Letterboxing is an intriguing “treasure hunt” style outdoor activity. Letterboxers hide small, weatherproof boxes in publicly-accessible places (like parks) and post clues to finding the box online on one of several Web sites. However, clues to finding some of the most highly-sought boxes are passed around by word of mouth.

There are about 60,000 active letterboxes listed on LbNA alone. Individual letterboxes usually contain a log book, an often hand-carved rubber stamp and occasionally contain an ink pad. Finders make an imprint of the letterbox’s stamp on their personal log book, and leave an imprint of their personal stamp on the letterbox’s logbook.

1. Hanging by a Thread Boulder, UT
2. Above the Trees Buena Vista, CO
3. Self Motivation Device Buena Vista, CO
4. No Free Lunch Buena Vista, CO
5. Alpine Hiking Buena Vista, CO
6. Torqua: Letterbox #8 ???, MY
7. Torqua: Letterbox #7 ???, MY
8. Torqua: Letterbox #6 ???, MY
9. Torqua: Letterbox #5 ???, MY
10. Torqua: Letterbox #4 ???, MY
11. Torqua: Letterbox #3 ???, MY
12. Torqua: Letterbox #2 ???, MY

More new letterboxes

1. Lunette - John Hartshorne #1 Norwichtown, CT
2. Patriot Norwich, CT
3. R.O.V. # 5 Norwichtown, CT
4. Deciduous Monkey IV Superior, WI
5. Hidden Forest Aptos, CA
6. Pride in the Park Farmington, MI
7. Northtown Library Blaine, MN
8. Finding Eli Monson, MA
9. Flynt Park Monson, MA
10. Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series Rindge, NH (2/4)
11. Neptune's Net 1956 Malibu, CA
12. Camp Time! Andover, MA (1/3)

So you find a letterbox and open it up and there are TWO logbooks and TWO stamps! What the heck, right? Relax, odds are that one stamp and logbook are a "hitchhiker".

You can exchange stamp images with the hitchhiker just like the letterbox. The difference is that you have the option to take the hitchhiker with you. The catch is that a) you have to remember not to let is gather dust in the bottom of your letterboxing pack, and b) you should exchange images between the hitchhiker and the letterbox where you drop it off.

Do not feel that you HAVE to take a hitchhiker when you find one. It’s your call!