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King Philip's Rock LbNA #6298

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Oct 31, 2003
Location:
City:Sharon
County:Norfolk
State:Massachusetts
Boxes:2
Planted by:Cavy Lovers
Found by: Hikes with Little Guy (2)
Last found:Apr 13, 2023
Status:FFFFFFFOFFFFFFFFFFFF
Last edited:Dec 30, 2015
King Philip's Rock Conservation Land, Sharon, Massachusetts

Driving directions: The small gravel parking lot for this conservation land is located between homes at 81 and 93 Mansfield Street, Sharon. To get there, follow the directions to Borderland State Park (click for directions). Those directions will get you to Massapoag Ave. (Massapoage intersects Mansfield Street). If the directions to Borderland from your area indicate that Borderland will be on your right, then Mansfield Street will be a little more than a mile further, on your left. If instead the directions you follow indicate that Borderland will be on your left, Mansfield Street will be on your right and you will reach it before Borderland. Please respect the quiet neighborhood when using this area.

Background

These boxes were placed in the King Philip’s Rock Conservation Area. Within are 2 areas with interesting, very large boulders that are fun to explore; these are known as King Philip’s Rock and King Philip’s Cave. It is theorized that King Philip may have met with other Native Americans at King Philip’s Rock during King Philip War 1675-76. Another theory involves a much older group of Native Americans. An amateur archaeologist has believes that the rock formation at King Philip’s Cave may have been used by prehistoric peoples to site the equinoxes.

Who was King Philip? King Phillip was the name the English settlers gave to Metacomet, sachem (chief) of the Wampanoag Indians. When Metacomet became chief after his father, Massasoit, died, he at first tried to continue his father’s peaceful relationship with the settlers. However, the pressure from the settlers to give up land in exchange for blankets and liquor, and other injustices led Metacomet to lead an uprising against the settlers. The war ended in Metacomet’s death and the removal and/or enslavement of his remaining people. To learn more go to King Philip Mayflower Families Page

King Philip's Rock only and King Philip's Cave Letterboxes

Placed : 10/31/2003 Last known find: 1/29/06
Click Here and report the name and condition of the box you found/missed and the date -- Thanks!

About the Stamps: Originally, I planned only one box, at King Philip’s Rock So, in this stamp I incorporated both King Philip’s signature mark as well as a reference to astronomy. The stamp at the cave is based on a painting I found on the web. Even if I were artistic, you would be remiss to consider this an accurate portrayal. Images of King Philip vary widely.

Directions for King Philip’s Rock Boxes

There are 2 boxes, one at King Philip’s Rock and one at King Philip’s Cave. Allow an hour for the entire route, though your group may want more time if they enjoying climbing around the rocks. The route given below takes you to both boxes in a loop ending at the parking lot. However, if you have small children or another reason to want a shorter hike, you could do the 2 boxes as separate hikes. The directions below take you first to King Philip’s Rock. To get to King Philip’s Cave directly, take the trail leading from the parking lot and then follow the signs to King Philip’s Cave. Once at the huge boulders at the cave area, look for the lichen covered boulder described below and follow the clues from there.

Notes:
Kids: If you have small children who love to climb, be forewarned that its pretty easy to climb to heights of about 15 feet at the boulder areas. Climbing is not required to get the boxes, however.
Seasonal: The path from the parking lot to King’s Philip’s Cave (which is the return to the parking lot in the directions below) can be muddy in Spring or after heavy rains.

The Round Trip Loop Hike [with notes for those doing the boxes separately too]:

From the Parking Lot, follow the trail cut though the pine trees (N). Cross a wooden bridge over a small brook. The path will later split with signs pointing in opposite directions for King Philip’s Rock (KPRock) or King Philip’s Cave (KPCave). Go RIGHT (N), toward KPRock. Soon you may notice a path coming in from the left at a signpost. Ignore it and proceed.

At the next signpost, go LEFT (NW), following the sign pointing towards KPRock.
Just before the trail ends at the huge boulders known as KPRock, notice the interpretive sign on the RIGHT side of the trail. The sign explains that Native Americans may have used this area as a meeting place during King Philip’s War. Stand with your back to the sign. Across the path you will see 2 trees, with a fallen tree/log just behind the one that is a little further from the path (200°).
(If the sign is missing or down, stop on the path where it opens up to the KPRock area. On the left side of the path, see the tree close to the path edge and another a little behind it and to the side with a fallen log.)

Walk over to the spot where the log is almost touching the standing tree. At this point, the log has a broken branch pointing to the sky. [Finder reported that this was no longer there on 11/2005, but it was found anyway.] Step to the side of the log that is away from the standing tree. At the spot where the branch attaches to the log, gently clear away leaves beneath the log to find the box. After stamping in, PLEASE replace the box and cover with leaves so it is not visible. Try to smooth the leaf cover in the area so it looks undisturbed. THANKS!

After you explore and play at KPRock, return to the path and stand facing KPRock (interpretive sign on your Right). Take 9 steps forward from the sign. Turn LEFT (W) and follow the path along the front of the KPRock area and then away.

At the T intersection, turn LEFT (S) and walk 48 steps along the trail. See a green sign on the Right telling you to turn RIGHT to go to KPCave (there is a small clearing here). [If you want to return to your car, continue straight and follow the signs to the exit.] To continue to KPCave, take the RIGHT indicated (230°). The path snakes through tall grass (at least in the Fall). Soon you well see a birdhouse on each side of the path. Continue on and you will cross a stream. The “bridge” is ramshackle, but it’s only a 1-foot hop if you have to cross on your own. Soon you’ll go up a hill. Near the top there is a sign on the Left pointing LEFT for KPCave. Another sign just a bit further up the trail, on the right side, says “To Canoe River [rd], Greeley Pond”. You want to take the LEFT fork towards KPCave and proceed on the trail downhill.

The trail will bring you alongside a huge boulder group on the Right, known as KPCave, similar in size to those at KPRock. A distinctive boulder close to the trail rises above my head and has lichen that looks like it fallen leaves glued on its vertical face (please do not handle). If you walk slightly past this lichen boulder and look again, you'll see that a tree seems to be taking a bite of the boulder!

Face the boulder-eating tree. Next to it, a little closer to the path, is a 3-trunk tree. On the side of the 3-trunk tree that faces away from the lichen-covered monster boulder, look at its roots. On the left there is a hollow between the roots and another, shorter, boulder. We've covered the hollow with a rock that is a little bigger than an adult's spread fingered hand. Set aside the rock and peer into the hollow to locate the KP Cave box (a jar, really). After stamping in, PLEASE replace the box and cover with the rock so it is not visible. THANKS!

After exploring around the KPCave area, return to the trail in front of the boulder with the leaf-like lichen. With that boulder on your Right, continue along the trail to return to the parking lot (S). You may notice a sign that indicates a path on your right indicating it will take you to the Mansfield St. exit. Ignore, as it will not bring you to the Parking Lot. Just after you’ve climbed over a log blocking the trail, take a LEFT. If the log has been cleared, watch for “DEAD END PATH” sign (first of two along the way). Turn around at this sign and retrace your way a few steps and take what had been a Left turn (and is now on your Right).

You will avoiding a left turn on to another path with a “DEAD END PATH” sign and cross another bridge over a small stream. Follow the path to a T intersection. Turn LEFT and then a quick RIGHT. Follow the signs to the Parking Lot or Exit