighthouse. The park is home to two popular beaches located on Lake Michigan and Lake Macatawa, two modern campgrounds, concessions, paddle rentals, a new playground and connections to Holland's system of non-motorized trails. A boat launch is located one mile east of the park with a fish cleaning station. According to Wikipedia it is often one of the most visited State Parks with 1.5 to 2 million visitors a year.
Photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Walking along the channel between Lake Michigan and Lake Makatawa
History:
The park was acquired from the City of Holland in December 1926 and has been a popular destination since that time. In 1965 the Lake Macatawa Unit was added to provide additional camping and access to Lake Macatawa.
Map courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Activities:
While at the park you can picnic, or fish along the channel, walk out on the pier and check out the boats heading to and from the big lake. You can capture a picture of yourself with GCP7TK Big Red. There is a beautiful beach and of course Lake Michigan.
When you tire of the beach wander down the adjacent boardwalk and up the stairs to the top of Mt. Pisgah. You can also walk through the forested dunes that make up the Lake Macatawa unit.
There are plenty of campsites if that is your thing but make your reservations early.
Information:
For more information, reservations and a calendar of events, follow this link to
Holland State Park.
Special thanks to
Geo'sLouLog
for help with this geocache.
Special thanks to Cold Cache Crew and Silent Whistles for the Southwest regional prize.
Resources: