Michigan

COVID-19 Information

The situation concerning mandates surrounding COVID-19 is updating rapidly. Geocaching HQ and your Michigan Review team urges all event hosts and attendees to prioritize the safety of themselves and their attendees.

From Geocaching HQ

At this time, we advise Event hosts to consult their regional health authorities to understand the guidance regarding gatherings of people. Generally, Geocaching HQ leaves the decision to Event hosts on whether to continue hosting the event and to attendees on whether they will participate. In certain cases, we may suspend publishing new events and/or may disable, retract, or archive already published events, in accordance with guidance from health authorities.

Do not rely on this information being the most up-to-date, but I will try.

Currently in Michigan:

New Caches

Beginning June 2nd, all regions of the state are now publishing non-event caches without restrictions.

Maintenance / Low Health Cache Sweeps

Maintenance sweeps of caches have fully resumed, until winter slows us down again.  Automated health score emails have resumed from Geocaching HQ.  Also, please note that we are understanding that many are still uncomfortable with going back out again at the present. As is our standard policy in Michigan, we are not telling you that you must fix it within 30 days, we are asking within 30 days that you give a statement of intent that you plan to fix the cache. Those caches disabled with notes referencing them being disabled through the pandemic are not , those listing are not being flagged for action.

Events

Events are being published once again in Michigan subject to limitations under current state orders.  For event hosts, please note that under the current Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Epidemic Orders gathering sizes. ***Please verify with your chosen venue that they are indeed open to and allowing gatherings to take place.  Ultimately, per the regular geocaching guidelines, you as the organizer are responsible to make sure you follow all state and local guidelines.*** 

Geocaching Guidelines on Events

Events must comply with health and safety guidelines, as well as all local laws. Event cache owners are responsible for ensuring the number of people in attendance is in accordance with any local restrictions on gatherings.

A Summary of Michigan's Current Orders (other local orders may be more strict):

• MI - MDHHS Epidemic Order - March 19 - Through Monday, April 19

• 1,000 square foot is an important measurement in the latest round of restrictions.  As a visual reference, this is approximately the size of a pavilion containing 10 picnic tables.
• Social Gatherings concerning individuals not in the same household:
  • Indoors:
    • Residential Property: Limited to 15 People
      • Further Restriction: Max of 3 Households - MDHHS Epid. Order Mar 19 Sect 2.(a).1
    • Non-Residential Property: 
      • Limited to 25 People - MDHHS Epid. Order Mar 19 Sect 2.(a).2
      • Further Restrictions:
        • Food Service: Limited to 6 people per table with no intermingling between tables - MDHHS Epid. Order Mar 19 Sect 3.(b).1 & Sect 3.(b).2
        • Non-Food Service:  Limited to 6 people per table in areas where food/drink take place - MDHHS Epid. Order Mar 19 Sect 3.(a).3
  • Outdoors:
    • Residential Property: 
      
      • Limited to 50 People - MDHHS Epid. Order Mar 19 Sect 2.(b).1
    • Non-Residential Property: Please Seek Guidance of the Hosting Venue
      • Limited to 300 People - MDHHS Epid. Order Mar 19 Sect 2.(b).2
• Mask Requirements
  
  • The Michigan Department of Health & Human Services are REQUIRING masks at all gatherings with the following exemptions - MDHHS Epid. Order Mar 19 Sect 7.(a)
  • Section 8 Exemptions of Face Coverings, that may pertain to caching events:
    • Are younger than 5 years old;
    • Cannot medically tolerate a face covering;
    • Are eating or drinking while seated at a (food service establishment or private residence);
    • Are exercising outdoors and able to consistently maintain six feet of distance from others;
    • Are communicating with someone who is deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing and whose ability to see the mouth is essential to communication;
    • Are giving a speech for broadcast or to an audience, provided that the audience is at least 12 feet away from the speaker;

Table of Contents

The biggest issues that prevent a cache from being published:

1. Proximity

Putting your cache too near an existing cache. This includes stages of other multi caches and solutions to other puzzle caches. Guidelines require 528ft (0.1mi) separation.

