Sign Up  /  Login

Collis P Huntington State Park LbNA #1208

Owner:Zurcher
Plant date:Apr 27, 2003
Location:
City:Redding
County:Fairfield
State:Connecticut
Boxes:4
Found by: Team Rogue (2)
Last found:Oct 2, 2021
Status:FFFFFFFOFFFFFFFFFFFF
Last edited:Mar 28, 2016
The Collis P. Huntington SP Letterboxes

(West Redding/ Bethel Connecticut)

Directions: http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?A=2716&Q=325222

Planted by Linda & Bob on 10/15/02, adopted by Zurcher on Feb 16, 2004.

IMPORTANT NOTICE
This route instruction sheet has been updated July 7 2005, because of changes, such as moving the first box to a different location, due to changes made in this park during the Dam re-constructions 2004 / 2005.
This trip basically follows the blue trail around the park, counter clockwise.
You may wish to combine this trip with the “Peanuts Letterboxes” and others, also in this park. There are also many geo-caches here. With map in hand, it is also possible to just go out on your own to find letterboxes in any sequence. There are 3 different places to park.

Medium difficulty walk on wide trails, approx total distance 5.5 miles. There are 4 letterboxes. Some of the boxes are hard to find under frozen snow. With some exceptions, pushing/ walking bikes….it is possible to ride this trip by mountain bike.

To find the main entrance to Collis P. Huntington State Park, turn onto Sunset Hill Rd. in West Redding from Rt. 58. The park is .7 miles on your right with an ample parking lot. The park closes at sunset. Two beautiful statues sculpted by Anna Hyatt Huntington grace the entrance to this beautiful park.

Pick up the map [ current one dated July 2008, it no longer shows lettered intersections ! ] at the information station. Most of the trails are marked, but the markings are not very close together. The trails are obvious for the most part, so you shouldn’t have any problems. All degrees directions are with a compass using magnetic north.

Follow the well-worn trail past the information station down the hill through the field. At the bottom of the hill, turn left onto an unmarked wide trail. You will be on the blue trail heading north. Look sharp for a right turn at “Z” to follow blue blazed narrow trail down hill towards South Pond.
Note: Many / most major trail intersections are identified by letters and noted on older maps…however, seems, state does not maintain them, so don’t panic if one or more of these “confirmation” signs goes missing!
At south end of pond, next to earthern dam, take large “jeep” trail northward.
Note: map says white, but its blazed blue!
While strolling along this welcome flat section of the [blue] trail, you will not miss the 6 trunk silver beech tree on the right side of the trail. Confirmed by many “tattoos” .[ GL loves DC ] This is well past a large split stone erratic. From this magnificent tree, go due east 20 paces to a 5-foot rock off the trail. The Horse Letterbox is planted sideways on the north side of this rock between the main rock and a smaller connecting rock. Stamp and re-hide.[ checked and ok...April 2016 ]

Continue north to a large triangle with trees “R” and head right…east for 0.56 miles.
This intersection is “Q” and in front of you is a large rock face or wall, red goes left, blue goes right. Follow the blue trail about 50 feet and look for small narrow footpath on left, taking you up to the top of this small “monolith” and get to the top and see the Bonsai tree. Good spot for a picknick. From this lone tree, go 50 or so feet on a bearing of 160 to a cluster of rocks. [ actually just backtracking the way you came up here] Here is the transplanted title letterbox “ Collis Huntington State Park”.

Continue on the blue trail, past an alternate parking area near Newtown Redding town line…in a northerly direction past
“M” , “J”, “I” to “H” which is where the blue trail crosses Bethel – Redding town Line. It is also here that you first encounter
the ATT utility buried cable line. This is the most difficult part of the tour. We know…we pushed our mountain bikes along the
roller coaster section of cable line. From point “H” take the utility line westward, 0.10 mile on white trail… 0.28 on blue to pole # 279 “EE” . At this point, blue trail leaves the ATT line and heads north for 0.34 miles. Look for point “ DD”

You will know you are in the correct location if you see a 10 foot by 20 foot pit in front of you. It is here that you will wander off the blue trail to find the Mica Mine and the Wolf Letterbox. At the pit, head SE on the white trail, keeping the “DD” mark on your left. The uphill trail will be filled with mica as you approach the mica mine. At the top of the hill (you will see several mica pits), go briefly NE and then E following an unmarked trail up a hill to a large 3 ridged large rock overlooking a mica quarry. The unmarked trail now heads NNE on the NW ridge of the quarry through a mountain laurel grove. At the NE end of the quarry, cross over a natural rock bridge. Look for a sizable quadruple trunked tree. Proceed 15 steps along the ridge in a southern direction. Find a 3-foot tall quartz and mica rock with a blasting hole in the northern corner. The Wolf letterbox is under the southern corner of this rock. Stamp and carefully replace. Retrace your steps through the Mica Mine section back to the pit/blue trail intersection ”DD”.
This box was in place 11/07/07

Continue along the blue trail past “Y” , “ X” , “ W” this is northern most part of the trip. Look at the map. After “W”
the trail goes south ward for 0.41 miles and then crosses the ATT line at utility pole # 282.

If you pass the fiber-optic line , ATT…(like a gas pipeline), you have gone too far and missed box #4.

A bit before this point…[ ATT] look for a very large rock outcropping on your right, approximately 35 feet tall. While facing the rock, notice the location of the black birch tree, on the right, touching the rock. Bushwhack around the NW side of the rock to the top. Head to the SE corner of the rock by the noted black birch tree. Where the rocks have a one-foot gap, look underneath the overhanging rock to find the Bear Letterbox, letterbox #4. Stamp and carefully re-hide. [ Bit dangerous for small kids here! ]
NOTE: this box is missing as of 11/07/07

From here, just cont. southward , easy hike, about a mile..along the blue trail back to your car.

We hope you had an enjoyable experience.

Please contact me about your experience, and let me know of any problems.