Sign Up  /  Login

Sourland Preserve LbNA #8435

Owner:The Northerner
Plant date:May 30, 2004
Location: Sourland Preserve
City:Belle Mead
County:Somerset
State:New Jersey
Boxes:3
Found by: Nairon (3)
Last found:Sep 3, 2023
Status:FFFFFFFFFFaFFFFFOFFF
Last edited:May 3, 2021
THE SOURLAND PRESERVE LETTERBOXES
BOXES 1 & 2 PLACED BY: Coyotl Clan in 2001
BOX 3 PLACED BY: The Northerner in May 2004
LAST CHECKED: April 30, 2021
CLUES: Easy

ROUTE: The first two boxes of this series were actually the first two letterboxes I ever found after hearing about this secret world of hidden treasures and clues, so I was delighted when I got asked by Coyotl Clan to adopt those boxes from them when they moved out of the area in 2004. Though I have made a couple of adjustments due to changes in the land and trails, I have tried to keep the clues for these two boxes as close to the original version as possible. In 2004, I also added a third box to the series on the same path that has recently found a new home. Sourland Treasure is the same stamp as former Box #3 in the series, though it is now the second box you will come to. With a much expanded trail system since these boxes were planted there are a number of routes you can take to these three boxes. The route described here is about 5 miles and takes you by most of the parks highlights but you could shorten substantially if you wish. One way or another you are going to climb a steep 300-500 feet (depending on your route) to get up on the ridge. With the additional trails having a trail map with you is recommended. There are not always trail maps at the park but you can find them at:

http://www.somersetcountyparks.org/genInfo/maps/SourlandsMap.pdf

DIRECTIONS:
Route 206 from North: Follow Route 206 through Somerville and Hillsborough - approximately six miles from the Somerville Circle to Route 514 which is Amwell Road. Make a right turn onto Amwell Road and proceed one and a half miles to East Mountain Road. Turn left onto East Mountain Road. Travel for one mile, and you will see the Sourland Mountain Preserve entrance sign on the right.

Route 206 from South: Follow Route 206 through Princeton and Montgomery. Traveling up a small ramp, make a left onto Route 601. Follow Route 601, and make a right turn onto East Mountain Road by Carrier Clinic. Travel for one mile, and you will see the Sourland Mountain Preserve entrance sign on the left.


CLUES:

Original Box 1:
From the parking area take the orange trail towards post #1. At post #1 head right on the yellow trail and climb to the Devil's Half-Acre boulders with plenty of very large and cool boulders. Continue to post #3 where you will turn right on the white trail. When you cross pipeline path consider a very brief tour to the left up to a nice lookout before continuing on the white trail. After a while you will come to a broken down fence. From this point turn back the way you came and walk 40 paces to where the trail makes a sharp turn to the left. To your right (8 paces away) will be a set of rocks. The box is hidden under the easternmost end of the large flat rock.

Sourland Treasure:
Continue down the white trail to post #6. From here turn right on the blue trail. I would recommend staying on the blue trail all the way around to Roaring Brook but if you want to save some distance and climb you can take the Roaring Rocks Connector Trail (blue dot). Either way go the the junction of the blue trail and the blue dot trail by Roaring Brook and the Roaring Rocks Boulders. Then head up the blue dot trail 36 paces to two very large boulders on the right side of the trail. Walk east between the two boulders to their far end. From hear take a bearing south. 7 paces away is a small rock made up of several obvious layers sitting on top of each other with plenty of hiding spaces in between! The box itself is deep in the large crevice underneath the lowest layer at the northern end of the rock.

Original Box 2:
Retrace your steps back to the blue trail and then turn left down to post #5. Here leave the blue trail and continue downhill on the white trail towards post #7. As you follow along the trail you will eventually cross a wooden bridge over a decent size creek with an old stone dam just upstream. If you hit post #7 you just missed it. From the southernmost end of the dam go 12 paces on a bearing of 204 degrees to a tree. It's under the rocks at its base.

Continue down the white trail and then turn right onto the orange trail at post #8. Follow it back to the parking area. Hope you enjoyed the hunt! Please remember to be discrete while stamping in and rehiding the boxes. Let me know how the boxes are doing if you get a chance. Please remember to bring your own stamp pad.

NOTE: I consider one pace to equal two steps.

The Northerner

Hike length: 3-5 miles