Pleasant Valley LbNA #9185
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Add Location| Owner: | DrewFamily    |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Jan 1, 2001 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Lyme |
| County: | New London |
| State: | Connecticut |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Found by: | Nairon |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Feb 5, 2023 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF |
| Last edited: | Jan 1, 2001 |
Pleasant Valley (revised 7/2/00)
Lyme, Connecticut
Pleasant Valley Preserve was a relatively new Nature Conservancy property when these boxes were planted. It was known mostly to locals only. Two letterboxes on a gracious 4 mile loop, approximately 2 hours. There is one prolonged climb.
Directions: From Rte. 156 in Lyme, CT, turn west on MacIntosh Rd and soon park in the small pull out on the right side of the road. Walk a few yards west up the road (or from the parking area up a faint path) to the Pleasant Valley Preserve gate and trailhead.
>>>The north end of the main green trail crosses a conservation easement on private property, and is closed, except Sundays, from November through December, and again from the 1st Wednesday in May for 3 weeks. These times correspond to hunting season: please wear a blaze orange vest or cap. Both letterboxes are placed in the preserve on public lands and are accessible during the closure periods.<<<
Walking north on the trail from the gate, bear right at the "Preserve" sign. Cross a small bridge to the information board with a posted trail map, and pick up a very well designed map and park guide. From the info board, turn right and walk east on the trail. Fork right on the red trail at the red/blue intersection, and then go right again at the next fork to walk a short way down to visit Eight Mile River. For protection and conservation, the trails at Pleasant Valley purposefully avoid this pristine river through the rest of the park.
Returning to the last intersection, turn right (north) on the red trail to pass an old stone paddock on the right, and then a very large old-growth oak, also on the right. There are several other old "nooning trees" in this preserve, trees that date back to the old agricultural days and which provided a bit of shade for a hard working farmer's lunchtime nap. Follow the red trail around a grove of white pine and then head downhill and generally southwest to an open field and an intersection with the blue trail. Stop at the bench and reach behind you to lift the lid, to find the Eight Mile River Letterbox tucked in a convenient spot for stamping in.
Now continue northwest on the blue trail. After a small pond, a looping north-south detour, and a field, go right (west again) on the orange trail. The orange will bring you down to another field and the main green loop trail, perhaps 3/4 mile from the first letterbox.
Now, at this intersection, you have a choice to make. The second letterbox is at the northern apex of the green loop trail (at a place called "The Overlook"). If there are no hunting season trail closures, go right (north) on the green trail and loop counterclockwise. If you are within the dates mentioned above, turn left (south) on the green trail and walk a short way to the loop intersection: from there you'll turn right (north) for an out-and-back trip that will avoid the closed northern end of the loop.
Assuming that you have turned left during trail-closure times, walk a short distance to the main green loop intersection and turn right (northwest) up the green trail. Cross two small bridges (the second crosses the brook in an area that is the source of the preserve's name) and then climb, at first steeply, and then more gradually, and then steeply again. Near, but still southwest of the topmost overlook, come to a corner in a stone wall just to the west of the trail. The Pleasant Valley Letterbox lives in the northwest corner of this wall.
You can now double back the way you came, or if the times are right, continue on around a clockwise loop past the overlook and back down the hill, passing the main green intersection, and turning left to the info board and the way home. Hope you had a "pleasant" time in this wonderful preserve!
Lyme, Connecticut
Pleasant Valley Preserve was a relatively new Nature Conservancy property when these boxes were planted. It was known mostly to locals only. Two letterboxes on a gracious 4 mile loop, approximately 2 hours. There is one prolonged climb.
Directions: From Rte. 156 in Lyme, CT, turn west on MacIntosh Rd and soon park in the small pull out on the right side of the road. Walk a few yards west up the road (or from the parking area up a faint path) to the Pleasant Valley Preserve gate and trailhead.
>>>The north end of the main green trail crosses a conservation easement on private property, and is closed, except Sundays, from November through December, and again from the 1st Wednesday in May for 3 weeks. These times correspond to hunting season: please wear a blaze orange vest or cap. Both letterboxes are placed in the preserve on public lands and are accessible during the closure periods.<<<
Walking north on the trail from the gate, bear right at the "Preserve" sign. Cross a small bridge to the information board with a posted trail map, and pick up a very well designed map and park guide. From the info board, turn right and walk east on the trail. Fork right on the red trail at the red/blue intersection, and then go right again at the next fork to walk a short way down to visit Eight Mile River. For protection and conservation, the trails at Pleasant Valley purposefully avoid this pristine river through the rest of the park.
Returning to the last intersection, turn right (north) on the red trail to pass an old stone paddock on the right, and then a very large old-growth oak, also on the right. There are several other old "nooning trees" in this preserve, trees that date back to the old agricultural days and which provided a bit of shade for a hard working farmer's lunchtime nap. Follow the red trail around a grove of white pine and then head downhill and generally southwest to an open field and an intersection with the blue trail. Stop at the bench and reach behind you to lift the lid, to find the Eight Mile River Letterbox tucked in a convenient spot for stamping in.
Now continue northwest on the blue trail. After a small pond, a looping north-south detour, and a field, go right (west again) on the orange trail. The orange will bring you down to another field and the main green loop trail, perhaps 3/4 mile from the first letterbox.
Now, at this intersection, you have a choice to make. The second letterbox is at the northern apex of the green loop trail (at a place called "The Overlook"). If there are no hunting season trail closures, go right (north) on the green trail and loop counterclockwise. If you are within the dates mentioned above, turn left (south) on the green trail and walk a short way to the loop intersection: from there you'll turn right (north) for an out-and-back trip that will avoid the closed northern end of the loop.
Assuming that you have turned left during trail-closure times, walk a short distance to the main green loop intersection and turn right (northwest) up the green trail. Cross two small bridges (the second crosses the brook in an area that is the source of the preserve's name) and then climb, at first steeply, and then more gradually, and then steeply again. Near, but still southwest of the topmost overlook, come to a corner in a stone wall just to the west of the trail. The Pleasant Valley Letterbox lives in the northwest corner of this wall.
You can now double back the way you came, or if the times are right, continue on around a clockwise loop past the overlook and back down the hill, passing the main green intersection, and turning left to the info board and the way home. Hope you had a "pleasant" time in this wonderful preserve!