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Smokey the Bear Trail LbNA #3275

Owner:BookWorm
Plant date:Dec 31, 1969
Location:
City:Burlington
County:Hartford
State:Connecticut
Boxes:4
Found by: Nairon
Last found:May 6, 2023
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFaFF
Last edited:Mar 18, 2023
This was adopted by Bookworm in the summer of '03

http://www.letterboxingcentral.com/Images/clues/lbc_clues/smokeybear/content.htm also clues listed below:

Smokey Bear Letterbox Trail - K/S/H
Sessions Woods - Burlington, CT
Easy 3.5 miles - 4 letterboxes
Handicapped Accessible

Located on Route 69, about three miles south of Route 4 in Burlington
and 3.5 miles north of Route 6 in Bristol.

Pack up the gang and join in the fun of this educational hike for kids of all ages. Demonstrations of wildlife and habitat management practices are featured all along the Beaver Pond and Deer Sign Trails. These two self-guided hiking trails demonstrate plant and wildlife habitat management techniques. Spot a large beaver lodge that can be seen from a viewing platform and climb the Fire Tower for an outstanding view. We couldn't find a more perfect site for our Smokey Bear Letterbox Trail. If the kids like stamping, bring some extra paper for some added stamp'n fun. Before going out on the trails, click here for a wonderful site dedicated to Smokey Bear . If you have binoculars, bring them and try to spot some critters..

Pick up a trail map in the Nature Center or the Trail Head. Park in the parking lot near the Nature Center (open to the public weekdays.) To the left of the Nature Center building you will start at the Deer Sign Trail. Bear left at the butterfly garden to start the trail on a clockwise loop. All along this trail you will find examples of how to make your own backyard into an attractive place for Smokey Bears friends. You will come to an open area without a bat house or purple martin condo, which used to be there, trail right. Just before this open area you will spot a large glacial erratic, trail left. Behind the glacial erratic you will see 2 trees about 2 ft apart. Stand between the trees and straight ahead of you are 2rocks. Behind the left one, or 280*, is Elmer. He'll be the one with the big smile on his face {:-) . Stamp in and continue the trail loop. Please rehide this box carefully. Complete the trail loop.

Cross the parking lot to pick up the Beaver Pond Trail. This is a 3 mile loop trail. Follow the well marked wheelchair accessible trail that contains a plethora of informational sign stations along the way. Go through a corridor of beautiful white birch trees. You'll come to a side trail on the left (Tree ID Trail). If you would like to explore this trail you can pick it up on the other side of the loop, but for now stick to the main trail so you won't miss anything.

Go past the entrance to the Tunxis Trail; we'll leave that for another day! Soon you'll come to the wetlands area that contains a beaver mound, osprey landing and wildlife area. After enjoying the view, go to the bench directly across from the beaver sign station. Compass bearing 055º will bring you back slightly on the trail in front of yellow-banded tree with a red forest marker on it. Standing on the trail, 17 paces will take you through a twin-treed doorway. Walking through go right at 60* for about 20 steps to a log with a stump at the end. Look on the back side at the tump end and there will be Bucky's Letterbox. Have a seat on the bench, stamp in, and continue the loop.

There will be many enjoyable getin-getout mini side trails along the way. Take them! They'll add to your hiking enjoyment. Next stop - The Fire Tower. From the Fire Tower sign follow the arrow and stay left at all intersections until you come to the ESKER sign board. With your left shoulder to the sign take 8 steps at 140 degrees and look in back of a small Oak(?) tree for a good hole. Take care, this is right on the trail.
After stamping in continue on this trail and soon reach the tower.

Here you will find Bandit's Letterbox. Take the trail straight up to the Fire Tower to the top. Climb the Tower and enjoy the view; retrace your steps to the main trail.

After signs for the reentry of the Tunixs Trail you'll come to the Summer House station. Take this mini side trail to a cute gazebo-type building. This would make a great place for a lunchtime break. After resting, here is where 'ONLY YOU' will find Smokey Bear's Letterbox. Standing at the doorway to the Summer House, at compass reading 100º, you'll spot a flat top sitting rock. Sit on the flat rock facing the Summer House. Look left,
and then go about eight paces and you will find Smokey Bear's Letterbox behind a large tree under some hiding rocks. Take the box back to the Summer House to stamp in. This box contains a Smokey Bear Letterbox handcut stamp and five additional original Smokey Bear stamps put out by the Forest Service.
Sit and relax while the kids enjoy some extra stamping fun. Please replace all these stamps when done so that others may enjoy them. Also in this letterbox, you will find a bag of Smokey Bear hat pins. Please feel free to give one to each person in your hiking party.

We hope you enjoyed this letterbox experience as much as we did. When you come back from the hike, send us an e-mail and let us know how you enjoyed the hike, or go to our Kid's Korner page for additional smokey bear information and coloring pages.

Note:
While your here, you might also want to check out
Christmas series #3. See the LBNA website for clues