A Drive in the Park -Retired LbNA #4356 (ARCHIVED)
Map
Nearby Boxes
Add Note
Add Location| Owner: | Adoptable |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Jun 9, 2003 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Hamden / New Haven |
| County: | New Haven |
| State: | Connecticut |
| Boxes: | 8 |
| Planted by: | sadie&russ  |
|---|---|
| Found by: | butterfly (8) |
| Last found: | Jul 8, 2007 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFFr |
| Last edited: | Jun 9, 2003 |
A DRIVE IN THE PARK
This series was retired Jan. 7, 2007
NOTICE: A letterboxer's car was unfortunately vandalized in this parking lot in Oct. 2006.
Status: All boxes alive and well as of Oct. 2006
Difficulty:
Allow three hours for this five-mile hike over varied terrain. Two steep climbs and several wet areas. Some exposed ridges. Not recommended in winter or slippery conditions.
Be advised that this is Copperhead habitat. Please use a stick when looking for boxes up on the rock ledges.
Come on a clear day for wonderful views of New Haven, East Rock, Sleeping Giant, Westville and Woodbridge.
Map:
http://dep.state.ct.us/stateparks/maps/wstrck.pdf
Driving Directions:
CT Rte. 15, Exit 60, Hamden
¼ mile south on Dixwell
Right on Benham St. for 2 miles
Left on Main for 1 mile
Right on Wintergreen for 1 mile
After underpass turn Left into Nature Center parking lot.
Boxing Directions:
Park in the Nature Center lot.
Cross the street to a closed parking lot.
Look for an Oak tree with a sign on it that you can’t read. Walk to the next Oak tree and look for a triangular shaped rock seven steps behind it. The New London Letterbox is behind the left side of this rock.
Now head southeast through the boulders. When you reach the road go to the front of the Gate House. The Red trail goes Southeast from there. Stay on the Red trail (the main path – it will be joined by the red/white trail for a while). After 15 to 20 minutes of fairly level walking the trail curves right around a large Dome shaped ridge on your right. On the North side of this rock ridge behind a small laurel bush is a two sister birch tree with a horseshoe shaped, mossy root. The Middlesex Letterbox is under rocks in the curve of this mossy root. No climbing is necessary to reach the box.
(If you go around another sharp left turn and Under a fallen tree, you have gone too far.)
Continuing on you will come to a double set of steps going down. Keep following the Red trail until you reach a (T) intersection. Turn Right (SW) and go UP, UP, UP. The Red blazes become few and far between now, but are joined by (replaced by?) bluish gray blazes. Do not be misled by side trails on your left. When the trail opens up onto the ridge (HELLO, NEW HAVEN!) there are two paths. The Blue/gray goes to the right. Take the other trail on the left up along the cliff. When you reach a boulder worth sitting on, with a faint orange arrow nearby, look for the New Haven Letterbox under the boulder. A triangular rock hides the box. Make sure to replace the rock the same way it was because it only fits one way and this could be a well- visited spot.
Now get back to the Bluish Gray/Red trail and proceed Up some steps until you reach a Pipe railing as an overlook. You can’t see much in the summer, but look to the right (SW) on the other side of the trail and you will see two small cedar trees with small rocks in front of them. The Fairfield Letterbox is there under some rocks.
Continue up to the staircase into the main parking lot (open in the summer – weekends?) Keeping the stone wall on your left proceed to the Blue trail behind the stone shelter. Continue to the first pipe-rail overlook right on the path. About 30 steps past it on the right find two lichen-covered boulders with a small hickory tree between them. The Litchfield Letterbox is behind the northernmost rock.
Follow the Blue trail to where another wide trail joins from the Southwest. Just at this point the Hartford Letterbox can be found in front of a chestnut oak tree on the bank to your right.
Continue up the Blue trail to the paved road. (At this point you may wish to take a detour and visit Judge’s Cave) Walk northerly along the road by the stone wall and continue on Blue through the cedar gate. Very shortly, the Green trail begins and closely parallels the Blue for the next half-mile. At the Y, bear left on the Blue trail. After several minutes of walking through grassy areas with views to the west, the trail turns slightly away from the ridge. Watch for a five-foot high arrowhead shaped rock a few steps off the left-hand side of the trail. The Tolland Letterbox is under a rock to the southeast of the arrowhead rock.
Continue on the Blue trail as it dips down into the notch where the Wilbur Cross Parkway tunnels underneath, and the Green trail joins and then veers off to the right. Stay straight on the Blue trail until it meets a gravel road. Now follow the road (DON’T follow the Blue trail over the guard rail) Stay on the gravel road. It will meet a paved road. Now follow the paved road uphill to the left. Look for a yellow gate on the right. About 35 steps farther down the paved road you will come to a waist-high ledge on the left. Climb up this ledge and follow a path to the NW out to “Diane’s outlook”. Turning back towards the road spy a small cedar tree a few steps away. The Windham Letterbox is there under stone.
Return to the road and walk north on the old Baldwin Drive to remember Sunday Drives of the Past. Shortly, you will come to the newly-blazed Orange trail on your right. (If you see a rock on the left with a Blue Arrow on it, you have gone by your turn. From that Blue Arrow GO BACK about 30 steps to find the Orange trail (now on your left)
Continue East down the Orange trail a short way to a (Y) intersection. A five-foot tall erratic should be on your right. Head towards the sign that says NO BICYCLES.
Now follow the Orange trail downhill to another (T) intersection. Be careful walking down this trail. There are several sections of slickrock that are slippery when wet. Turn right on the wide White trail. In a short distance you will come to a four-way intersection. 1-2-3-4.