2. Vacation Cache/No Home Coordinates

Placing caches too far from home. We check the distance from your home area to the cache, as large distances have historically caused maintenance issues. If you place a cache a good distance from your home, please indicate your "Maintenance Plan" in a reviewer note. That is, if you frequent the area, or have someone locally set up to watch over the cache for you.

3. Waypoints Needed

Please use the "Add/Edit waypoints" tool for the stages and final coordinates of a multi-cache or the solution coordinates for a mystery/unknown cache. These points must also comply with the listing guidelines, and are then protected from future caches being placed too near them.

4. Cemetery Caches

Be aware that most all Michigan townships and municipalities have ordinances that close all cemeteries at dark unless otherwise posted, It's helpful to finders if you include a note on the cache page that this cache is not available at night, and set at least one of the attributes (Not available at night, or Not available 24/7).

5. Virtual Caches

The Virtual cache type (a cache without a log book) has not been allowed for new caches for some time now. The existing Virtual caches are grandfathered in but have special maintenance requirements and are being archived regularly. All new caches must have a physical log book.

6. Commercial

A cache can be deemed too-commercial for listing.
In general,
- avoid using a business name in the title and on the cache page
- please do not include any links to a business website or websites that have commercial content
- do not include any business promotional material on the cache page including logos, menus, and endorsements
Caches placed inside a business or that require interaction with employees cannot be published. Commercial requirements also apply to non-profit businesses as well.
For Event caches,
Geocaching allows:
- mention of event coins that are trackable at GC.com
- mention of a business in the page text
- mention of sponsors without links

7. Agenda

Caches that appear to be promoting an agenda are not allowed. This may include religious, environmental, military, political, charitable or other social agenda, etc. Geocaching is supposed to be a light and fun activity.

8. Permit Required

Placing caches in one of these areas require a permit:

• Michigan State Parks and State Recreation Areas
• Huron-Clinton Metroparks maps
• Oakland County Parks map
• Ann Arbor City Parks map list
• Sterling Heights (all parks along the Clinton River require a permit from the Parks and Recreation Dept) (Clinton River, Clinton River North, Dodge)
• Washtenaw County Parks and Preserves Geocaching Policy and Guidelines and links to map and permit.  Please inquire at the park office for that park.
• National Parks/Lakeshores:  Cachers are encouraged to approach their local National Park staff and attempt to establish a good working relationship on a cache by cache basis.
  
  • Isle Royale National Park map
  • Keweenaw National Historical Park
  • Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore map
  • River Raisin National Battlefield Park
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore map

9. Forbidden areas

Caches are generally not allowed in the following areas, exceptions may be available from the local land/unit manager:

• National and State Wilderness Areas

   Full List of Areas

  • Beaver Basin Wilderness (map)
  • Big Island Lake Wilderness (map)
  • Delirium Wilderness (map)
  • Horseshoe Bay Wilderness (map)
  • Huron Islands Wilderness (map)
  • Isle Royale Wilderness (map)
  • Mackinac Wilderness (map)
  • McCormick Wilderness (map)
  • Michigan Islands Wilderness (map) - Scarecrow islands (Lake Huron near Alpena), and Pismire, and Shoe islands (in Lake Michigan near Beaver Island)
  • Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness (map)
  • Rock River Canyon Wilderness (map)
  • Round Island Wilderness (map)
  • Seney Wilderness (map)
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness (map)
  • Sturgeon River Gorge Wilderness (map)
  • Sylvania Wilderness (map)

• National Wildlife Refuges

   Full List of Areas

  • Huron 
  • Seney map
  • Harbor Island (off the northwest shore of Drummond Island in Potagannissing Bay) map
  • Michigan Islands (8 islands in Lake Michigan and Huron. Thunder Bay and , Big and Little Charity islands (Saginaw Bay), and Gull, .
  • Shiawassee map
  • Detroit River map

