S is for Snow LbNA #69468

Start at Wadsworth Mansion. Please park in the lot to the right (west) of the mansion as you drive in or in the back parking lot. Use the map just north of the mansion if you need to and make your way down White Oak Lane. This is the original grand entrance to the Mansion with beautiful stonewalls on either side and lined with White Oaks (& a few others…including Tulip Trees). When White Oak Lane intersects with “the path” find an informational sign titled “The story of the forest…”. This is one of several informational signs that can tell you more about this area including the old Native American path you are about to walk down. There is a lot of interesting social & natural history here! With your back to this sign see the biggest of the white oaks and a path to the right that goes to Snow School. Follow this old path that has an old wall on the left side. Notice where the wall stops being well defined. Further along the path, there is a large black birch tree (horizontal lines on the bark) where a more intact wall starts up again. The wall takes a turn at this tree and sort of ends in an even larger tree. Just beyond the second tree is a large rock somewhat triangular in shape. Under this rock & behind a smaller rock is the S is for Snow letterbox.

This letterbox was planted by 11 kindergarten and first grade students who took part in an Everyone Outside (www.EveryoneOutside.org) Nature Explorers afterschool program. They hope you will leave your stamp in the book so they can see who has visited their letterbox.

This letterbox can also be found from Snow School. Please only walk on Snow School property when school is not in session. In the Snow Schoolyard, find the preschool playground (3 small slides) and a nearby tree labeled “River Birch”. From the birch follow the paved path to the south between pairs of river birches. Keep the old stone wall to your right. Keep heading south and the path will become dirt and the wall to the right will be taller. Follow the path until the wall “ends” in a large black birch tree (horizontal lines on the bark). The wall takes a turn at this tree and sort of ends in an even larger tree. Just beyond the second tree is a large rock somewhat triangular in shape. Under this rock & behind a smaller rock is the S is for Snow letterbox.

You can walk back the way you came or explore more of the beautiful parkland around Wadsworth Mansion. This land is owned by the town of Middletown & is open to the public. See www.wadsworthmansion.com/parklands/ for more information and a map.


Hike length: 0.5 miles