The White trail ends here. Take the Red trail to the right and follow it to a guard rail. 5-6-7-8.
Take the road down, crossing over the Parkway again and back to your waiting car.
P.S. Check on status of the other two boxes in West Rock Park, if you haven’t already done them.
This series was retired Jan. 7, 2007
NOTICE: A letterboxer's car was unfortunately vandalized in this parking lot in Oct. 2006.
Status: All boxes alive and well as of Oct. 2006
Difficulty:
Allow three hours for this five-mile hike over varied terrain. Two steep climbs and several wet areas. Some exposed ridges. Not recommended in winter or slippery conditions.
Be advised that this is Copperhead habitat. Please use a stick when looking for boxes up on the rock ledges.
Come on a clear day for wonderful views of New Haven, East Rock, Sleeping Giant, Westville and Woodbridge.
Map:
http://dep.state.ct.us/stateparks/maps/wstrck.pdf
Driving Directions:
CT Rte. 15, Exit 60, Hamden
¼ mile south on Dixwell
Right on Benham St. for 2 miles
Left on Main for 1 mile
Right on Wintergreen for 1 mile
After underpass turn Left into Nature Center parking lot.
Boxing Directions:
Park in the Nature Center lot.
Cross the street to a closed parking lot.
Look for an Oak tree with a sign on it that you can’t read. Walk to the next Oak tree and look for a triangular shaped rock seven steps behind it. The New London Letterbox is behind the left side of this rock.
Now head southeast through the boulders. When you reach the road go to the front of the Gate House. The Red trail goes Southeast from there. Stay on the Red trail (the main path – it will be joined by the red/white trail for a while). After 15 to 20 minutes of fairly level walking the trail curves right around a large Dome shaped ridge on your right. On the North side of this rock ridge behind a small laurel bush is a two sister birch tree with a horseshoe shaped, mossy root. The Middlesex Letterbox is under rocks in the curve of this mossy root. No climbing is necessary to reach the box.
(If you go around another sharp left turn and Under a fallen tree, you have gone too far.)
Continuing on you will come to a double set of steps going down. Keep following the Red trail until you reach a (T) intersection. Turn Right (SW) and go UP, UP, UP. The Red blazes become few and far between now, but are joined by (replaced by?) bluish gray blazes. Do not be misled by side trails on your left. When the trail opens up onto the ridge (HELLO, NEW HAVEN!) there are two paths. The Blue/gray goes to the right. Take the other trail on the left up along the cliff. When you reach a boulder worth sitting on, with a faint orange arrow nearby, look for the New Haven Letterbox under the boulder. A triangular rock hides the box. Make sure to replace the rock the same way it was because it only fits one way and this could be a well- visited spot.
Now get back to the Bluish Gray/Red trail and proceed Up some steps until you reach a Pipe railing as an overlook. You can’t see much in the summer, but look to the right (SW) on the other side of the trail and you will see two small cedar trees with small rocks in front of them. The Fairfield Letterbox is there under some rocks.
Continue up to the staircase into the main parking lot (open in the summer – weekends?) Keeping the stone wall on your left proceed to the Blue trail behind the stone shelter. Continue to the first pipe-rail overlook right on the path. About 30 steps past it on the right find two lichen-covered boulders with a small hickory tree between them. The Litchfield Letterbox is behind the northernmost rock.
Follow the Blue trail to where another wide trail joins from the Southwest. Just at this point the Hartford Letterbox can be found in front of a chestnut oak tree on the bank to your right.
Continue up the Blue trail to the paved road. (At this point you may wish to take a detour and visit Judge’s Cave) Walk northerly along the road by the stone wall and continue on Blue through the cedar gate. Very shortly, the Green trail begins and closely parallels the Blue for the next half-mile. At the Y, bear left on the Blue trail. After several minutes of walking through grassy areas with views to the west, the trail turns slightly away from the ridge. Watch for a five-foot high arrowhead shaped rock a few steps off the left-hand side of the trail. The Tolland Letterbox is under a rock to the southeast of the arrowhead rock.
Continue on the Blue trail as it dips down into the notch where the Wilbur Cross Parkway tunnels underneath, and the Green trail joins and then veers off to the right. Stay straight on the Blue trail until it meets a gravel road. Now follow the road (DON’T follow the Blue trail over the guard rail) Stay on the gravel road. It will meet a paved road. Now follow the paved road uphill to the left. Look for a yellow gate on the right. About 35 steps farther down the paved road you will come to a waist-high ledge on the left. Climb up this ledge and follow a path to the NW out to “Diane’s outlook”. Turning back towards the road spy a small cedar tree a few steps away. The Windham Letterbox is there under stone.
Return to the road and walk north on the old Baldwin Drive to remember Sunday Drives of the Past. Shortly, you will come to the newly-blazed Orange trail on your right. (If you see a rock on the left with a Blue Arrow on it, you have gone by your turn. From that Blue Arrow GO BACK about 30 steps to find the Orange trail (now on your left)
Continue East down the Orange trail a short way to a (Y) intersection. A five-foot tall erratic should be on your right. Head towards the sign that says NO BICYCLES.
Now follow the Orange trail downhill to another (T) intersection. Be careful walking down this trail. There are several sections of slickrock that are slippery when wet. Turn right on the wide White trail. In a short distance you will come to a four-way intersection. 1-2-3-4.
The White trail ends here. Take the Red trail to the right and follow it to a guard rail. 5-6-7-8.
Take the road down, crossing over the Parkway again and back to your waiting car.
P.S. Check on status of the other two boxes in West Rock Park, if you haven’t already done them.