Beartown Letter Box LbNA #23368
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Add Location| Owner: | Creation Explorers  |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Jun 22, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Monterey |
| County: | Berkshire |
| State: | Massachusetts |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Found by: | HenroHen |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Oct 19, 2021 |
| Status: | aFFF |
| Last edited: | Jun 22, 2006 |
Driving Directions: From MA Pike(I-90): Take exit 2. Follow Rt. 102 west for 4.7 miles to Stockbridge. Turn left and follow Rt 7 south for 6.1 miles to Great Barrington. Turn left and follow rt 23 east for 5.3 miles to Monterey. Turn Left on Blue Hill Road then follow the signs to Beartown State Forest. It is 2.2 miles to the park entrance on the right(Benedict Pond Road). There is a fee to park but worth it especially to spend the day swimming and letterboxing and hiking and there is great fishing here as well.
Once you get into the State Park you will see a parking lot on the right side of the road. There will be another parking area further down on the right where the public beach access is as well as public rest rooms. From either lot you want to find the trail that goes around the whole pond. It is called Pond Loop Trail. Take this trail counter clockwise around the pond. There are markers around the pond and you should be around marker 5 at the start.
The Pond Loop Trail intersects with the Appalachian Trail and the two trails converge for a short span. You will first see a sign for Appalachian Trail South..do not go this way.. Keep walking aroung the pond and you will see the Appalachian Trail North (The Ledges) sign. It will take about 20 minutes to get from the parking lot to the AT North sign. Take the AT North Trail...you will go about 30 minutes and you will come to a scenic vista where you can sit on a rock and look out over the forest and water. Keep walking about 4 more minutes....as you get closer to the letterbox the trail will start sloping downward. On the right hand side of the trail you will see an area of boulders and fallen trees. If you stand on the trail and look down on this area, you will find the Beartown Letterbox where 2 fallen logs make an upside down V.
Round Trip is about 2 hours, not rushing. Moderate difficulty but really great terrain and interesting stuff to see.
Once you get into the State Park you will see a parking lot on the right side of the road. There will be another parking area further down on the right where the public beach access is as well as public rest rooms. From either lot you want to find the trail that goes around the whole pond. It is called Pond Loop Trail. Take this trail counter clockwise around the pond. There are markers around the pond and you should be around marker 5 at the start.
The Pond Loop Trail intersects with the Appalachian Trail and the two trails converge for a short span. You will first see a sign for Appalachian Trail South..do not go this way.. Keep walking aroung the pond and you will see the Appalachian Trail North (The Ledges) sign. It will take about 20 minutes to get from the parking lot to the AT North sign. Take the AT North Trail...you will go about 30 minutes and you will come to a scenic vista where you can sit on a rock and look out over the forest and water. Keep walking about 4 more minutes....as you get closer to the letterbox the trail will start sloping downward. On the right hand side of the trail you will see an area of boulders and fallen trees. If you stand on the trail and look down on this area, you will find the Beartown Letterbox where 2 fallen logs make an upside down V.
Round Trip is about 2 hours, not rushing. Moderate difficulty but really great terrain and interesting stuff to see.