Mill Hill Discovery LbNA #22152
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Add Location| Owner: | Adoptable |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Aug 28, 2015 |
| Location: | approx 109 Mill Road |
| City: | Littleton |
| County: | Middlesex |
| State: | Massachusetts |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Planted by: | auslanders  |
|---|---|
| Found by: | Nairon |
| Last found: | Apr 29, 2023 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFFFFFaaF |
| Last edited: | Feb 19, 2016 |
Originally Planted by "Auslanders" - May 13, 2006 and re-established August 28, 2015.
MILL HILL DISCOVERY LETTERBOX
This letterbox is located on the Mill Hill Conservation Land in Littleton, Massachusetts. The conservation area is easy to get to off Rte. 495 and is a short easy hike (15 minutes each way) for preschool age and older. Toddlers and those in strollers may have difficulty as there is a slight hill and portions of this hike are off the trail path. Also be careful to look out for poison ivy in the non-trail areas. Best time to visit is Spring or Fall.
The conservation land is not heavily used. It is only a short hike to a picnic area at the top of the hill (on the way of your search). Keep on the lookout for wildlife; we saw rabbits and a heron while we were there.
To get there:
• Take Rte. 495 to exit 30 – Littleton/Ayer Rtes 2A/110.
• Turn right off the exit ramp and take the first right (within 0.1 miles) after the highway ramp. This is Warren Street
• Take Warren Street until it ends, turning left onto Mill Road.
• The Mill Hill Conservation Area is on your right immediately after the lumber mill. There are a few spaces for parking.
The hike:
• The trail starts out adjacent to Parlee Lumber Mill, a mill that has been in operation since 1815! You will have a good view of the lumber yard to the right.
• Keep an eye out on the lumber yard and the brook on the right. Once you have noticed that you have gone as far as the end of the lumber yard’s property (where you see that the brook takes a bend) turn to your left. Through the trees a short distance you should see a large rock and next to it the remains of an old stone chimney. Go ahead and check it out (not a required part of the hunt).
• Continuing on the trail, you will go a short distance and see a sign post without a sign. Follow the path to the left towards the picnic area.
• Within less than a minute you will see another stone chimney on the left. “What are these chimneys doing here?” you ask. Many years ago the hillside was covered with majestic pines and was dotted with summer rental cottages that extended down to a sandy beach on Mill Pond. All that remains now are two fieldstone chimneys. Access to the pond was cut off by the construction of Route 495.
• Continue on the trail up hill until you reach the picnic area
• Turn right towards some picnic tables along what is left of the trail. Standing in the picnic area look due west (away from the direction you came) and you will see a very large and interesting old white birch tree. Go ahead and check out the tree. Look around at the other birch trees. You will see that most birch trees do not get this wide. There is a knothole in the tree that has some “slimy goo” in it.
• After checking out the birch tree “goo,” head in the direction that the knothole is facing. You will pick up fragments of a trail going downhill. Follow this passing over some fallen trees until you reach a small creek or gully (if dry).
• Turn left and follow the creek upstream. You are looking for the remnants of an old stone well. The well is capped with a large flat stone with a hole in the middle. There may be 4 moss covered cinder blocks in the vicinity.
• At the old well, grab a long stick and measure how deep it is (be careful).
• Standing on the well with the creek on your right you should see a stone wall about 70 feet ahead.
• Walk towards the wall in the direction of three large trees growing out of a single stump just behind the wall. You will need to cross a marshy area along the way.
• You are getting close! At the tree, turn right along the wall and you will see an iron pipe property marker about 10 paces away. You should find what you are seeking in the wall in the vicinity of the iron pipe under a flat stone.
• I hope you enjoyed this letterbox. It was our first and to date only one. We planted it originally in 2006 and re-established it in 2015 after many years of neglect. If you want to give us feedback, email us at gaduzabe@yahoo.com
* Historical information taken from LittletonConservationTrust.org. Go to this page and clink on Mill Hill for a trail map and additional information on this land and other conservation land in Littleton.
MILL HILL DISCOVERY LETTERBOX
This letterbox is located on the Mill Hill Conservation Land in Littleton, Massachusetts. The conservation area is easy to get to off Rte. 495 and is a short easy hike (15 minutes each way) for preschool age and older. Toddlers and those in strollers may have difficulty as there is a slight hill and portions of this hike are off the trail path. Also be careful to look out for poison ivy in the non-trail areas. Best time to visit is Spring or Fall.
The conservation land is not heavily used. It is only a short hike to a picnic area at the top of the hill (on the way of your search). Keep on the lookout for wildlife; we saw rabbits and a heron while we were there.
To get there:
• Take Rte. 495 to exit 30 – Littleton/Ayer Rtes 2A/110.
• Turn right off the exit ramp and take the first right (within 0.1 miles) after the highway ramp. This is Warren Street
• Take Warren Street until it ends, turning left onto Mill Road.
• The Mill Hill Conservation Area is on your right immediately after the lumber mill. There are a few spaces for parking.
The hike:
• The trail starts out adjacent to Parlee Lumber Mill, a mill that has been in operation since 1815! You will have a good view of the lumber yard to the right.
• Keep an eye out on the lumber yard and the brook on the right. Once you have noticed that you have gone as far as the end of the lumber yard’s property (where you see that the brook takes a bend) turn to your left. Through the trees a short distance you should see a large rock and next to it the remains of an old stone chimney. Go ahead and check it out (not a required part of the hunt).
• Continuing on the trail, you will go a short distance and see a sign post without a sign. Follow the path to the left towards the picnic area.
• Within less than a minute you will see another stone chimney on the left. “What are these chimneys doing here?” you ask. Many years ago the hillside was covered with majestic pines and was dotted with summer rental cottages that extended down to a sandy beach on Mill Pond. All that remains now are two fieldstone chimneys. Access to the pond was cut off by the construction of Route 495.
• Continue on the trail up hill until you reach the picnic area
• Turn right towards some picnic tables along what is left of the trail. Standing in the picnic area look due west (away from the direction you came) and you will see a very large and interesting old white birch tree. Go ahead and check out the tree. Look around at the other birch trees. You will see that most birch trees do not get this wide. There is a knothole in the tree that has some “slimy goo” in it.
• After checking out the birch tree “goo,” head in the direction that the knothole is facing. You will pick up fragments of a trail going downhill. Follow this passing over some fallen trees until you reach a small creek or gully (if dry).
• Turn left and follow the creek upstream. You are looking for the remnants of an old stone well. The well is capped with a large flat stone with a hole in the middle. There may be 4 moss covered cinder blocks in the vicinity.
• At the old well, grab a long stick and measure how deep it is (be careful).
• Standing on the well with the creek on your right you should see a stone wall about 70 feet ahead.
• Walk towards the wall in the direction of three large trees growing out of a single stump just behind the wall. You will need to cross a marshy area along the way.
• You are getting close! At the tree, turn right along the wall and you will see an iron pipe property marker about 10 paces away. You should find what you are seeking in the wall in the vicinity of the iron pipe under a flat stone.
• I hope you enjoyed this letterbox. It was our first and to date only one. We planted it originally in 2006 and re-established it in 2015 after many years of neglect. If you want to give us feedback, email us at gaduzabe@yahoo.com
* Historical information taken from LittletonConservationTrust.org. Go to this page and clink on Mill Hill for a trail map and additional information on this land and other conservation land in Littleton.