Rabbit Run LbNA #69946
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Add Location| Owner: | Coffacupee  |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | May 11, 2015 |
| Location: | Quabbin Reservoir |
| City: | New Salem |
| County: | Franklin |
| State: | Massachusetts |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Found by: | Traveln Turtle |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Mar 9, 2020 |
| Status: | FFOFFF |
| Last edited: | May 19, 2016 |
Rabbit Run Letterbox
This box is at Gate 35 on Old North Dana Rd. off of Rt. 122 in New Salem, Ma.
This hike is either a 7 mile out and back hike or you can do a 10 mile loop hike.
You can bike out and back, but not on the loop.
Please bring plenty of water and food.
Make sure that you bring bug spray.
Remember that dogs are not allowed at the Quabbin.
Please make sure that you do a tick check after this hike.
There was a railroad here called the Rabbit Run that was built in the 1870s. It ran from Athol to Springfield. The tracks were torn up in 1935.
Right after you walk around the gate, turn left onto the dirt road. You will soon come onto the old railroad bed. You will be walking on the old railroad bed for a while.
Just after you cross under the power lines, you will see what looks like a beaver pond on your right. It is not a beaver pond but was Goodnow's ice pond. In the time before refrigeration, people would cut ice from the pond during the winter and store it in sawdust in specially built sheds, until it was used during the warm months of the year.
After walking for a little over a mile, there will be a small hill on your right between the road and the water. There is a culvert right after this hill. In the spring, there are hundreds of ladyslipper flowers on this hill. Just after this hill is where the railroad bed goes into the water.
Just before going over a small hill, beside a point of land jutting out into the water, there is a stone boundary marker that indicates the boundary between New Salem and Petersham.
In a short while, the road will curve slightly to the left and a paved road will come out of the water and join the road that you are on. (This is the same road that your car is parked on!!)
You will then come to a dirt road coming in from the left. Do not turn here, stay straight. This road goes to Gate 36. If you decide to do the loop hike, you will come back here from this road.
Continuing down the paved road, look to the left for another boundary marker. This marked the Boundary between Petersham and Dana.
Just beyond this is a clearing on your left with a metal tower standing next to a small building. This was used for fire spotting in the past. It was also used as a viewing platform during World War II. During World War II, they used to use this area for live bombing practice. If you look out over the water from this area, you may spot stretches of reeds sticking out of the water. These are the rims of craters from the bombs that were dropped here.
After a short while, you will see where the road goes into the water and there will be a dirt road on the left. Take that left and continue up the hill for about 3/4 miles. You will come to the top of the hill. The road turns right here and there is a wide grassy area on the left. There is a tree here with a sign that says "35 3PT"on the left. Stand in this grassy area before the tree and look across the road. There is a clearing (possibly an old logging road ) with a large rock at the end. The "Rabbit Run" letterbox is under the backside of this rock. This is about 3 1/2 miles from the gate.
You can either return back to your car the same way that you came or continue down the road for a longer loop hike. (about 10 miles total)
If you do the loop, continue down the road for a while and you will come to a bridge. This is the west branch of the Fever Brook. Turn left before the bridge and continue down the grassy road. You will come to a large beaver pond on your right. After a short while you will see a trail coming in from the left marked by blue triangles.
(1) If you are feeling strenuous, take this left and the trail will climb steeply to the top of Soapstone hill with some great views of the reservoir. From here, continue following the path down the backside of the hill. Continue for a while and take the next right. This will take you into the Women's Federated State Forest campground.
(2) For an easier hike, do not turn left here, but continue straight. You will now be following the blue triangles through what is called "The Gap". Follow this trail until it comes out at the Women's Federated State Forest campground.
There is a restroom here, but there is no drinking water source.
Turn right onto the campground road and then turn onto the next road on your left. This will bring you to Gate 36.