• Michigan State Game Areas and Wildlife Areas  - Map

   Full List of Areas

  • Adams Township State Game Area in Hillsdale County map
  • Allegan State Game Area in Allegan County map
  • Almer Township State Game Area in Tuscola County map
  • Backus Creek State Game Area in Roscommon County map
  • Barry State Game Area in Barry County, Main Unit map, - Fish Lake Unit map
  • Betsie River State Game Area in Benzie County map
  • Blendon Township State Game Area in Ottawa County County map
  • Brookfield Township No.1 State Game Area in Huron County map
  • Brookfield Township No.2 State Game Area in Huron County map
  • Cannonsburg State Game Area in Kent County map
  • Cass City State Game Area in Tuscola County map
  • Chelsea State Game Area in Wastenaw County map
  • Chesterfield Township State Game Area in Macomb County map
  • Columbia Township State Game Area in Tuscola County map
  • Crane Pond State Game Area in Cass County map
  • Crow Island State Game Area in Bay and Saginaw Counties map
  • Dansville State Game Area in Ingham County map
  • Deford State Game Area in Tuscola County map
  • Denmark Township State Game Area in Tuscola County map
  • Edmore State Game Area in Isabella and Montcalm Counties map
  • Elmwood Township State Game Area in Tuscola County map
  • Erie State Game Area in Monroe County map
  • Fabius Lake State Game Area in St. Joseph County map
  • Flat River State Game Area in Ionia and Montcalm Counties map
  • Flynn State Game Area in Huron and Tuscola Countiesmap
  • Fulton State Game Area in Kalamazoo County map
  • Gagetown State Game Area in Huron and Tuscola Countiesmap
  • Goose Lake State Game Area in Wastenaw County No map available
  • Gourdneck State Game Area in Kalamazoo County map
  • Grand Haven State Game Area in Ottawa County map
  • Grand River State Game Area in Ionia County map
  • Grass Lake Unit State Game Area in Jackson County map
  • Gratiot-Saginaw State Game Area in Gratiot and Saginaw Countiesmap
  • Gregory State Game Area in Livingston Countymap
  • Haymarsh Lake State Game Area in Mecosta County map
  • Hillcrest State Game Area in Livingston County map
  • Horseshoe Lake State Game Area in Oakland County map
  • Keeler State Game Area in Van Buren County No map available
  • Langston State Game Area in Montcalm Countymap
  • Lapeer State Game Area in Lapeer County map
  • Leidy Lake State Game Area in St. Joseph County map
  • Lost Nation State Game Area in Hillsdale County map
  • Manistee River State Game Area in Manistee County map
  • Maple River State Game Area in Clinton, Gratiot and Ionia Counties map
  • Maple-River - Gratiot-Saginaw State Game Area in Gratiot County map
  • Martiny Lake State Game Area in Mecosta County map
  • Middleville State Game Area in Barry County map
  • Minden City State Game Area in Sanilac Countymap
  • Murphy Lake State Game Area in Tuscola Countymap
  • Muskegon State Game Area in Muskegon and Newaygo Counties Main (western) map, East Part - map
  • Muskrat Lake State Game Area in Clinton County map
  • Oak Grove State Game Area in Livingston County map
  • Olive Township State Game Area in Ottawa Countymap
  • Oliver Township State Game Area in Huron County No map available
  • Onsted State Game Area in Lenawee County map
  • Ottawa County State Game Areas in Ottawa County map
  • Pentwater River State Game Area in Oceana County map
  • Pere Marquette State Game Area in Mason County No map available
  • Petersburg State Game Area in Monroe Countymap
  • Petobego State Game Area in Antrim and Grand Traverse Counties No map available
  • Pinconning Township State Game Area in Bay County No map available
  • Pointe Mouillee State Game Area in Monroe and Wayne Counties map
  • Port Huron State Game Area in St. Clair County map
  • Portland State Game Area in Clinton and Ionia Counties map
  • Rogue River State Game Area in Kent County map, Extension - map
  • Rush Lake State Game Area in Huron Countymap
  • Sanilac State Game Area in Sanilac County map
  • Saranac-Lowell State Game Area in Ionia and Kent Countymap
  • Sharonville State Game Area in Jackson and Washtenaw Counties map
  • Shiawassee River State Game Area in Saginaw County map
  • Somerset State Game Area in Hillsdale County map
  • St. Clair Township State Game Area in Macomb County No map available
  • Stanton State Game Area in Montcalm County map
  • Three Rivers State Game Area in Cass and St. Joseph Counties map
  • Tuscola State Game Area in Tuscola County map
  • Vassar State Game Area in Tuscola Countymap
  • Verona State Game Area in Huron Countymap
  • Vestaburg State Game Area in Montcalm County map

