Bent Tree LbNA #2893

BobCat Crew Letterboxes

Bent Tree Boxes

Location: Loriella Park
County: Spotsylvania
Nearest City: Fredericksburg
Date Placed: January 12, 2003

From I 95 take Exit 130 B for Rt. 3 West, Culpeper. On exit ramp, get into left lane. Be aware. This area can get congested with Rt. 3 traffic shifting lanes to the right to get into Central Park, while you are trying to move left to get onto Rt. 3.

On Rt. 3 go to the 6th light (Salem Church Rd.) and turn left. This road will lead you to the park. After the 3rd light on Salem Church Rd.(CVS on corner) the road becomes Leavells Rd. Continue straight.

After passing two schools on your right, the park will appear down the road on the right. Turn into the park and follow the road back to its end. Park in the swimming pool parking lot.

Bent Tree Box #1
1.From the parking lot by the pool, go out onto the road and look for a white message board (to the west) located at the first tee of the disc golf course. At the board you will be near the edge of the woods. There is a path running along the tree line. Head down the path SW.

2.Follow the path as it curves around and goes by a fenced-in graveyard. Continue following the path as it goes straight into the field. You will no longer be following the tree line.

3.Stop at the spot where there are two white rocks that are the tee of Hole #5 on your right. Sight 180 degrees with your compass. This will give you the direction for entering the woods. Head in that direction. If there are disc golfers playing in the area, be careful. You may need to go over to the tree line close to the basket for Hole #4 and follow it to the opening, instead of cutting across the field.

4.Look for a trail opening in the woods with a small wooden fence on the right. The basket for Hole #6 is usually close by. (Sometimes the baskets get moved to different positions.)

5.Follow the trail over a wooden bridge. You will come to a trail intersection at the point where you can see a stump on the left, a bench on the right, and two white rocks straight ahead. Turn left.

6.Follow the trail uphill until another trail comes in from the right. Turn right on that trail. Follow it until you come out to an open area. There will be a holly tree on your right and a large smooth-barked tree with a white symbol painted on it to your left. You will be in the area of basket #10. Watch out for flying discs.

7.Go up a slight incline in line with the painted tree at 20 degrees, until you come to a path. Go right on the path. Stay on the path as it starts to go uphill.

8.As you go uphill, on the right hand side of the path you will pass one tree with a "K" painted on it and another tree with a painted face. Not long after, you will get to a spot where the path curves right. There will be a large tree on your right (at the curve) and a group of three trees on your left.

9.With your back against the large tree on the right, look 15 degrees and notice a tree bent at an odd angle. Walk to the tree. Look for another tree at 330 degrees that is large and straight. "Bent Tree #1" is at the base of that tree.

Bent Tree #2
1.After finding "Bent Tree #1" return to the path and continue on.

2.The path will eventually curve left at a spot where another path comes in from the right. Keep to the left.

3. When you come to a T intersection, go left. There should be a green painted trail marker pole at the intersection.

4. Follow the path down hill until you get to a large pine tree on the right side of the path.

5. Twenty-four steps from the pine tree should put you in a spot, where if you look to the right, you will see a large tree and a skinny tree that are different varieties appearing to grow out of the same trunk.

6. Behind this oddity is a tree that is bent, about 30 ft. up, with a rotting log beside it. "Bent Tree #2" is at the base of the bent tree.

7. To get back to your car, follow the path back up the hill. Keep straight, past the green trail marker pole, and you will come out by another graveyard. You will see tennis courts to your left. Exit the woods to the left.

8. You can either go through the tennis court parking lot to the paved road and follow it back to your car, or you can cut across the fields. You can use the white house, which is across the road from the swimming pool, as a guide.


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Mom's Favorite Bird

Location: Lake Anna State Park
County: Spotsylvania
Nearest City: Fredericksburg
Date Placed: March 18, 2003
Level of Difficulty: Easy hike. If you make a loop to include the Lake Anna Womyn 's "Tombstone" box, the whole distance is probably close to 3 miles.

My mom's favorite bird can be found all over the state of Virginia. "Mom's Favorite Bird" letterbox can be found at Lake Anna State Park. Find the box to figure out Mom's Favorite Bird!

To get to Lake Anna from I-95, Take the Thornburg exit and head west. You will be on Rt. 606 which turns into Rt. 208 at Snell. Go straight at the Snell traffic light and stay on Rt. 208. Rt. 208 will make a hard left at one point, so watch for the signs. Make a right on Rt. 601 (Lawyers Rd.). Go down Rt. 601, and the entrance to Lake Anna State Park will be on your left.

1. Once in the park, get a map at the contact station. Proceed to the Park Office and park in the horse trailer parking lot. The Park Office is located on the left at the first intersection that you will come to once you enter the park.

2. Facing the front of the Park Office building, look for the Sawtooth Trail entrance which will be on your left.

3. Take the Sawtooth Trail to its intersection with the Pigeon Run Trail. Take a right and get on the Pigeon Run Trail. There will be a sign.

4. Go down the Pigeon Run Trail until you get to the intersection with the Gold Hill Trail.

5. At the directional sign for Pigeon Run Trail and Gold Hill Trail, continue straight 56 steps on the Pigeon Run Trail.

6. At the end of the 56 steps, look to the right. You will see an uprooted, fallen tree about 18 steps in from the path.

7. Go to the tree. Looking down the fallen tree from the root end, "Mom's Favorite Bird" is on the woods side of the fallen tree where the fallen tree leans on a skinny tree that is on its right. On the left side are two trees together.

8. Now you have two options, You can either backtrack to your car, or continue on to find the Lake Anna Womyn's "Tombstone" box.

9. To go on to the "Tombstone" box, continue on down the Pigeon Run Trail.When it intersects with the Mill Pond Trail, take a left toward the lake. Having a map will really help. Figure out where you are in the "Tombstone" directions and go find the box. After finding the box, take the Mill Pond Trail back to the road. Coming out of the woods from the Mill Pond Trail, take a right and walk back to the Park Office, where your car is.



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