Go around the gate and continue down the road. You will cross over a culvert with a beaver pond on you right. Shortly after, there will be several small beaver ponds on the left leading into a large beaver pond. Continue down the road and you will come back down to the water, and the road back to Gate 35. Turn right here and continue back to your car.
Hike length: 5-8 miles
This box is at Gate 35 on Old North Dana Rd. off of Rt. 122 in New Salem, Ma.
This hike is either a 7 mile out and back hike or you can do a 10 mile loop hike.
You can bike out and back, but not on the loop.
Please bring plenty of water and food.
Make sure that you bring bug spray.
Remember that dogs are not allowed at the Quabbin.
Please make sure that you do a tick check after this hike.
There was a railroad here called the Rabbit Run that was built in the 1870s. It ran from Athol to Springfield. The tracks were torn up in 1935.
Right after you walk around the gate, turn left onto the dirt road. You will soon come onto the old railroad bed. You will be walking on the old railroad bed for a while.
Just after you cross under the power lines, you will see what looks like a beaver pond on your right. It is not a beaver pond but was Goodnow's ice pond. In the time before refrigeration, people would cut ice from the pond during the winter and store it in sawdust in specially built sheds, until it was used during the warm months of the year.
After walking for a little over a mile, there will be a small hill on your right between the road and the water. There is a culvert right after this hill. In the spring, there are hundreds of ladyslipper flowers on this hill. Just after this hill is where the railroad bed goes into the water.
Just before going over a small hill, beside a point of land jutting out into the water, there is a stone boundary marker that indicates the boundary between New Salem and Petersham.
In a short while, the road will curve slightly to the left and a paved road will come out of the water and join the road that you are on. (This is the same road that your car is parked on!!)
You will then come to a dirt road coming in from the left. Do not turn here, stay straight. This road goes to Gate 36. If you decide to do the loop hike, you will come back here from this road.
Continuing down the paved road, look to the left for another boundary marker. This marked the Boundary between Petersham and Dana.
Just beyond this is a clearing on your left with a metal tower standing next to a small building. This was used for fire spotting in the past. It was also used as a viewing platform during World War II. During World War II, they used to use this area for live bombing practice. If you look out over the water from this area, you may spot stretches of reeds sticking out of the water. These are the rims of craters from the bombs that were dropped here.
After a short while, you will see where the road goes into the water and there will be a dirt road on the left. Take that left and continue up the hill for about 3/4 miles. You will come to the top of the hill. The road turns right here and there is a wide grassy area on the left. There is a tree here with a sign that says "35 3PT"on the left. Stand in this grassy area before the tree and look across the road. There is a clearing (possibly an old logging road ) with a large rock at the end. The "Rabbit Run" letterbox is under the backside of this rock. This is about 3 1/2 miles from the gate.
You can either return back to your car the same way that you came or continue down the road for a longer loop hike. (about 10 miles total)
If you do the loop, continue down the road for a while and you will come to a bridge. This is the west branch of the Fever Brook. Turn left before the bridge and continue down the grassy road. You will come to a large beaver pond on your right. After a short while you will see a trail coming in from the left marked by blue triangles.
(1) If you are feeling strenuous, take this left and the trail will climb steeply to the top of Soapstone hill with some great views of the reservoir. From here, continue following the path down the backside of the hill. Continue for a while and take the next right. This will take you into the Women's Federated State Forest campground.
(2) For an easier hike, do not turn left here, but continue straight. You will now be following the blue triangles through what is called "The Gap". Follow this trail until it comes out at the Women's Federated State Forest campground.
There is a restroom here, but there is no drinking water source.
Turn right onto the campground road and then turn onto the next road on your left. This will bring you to Gate 36.
Go around the gate and continue down the road. You will cross over a culvert with a beaver pond on you right. Shortly after, there will be several small beaver ponds on the left leading into a large beaver pond. Continue down the road and you will come back down to the water, and the road back to Gate 35. Turn right here and continue back to your car.
Hike length: 5-8 miles