10. Restricted Areas

(Special Permission or Circumstance Required)

• Airports
• Highway bridges
• Railroad - 150ft from all active lines
• Schools

• Ottawa County Parks

  • Prohibited Areas:
    • Marne Bog
    • Olive Shores
    • Rosy Mound Natural Area
    • Historic Ottawa Beach Parks, including Mt. Pisgah, Black Lake Boardwalk, and Holland Harbor Fishing Access
    • There are a couple of existing caches that are in a couple of these areas that the parks department has graciously grandfathered in as these sites have not (yet) shown signs of causing damage or destruction to the surrounding environment but NO NEW CACHES will be allowed in the prohibited parks.
  • Ottawa County has opened the remaining county park areas (Map) up for geocaching with some restrictions found here: Park System Policies
    • Caches must be placed no more than 10 feet away from a designated trail in a “Park” and must be more than 50 feet from a property boundary in an “Open Space.”  List which property is classified as which type is found in "map" link above.
    • Containers must clearly be identifiable as a geocache using the word “geocache” or the Geocaching logo on the outside of the container and must be no bigger than a standard
      brick or 20oz soda bottle.
    • Caches are not permitted in sensitive areas (wetlands, fragile dunes, steep slopes, protected areas and river banks)
    • Placements that cause damage to park amenities or natural features are prohibited such as the use of screws or nails into trees, signposts, kiosks, or buildings.

Other Issues/Suggestions:

Bad Ideas:

The following places have historically been bad ideas for cache hides.  While allowed by the guidelines, please think twice about the types of cachers that will be hunting your cache, and get adequate permission for your hides. In general, these are bad ideas:

• Playgrounds - Many cachers are single adult males and get parents rather upset if they are hanging around playgrounds looking suspicious.
• Post Offices - Postal areas are very sensitive due to problems with letter contents, and it's illegal to hide on on a postal box.
• Banks - Bank security does not hesitate to call law enforcement about suspicious activity.

Attributes:

Please take a minute when creating your cache page to add some attributes to your listing.

Additional Logging Requirements:

Additional Logging Requirements (ALR) are physical caches that REQUIRE a finder to do anything more than just sign the log, such as take a picture, email the owner, or some other activity be performed in order to claim credit for the find.  As of April 4, 2009, ALRs are no longer permitted.  Geocaches can be logged online as Found once the physical log has been signed.  This guideline change applies immediately to all logs written from April 4, 2009 and going forward.  Older caches with ALRs are NOT grandfathered under the older guideline.  The lone exception to ALRs, Challenge Caches, are discussed below.

Challenge Caches: (Help Center Article)

A Challenge Cache requires that geocachers meet a geocaching-related qualification or series of tasks before finding the cache.  An older iteration of challenges existed prior to April 21, 2015 that may not adhere to the following, these are for the most part grandfathered. If you are thinking of creating a Challenge Cache, please keep the following in mind, challenge caches...

1. MUST include a Challenge Checker (Help Center Article)
2. MUST BE geocaching related
3. MUST BE reasonably attainable by a number of geocachers - you may be asked for a list, if we are unsure
4. SHOULD NOT based on non-accomplishments, such as DNFs
5. SHOULD NOT require cachers to log caches that are disabled or archived
6. SHOULD NOT require cachers to hide cache
7. SHOULD BE independent of the actions of other cachers. (FTFs, Lonely)
8. SHOULD NOT require cachers to find an explicit list of caches or one's own hides
9. SHOULD NOT be a book-keeping exercise with overly complex requirements requiring a bottle of aspirin to understand

Handicap Accessible:

Caches currently published with a terrain rating of 1.0 are required to carry the Handicap Accessible attribute.  This means the location can be reached and the cache hide is retrievable from a wheelchair (not on the ground or up high).  Historically, this has not always been the case, please consider adjusting older caches you may own to include the attribute or adjust the terrain rating.  Caches may be rated higher than a 1.0 and carry the Handicap Accessible attribute.

