Flintstones Meet the Jetsons LbNA #29682

Difficulty: 2
Terrain: 2
Time: Approximately 2 Hours
Distance: 2.5 to 3 miles round trip
Other Information: No ink. Bring your own ink. 2 Logbooks (One in the last box of each theme). The area can get a little muddy.

Where it is: Bradley Palmer State Park.
Ashbury Street, Topsfield, MA.
For more information about Bradley Palmer State Park: Massachusetts DCR
Trail maps may be available at the park, but don't count on it. I highly recommend you print the trail map and bring it with you. Trail Map.

Parking

As you enter through the main gate off of Ashbury Street, stay right at the fork (you may not be able to go left). At the next intersection take a right and follow a short distance to the parking area on the left just before the kiosk.

The Flintstones

Betty Rubble

Start at the kiosk and get a feel for the place and to check for any notices and such. Turn to the left and follow to the first trail on the right. You will know you are in the correct spot if you see a sign at the gate that says “Riders Please”. After you pass the gate there will be a pond on your right. We will refer to this as the main trail. Follow to intersection marker 45. Turn left at this marker going uphill. Follow this trail for approximately 45 steps. On the right will be a skraggly, fairly interesting tree. Upon closer inspection you will see that it is actually two trees. Betty is hidden between these two trees under two small flat rocks.

Please be discreet and hide as if it were your own. I won’t keep repeating this but please take care of all boxes so others can enjoy!

Barney Rubble

Return to the main trail (at intersection marker 45) and continue in the same direction you were going. In just a short distance, the trail will start to bend slightly to the left. As you go around the bend, you should see a very large, barkless log on the left. Near the far end of the log, there will be a large Oak tree. Barney is waiting behind the Oak tree under some leaves and sticks.

Bam Bam

Continue on the main trail to intersection marker 54. Notice the stone marker that signifies the Topsfield (T)/ Hamilton (H) town line. Go to the marker and take the trail at 280°. From the marker, follow this trail for 60 steps. Off the trail to your right you will see a medium sized Beech tree. Bam Bam is hiding behind the Beech tree under some leaves and sticks.

Dino

Return back to the main trail at intersection marker 54. Look around for intersection marker 41. It doesn’t look exactly like a 41 to me, but you will know it is the correct marker if you see another marker with an 18 (This is a self-guided trail marker. The self-guided trail markers aren’t on the map) on the other side of the trail. Go up the trail for 75 steps. At 30 steps you may see the start of a very small log cabin on your right. At 75 steps you should see two small trees on the left that form a perfect doorway to a very large Oak tree. Dino is hiding behind the Oak tree, under a root and covered with rocks and sticks.

Wilma Flintstone

Return once again to intersection marker 54 and continue on the main trail (go left). You will soon see self-guided trail marker 17 (not on map). Continue straight (left at fork) past marker 17. Keep and eye out for a pair of large rocks about 5 feet off the trail to the right. They are no more than 100 steps past marker 17 (If you come to the spot where there is 1 very large tree on the right side of the trail and 2 very large trees on the left of the trail, you have gone about 5 steps too far). Wilma is hiding behind the rock to the right under some leaves and sticks.

Pebbles

Continue on the main trail and you will soon see an entrance to a grassy field on the right. Enter the grassy field and look immediately to your right. You should see intersection marker 50. Go to the marker and look to your left. You will see a fence (horse hurdle?). Pebbles is hiding by the base of the post at the far left end of the fence.

Fred Flintstone

Return to the main trail and continue past intersection marker 40. Keeping marker 40 to your right, continue slightly downhill towards a grassy field. You are now entering “The Quarry” (What better place for Fred to be hiding). Fred is working in the quarry on the right side, behind the fourth rock from the far end. There is a logbook in this box.

The Jetsons

Rosie

Continue on along the trail. It goes to the left side of the meadow. The trail turns to the right out into the meadow at some sort of corral. You will very quickly arrive at a “T” intersection. Turn left heading uphill. This will bring you back to the edge of the meadow again. A trail will enter from the left and there will be a damaged trail intersection marker. It is no longer numbered but it is supposed to be intersection marker 23 (if you are following along on the map). Keep going straight, keeping the woods to your left. You should see a horse hurdle to your right and another up ahead in the distance. Go approximately ¾ the way to the second hurdle and look in the woods to your left. Find a 4 sister tree next to a 5 sister tree. Rosie is cleaning up behind the 4 sister tree next to a rock and under some sticks.

Judy Jetson

Continue straight past marker 24 and the second hurdle. Just before intersection 25 there will be a trail going left into the woods. Turn left here and follow a short distance to a stonewall on the right. Judy is hiding in front of the first stone in the stonewall, under a small rock and some leaves.

Elroy Jetson

Return back to the main trail and turn left. After turning, intersection marker 25 will be just ahead to your right. Pass intersection marker 25 to the left going downhill. At the bottom of the hill you will come to another meadow. Follow the trail that goes uphill through the middle of the meadow. At the top of the meadow is another one of those horse hurdles on the right. A little further ahead is another horse hurdle made of 3 logs. Step into the woods near the far end of the 3 logs. You should see 5 or 6 large trees nearby. Behind the largest Pine tree to the left you will find Elroy Covered by some pinecones. (NOTE: Elroy must be hanging around with Bam Bam too much. When we planted this box, the large pine tree was upright. It isn't anymore! That must have been one heck of an event)

Jane Jetson

Return to the main trail and continue on to intersection marker 5 (marker is on the left). While standing on the main trail with marker 5 to your left, look to your right for a wide, clearly marked trail that goes down into the woods. At the beginning of this trail there is a tree with a white blaze and a small "Discover Hamilton Trail" marker. From this tree continue down the trail for 45 steps. Now look to your left and you will see a large Pine tree approximately 17 steps off the trail. Jane is behind the large Pine under some sticks and pine needles.

George Jetson

Continue down the trail, following it down to the nice footbridge that spans the Ipswich River. Go onto the footbridge and take a look around. It is rather nice and you may see some people canoeing. Coming back off the footbridge take the first path on your right. There is a bench at the beginning of the path and another just a few steps ahead. Starting from the center of the first bench count your steps to the center of the second bench. Now, continue on the path the same number of steps you took between benches. At this point you should see a double trunked Pine tree just a couple of steps off trail to your left. George is hiding on the far side of the tree under a few sticks and some pine needles. Please rehide well.

Astro

Follow the wide, main trail by the bench to the west along the river. Follow it past another bench. Then past intersection marker 2 and continue past the open field on the left. Go where snowmobiles can’t. Proceed past another bench on your right and continue to intersection marker 1. Just ahead you will see another bench on the left. Continue over the boardwalk. When you reach the other end of the boardwalk notice the picnic table along side the river. From the end of the boardwalk take approximately 50 steps to a very large downed tree on the left. Behind the downed tree you will find Astro and the second logbook near the end of the tree that is closest to the boardwalk. Go back to the picnic table for a comfortable place to log in.

Back to car

Now that you have that annoying Jetsons theme song continually looping in your head, it is time to head back to your car. Continue on this trail and you will soon pass a kiosk with some maps. Just past the kiosk are two Handicap Parking spaces. Just beyond the parking spaces the trail turns left across a nice lawn. Turn left here and you will soon see a fire hydrant ahead across the lawn ahead of you. Continuing straight past the fire hydrant you will be walking along the road. Your car should be just ahead on the left.