Welcome to Harrison Benwell
Located near McHenry, this 629-acre site has 1.25 miles of hiking trails, a fishing pond and a shelter available for rental.
This site is home to a variety of wildlife. A large variety of birds can be found because of the many different types of habitats that can be found. While on site, look for great blue herons, blue jays, red-tailed hawks, goldfinches and red-headed woodpeckers.
Parts of this site were once a very productive apple orchard. Eleven kinds of apples were harvested throughout the year and stored in insulated storage cellars.
Bald Cypress
Taxodium distichum (bald cypress) is a deciduous conifer in the family Cupressaceae that grows on saturated and seasonally inundated soils in the lowlands of the Southeastern and Gulf Coastal Plains of the United States. It is NOT native to the Chicago region.
The species is a popular ornamental tree that is cultivated for its light, feathery foliage and orangey brown to dull red autumnal color. In cultivation it thrives on a wide range of soils, including well drained sites where it would not grow naturally because juvenile seedlings can not compete with other vegetation. Cultivation is successful far north of its native range, even to southern Canada.
Cache Your Way Question
Due to it being a popular ornamental tree, it was planted on District sites prior to the District owning the land. Besides Harrison Benwell, what is the other site where Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) was planted?
To learn how to participate in the GeoSeries and earn a special District geocoin visit MCCDistrict.org/Geocache
Geocachers
Please join us in playing! Geocaching is a high-tech “treasure hunting” game played throughout the world by adventure seeker. All are welcome who observe and obey the rules.
- Please do not move or vandalize the container.
- Once you find it, log your name in the book, take a trinket and leave one of your own behind for the next person.
- Replace the cache in the same spot that you found it, and make sure it is completely covered.
- Please do not remove the informational card from the containers, this is an essential game piece for cachers completing the GeoSeries.
- The real treasure is finding the container and sharing your thoughts with everyone who finds it.
For a complete list of rules and instructions on how to earn a special district geocoin visit MCCDistrict.org/Geocache
Email geocaching@MCCDistrict.org with any questions or concerns
McHenry County Conservation District Information
Visit our website at MCCDistrict.org or call (815) 338-6223
Photo Release
5/20/2021 Photos posted here may be featured on the McHenry County Conservation District's various social media accounts including Facebook, Instagram, and twitter, as well as our website (MCCDistrict.org) and print material such as Landscapes Magazine. By posting photos to this log you agree to allow us to share your work. Photographers will be acknowledged in any shares or posts of photos, so please include your name in your post if it is different from that of your username.