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Just for Kicks and Shelter Falls LbNA #1482 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Apr 28, 2003
Location:
City:Mansfield Center
County:Tolland
State:Connecticut
Boxes:2
Found by: Rock Island
Last found:Dec 5, 2010
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFm
Last edited:Apr 28, 2003
Shelter Falls Park, Mansfield , Ct. "Just For Kicks" and "Shelter Falls"
Rating: Moderate
Time 1 1/2 - 2 hours for both
Some rocky terrain

**Shelter Falls is reported missing**

Sponsor : Cock-A-Doodle-Moo 4-H Club

To find Shelter Falls Park, Mansfield take rte 44 between rte 32 and rte 195 Off of rte 44 turn onto Hunting Lodge road. Pass the elementary school to the stop sign. At this intersection go straight onto Birch Rd. The park will be on your left a little way down.

Enter the trail at the sign and garbage can. You will see why this peice of land was preserved. This small brook and the incredible stone should be saved as a place for families to roam. First cross a simple bridge then one more complex. Look upstream at the rocks and falls they are beautiful. Onward now your quest has begun. The trail climbs up to an intersection.

Here where you have a choice in white go right. Along this trail up and down look on the right for the UCONN Forest marker to be found. Along the stream ,then to rocky crossings from here to the Billy Goat trail, up and slippery on the bed of wet leaves. Along the side of the slope the trail goes, the Brook is pretty here just below.

They came with saws and cleared the trail twice here to make it easier for you, the pieces of tree lay bisected by the trail.

When you reach a stand of Hemlock and Laurel no matter the season the color is green. From here you are now on the Billy Goat trail. Scramble up. It's not marked as such but reminds me of the one in the story Heidi. So up you climb huff and Puff. Once again the parks crew sawed 2 trees on the trail pass on through.

On you go til you reach a stone wall. With your left foot now count off 12 paces up the trail. STOP , turn left see the Hemlock go up to that tree

Turn left now take 10 paces , left, left left.... to the dead tree . It lays as it fell pointing to the trail in the piece where it broke you will find your quest. Stamp it in secret and place back as you found it.

Now return to the trail, go back the way you came when you come to the intersection of the white arrow take the right.

On the trail through tall clear woods to a simple clearing with the stream to the left. Around a log in the path and on you go. At the fork in the path make your choice to go right .

Soon enough you will see a large knoll on the left , between you and the stream. Here you will hear cars traveling by on a road to the left.

Stay with the white dots as you walk along here, til you come to a stonewall on your left. ( the road ahead is Hunting Lodge) follow the stone wall looking for a piece of Rose Quartz near to large stones that rise up out of the wall . You will find the Shelter Falls Box just behind and below. Stamp quiet and quick and place as you found, the next hikers will want to find it themselves. Back on the trail go as you came when you reach the intersection with white arrow, go right that takes you back to the car, stop again and enjoy the falls before you go. Have Fun and be Safe.