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Harwinton Rec Series LbNA #1983

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Apr 30, 2003
Location:
City:Harwinton
County:Litchfield
State:Connecticut
Boxes:5
Planted by:Rubaduc
Found by: Team Rogue (5)
Last found:Jan 6, 2024
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Last edited:Apr 30, 2003
Planted by Rubaduc 9-28-02
Difficulty, easy walking but could take a couple of hours.
Directions: from Rt. 4 East, where it meets Rt. 118, go straight through
the traffic light into the Harwinton Conservation and Recreation Area.
There were trail maps the day I was here.

This 136 acre preserve is accessible over several marked trails.
From your car walk through the metal gate towards the pond, watching the
tree line on your left for nature trail signs. Take the green trail,
ignoring the green X trail markings soon seen on a tree on the right. All
trail turns will be marked by wooden sign posts. The green trail soon
runs along Leadmine Brook, passing by two benches and coming to your
first sign post where you need to stay straight, changing to the yellow
trail. You'll soon come to an evergreen forest and part way through it, watch on the right for a leaning tree with a gaping hole at the base (I'm told that this tree has been cut down and as of 11-28-11, the logs are on the ground). From this tree site 295 degrees and walk 40 steps to an evergreen on a small knoll. Look in the roots for the "All That Glitters" box. Return to the trail continuing in the same direction. This area's wet
most of the time and soon you have to cross a small muddy stream, but
keeping to the right is the dryer way (new bridge here now 11-12-2006 :-)
At the next sign post stay on yellow until you see the red trail on the right (the Rec property ends here) go right on red for about 35 steps, look left for large fallen logs about 15 steps off trail. Look between the logs for the "Trails End" letterbox.
After stamping in, rehide the box carefully and continue on the red trail. At the next trail marker go
left on the double red and soon left again onto the double red loop
trail, the most difficult section in the preserve, but once you reach the
top of the hill, it's a piece of cake. I saw many Gray squirrels
scampering about on this stretch but no red ones.
Just keep following the double reds, up a steep hill, through a stone
wall with a large tree fallen over it and around the many twists and
turns until you see (right beside the trail) a large sloping rock on the
right side of the trail. Under the overhang on the right side of the rock
you can find the "Reddy Freddy" letterbox.
After rehiding the box, continue on the double red (mostly downhill now)
till the marker where you first went up. Go left back to solid red and go
left where you were before the double red trip. Watch on your left for
rock ledges high above you. Just before crossing a small stream, you will
see trees growing out of rocks along the trail. In a rock crevice, under
brook stones in the western most rock with a tree on top, you will find
the "Lunch Time" letterbox. I found this place most enchanting and did
have a snack before crossing the stream to the next post.
Stay on red for letterboxing, but for another nice uphill jaunt, the
white trail will take you to the Harwinton Library and town offices. At
the next intersection take the green trail to the right. After the stone
wall ends, there's a left turn in the trail with a large moss and fern
covered rock ledge straight ahead. On the east side of the rock at the
west end of a fallen tree, hidden on it's south side will be the "Fern
Rock" letterbox. This is a place to be very careful not to be seen as
many people walk their dogs here. After the regular procedure of stamping
in you may go forward over a little bridge to where the yellow trail
starts, turning left on green and back to your car or the shortest way is
to go back up the hill staying on green till the pond and your car.
Good Luck.