Cache disabled for an extended period.

The "Temporarily Disable" feature that allows you to disable a cache is meant to be used for no more than a few weeks. A disabled cache will continually show up in search lists from the browser, and while there's no cache to be found, it prevents someone from placing a new cache in the area that others can find. As reviewers, we realize that you may not be able to get to your cache right away, so we generally wait to post a note until the cache has been disabled for an extended period or the cache is brought to our attention. If there is no response to our note within a 30 days, the cache will likely be archived. If there are extenuating circumstances, please post a note to your cache page. We look for notes posted in response to mine before archiving any cache.  Please be sure to post a note to the cache page, this state has multiple reviewers, an email will only be seen by one and may result in an archival, if another reviewer looks at it.

Reply by e-mail

When contacting one of Michigan's reviewers, please do so by email and not the internal message system.  Also, do not reply to the automatic e-mail sent out by the Geocaching.com notification system in response to a log.  This will reply to an unmonitored email maintained by HQ.  We will not see it.   When contacting a reviewer, please e-mail us directly or via our profile (Send Email).  Please include the GC# when e-mailing.

Reviewer Notes

We do not get automatic notification of Reviewer Notes placed on caches. Please e-mail if you've left a note you'd like us to see.  Please include the GC# when e-mailing.

Geo-Trash

If you feel a geocache has been so neglected that it has become more litter than cache or if a cache appears to be totally missing and the owner is unresponsive to either an e-mail or posted notes on the cache page, you can bring this to our attention by either

• Select the "(!) Report a problem" when logging the cache, then selecting "Cache should be archived."  We do get notifications of these "Needs Archived" logs and will address them as time allows
• E-mail us the GC# of the cache

Adoption

If you would like to adopt a cache, you must make contact with the cache owner. Have them go to www.geocaching.com/adopt and set up the adoption to you. If the owner is gone (no longer active) and is non-responsive to your e-mail, sadly the cache is unable to be transferred, so it's your choice if you decide to help maintain it. Archived caches cannot be adopted.

Pre-Review

If you are planning a cache and wish to verify the location ahead of time, or possibly assemble the cache page in steps, please uncheck the "Yes, it's ready for review" box. If you'd like us to check out the listing before you place the cache, just e-mail us with the GC#. Creating the page ahead of time also has the added feature of "reserving the location" for a few weeks while you complete your cache. Normally, caches are expected to be in-place when they are submitted for review.

Publish at a specific date/time:

If you would like your listing to be published at a special date/time, please be sure to give us at least a full week's notice. We try to accommodate special requests but sometimes things just don't happen as we plan. We can't guarantee a specific time, but we're usually within a couple of hours.

Large series of caches

If you are planning on a large series of caches, please let us know ahead of time. This is so that we can both alert you to potential problems with completing your series and so we can pre-review at least some of them before a mass release date. We ask that caches be submitted far enough ahead of time that we have at least 1 day's notice for every 5 caches you submit.

Relocating a cache

If you relocate a cache, you can change the coordinates up to 528ft (0.1mi) via your cache page. If you need to move it further, please send one of us reviewers a note with the new coordinates and GC# and we can change it for you. Hopefully the new position doesn't encroach on another cache or it's stages, or we may not accept the new location.

Changing cache type

Generally, cache type changes (Traditional -> Multi, Puzzle -> Traditional, etc) are discouraged. Many users are very particular about their statistics, and changing the cache type can cause other issues as well. Often, we recommend archiving the old listing, and creating a new one in the same place with the new type. This has the added benefit of bringing cachers back to the area for the new hide. That said, there are valid reasons for changing a type. Contact one of us reviewers and we'll work through it with you.

Life outside caching

Please be kind. Since we are *highly compensated* by geocaching.com for our volunteer efforts, most reviewers need a *second* job to make ends meet. We make our best attempt to reply to your questions and cache submissions within 7 days. Many times we are quicker, however life often gets in the way of caching and reviewing, and we may sometimes take a little longer to get to you.

Happy Caching!