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Birthday Cliff walk LbNA #8447

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:May 29, 2004
Location:
City:Scarborough
County:Cumberland
State:Maine
Boxes:2
Found by: J2
Last found:Sep 17, 2006
Status:FFFFFFa
Last edited:May 29, 2004
Note - Since I originally put this out, the lookout tower has been torn down. Simply count the railings to find the first box. Also, I had a report that the second box is missing. I will check as soon as I can. But I don't get there often this time of year. Let me know if anyone else finds it!

Background: My daughter got hooked on letterboxing, so when she turned 5, we gave her the supplies to put out her own. She carved her own stamp, picked the hiding spot, and chose the name. I thought the area was so nice that I added another letterbox. The cliffs that you will be walking are the same that Winslow Homer painted in the late 1800's. I enjoy trying to imagine where he must have sat to paint some of his paintings.
There is no legal parking at the beginning of the cliff walk. I would suggest parking at Ferry beach and walking up the beach to the beginning of the cliff walk. Parking here is $10 during the summer. They often don’t charge later in the afternoon and days that are not so sunny. I have also heard that if you get there before 9:00 that they don’t charge. Ferry beach is a nice family-friendly beach, so you could easily make a day of it. Low tide is especially nice, as there is a sand bar to explore.
I have done the walk in as little as an hour. But, when I go with my 5 year old, and stop to enjoy all the flowers and rocks, it takes us 2 ½ hours.

Directions: Follow 207 / Black Point Rd toward Prouts Neck. Shortly after passing Scarborough Beach, you will turn right on Ferry Rd. Follow this to the end and park at the beach. When you get to the beach, turn to your left (southeast) and walk up the beach. You will walk around the point, indicated by a pole with a triangle on the top, and continue toward the inn and houses that you see up ahead. Shortly before you get to the end of the beach, you will walk up a path through the dunes to Black Point Rd. Be sure that you stay on the trail, as the dunes are very fragile. When you get to the road, notice the Black Point Inn in front of you. This is from where you will be returning. Turn right and walk up the road. You will pass the inn, a post office and a yacht club. As you continue up the hill, there will be a gate across the road closing it to non-residents. There is a sign here for Winslow Homer Road. Look to you right for the start of the cliff walk (don’t worry, the trail is open to the public). As you walk on the cliff walk, the trail will, at times, seem to disappear as it goes onto the rocks. Don’t worry. Just keep walking in the same direction and it will show up again. Look ahead and notice a lookout tower. This was used in World War II to look for subs. After you pass the tower you will notice that storms have caused enough erosion that railings have been built in a few spots to keep you safe. At the base of the 3rd railing is a dry-stacked rock wall. Walk past this and turn to you right. Then scramble down to inspect the wall. Your first stamp is hidden here.

Continue following the trail around Prouts Neck. As you pass the cliffs, you will find yourself on a rock beach and then a pebble beach. Notice the smell of the sea weed and the sound of the waves washing over the rocks. As you continue on the path, you will cross a bridge where the second stamp is hidden. I put a rock behind it so that it would not slide under too far, and another in front to block it from the view of people walking towards it. You will not need to climb down below the bridge.
After stamping, continue on the path. It will eventually bring you behind the Back Point Inn. Follow the road straight, not left, and it will take you back to Black Point Rd where you can take the trail back to the beach.