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Letterboxing Northeast Coastal Letterboxes II
These older boxes haven't gotten much TLC from us in a few years and so a couple of the boxes seem to be missing. Hanging Rock, Grey Crag, and the Red Fox Trail letterboxes are likely gone. They were a "farewell," after all. The Norman Bird Sanctuary in Middletown RI has 450 acres of habitat, with three narrow ridges that flow down through beautiful salt marsh towards the shore. The more time we spend here, the more we love it. The views, wind, wildlife, and geology are all just great. There are four letterboxes hidden in the sanctuary on a hike shaped like a 3-pronged fork, with Grey Crag northwards as the handle and the three ridges like parallel tines pointing southwest. The complete circuit of four letterboxes covers about 4.5 miles of moderate hiking with occasional rocky scrambles. The hiking here is excellent for children, but you may want to skip the first letterbox and go straight out to the three others with the smaller kids. Our letterboxes here have been reported missing every now and then, but were all there (minus one stamp) in late winter 2001. Good luck! Directions: From the Newport Bridge drive past the "Scenic Newport" exit and continue with Rt. 138 to the end of the ramp, turning left at the light on Admiral Kalbfus Rd. (Rt. 138). Travel up the hill and cross straight over the stop light at Broadway Ave, leaving Rt. 138 to turn left without you. Continue down Miantonami Ave to Valley Rd. (Rt. 214). Turn right at the light, continue straight through the next light (Rt. 138A), and go left at First Beach onto Crescent Ave and then left again onto Purgatory Rd. Go up and over, passing St George's School and the Second Beach parking lot on your right. Take the next left onto Hanging Rock Rd, and drive past the distinctive outcroppings you'll soon be hiking over. Turn left on Third Beach Rd to find the Sanctuary on your left. There is a small fee for entrance, which helps support this private preserve. Pick up one of the excellent maps. Head southwest from the visitor's center down the main trail, crossing a small bridge over the pond to a central boardwalk trail head. All of our trails meet here today. Head northwesterly along the Grey Crag Trail, crossing low lying wetlands and passing by an amazingly gnarled beech on your right. Take the left, westerly fork and climb a short way, passing puddingstone outcroppings and an old shed. Reaching the top, the highest point in the Sanctuary, cross a small open area with glimpses of view to the east. Follow the trail through a short dirt section in cedar to another open puddingstone area. To the northwest (left) find a small waist-high outcrop with a little marker-cairn and a glimpse through trees of a rock quarry. Step up onto this shelf and turn left, southwest, to the Grey Crag Letterbox hidden on the ground in rocks. Now complete the loop back to the forking near the gnarly beech. Continuing back, fork right at the Red Fox/Nelson Pond Trail short cut, and follow the Nelson Pond Trail out to a point with vast and inspiring views. Just before the trail drops off the ridge at it's southern terminus, find the your second letterbox. It is hidden on the right (northwest) overlooking the pond on the ground under a juniper in a small cairn of white quartz. At this spot, the Second Beach Bathhouse is just to the right of Hanging Rock at 150 degrees and Purgatory Chasm is visible as a dark split in the cliffs at 230. Now hike down the steep descent and then fork left, southeast. Passing across the valley between the two ridges, bear right to climb easterly up to the next ridgetop with some of the best views in New England. Turning southwest, follow the ridge to it's low end at the salt marshes. The third letterbox is tucked into a cedar on the right, just on the northwest edge of the drop off. This spot, for us, is the place to stop and enjoy a rest, with it's great views and lack of visitors. Heading back, follow the scenic ridge line almost all the way back to the boardwalk trailhead (this is the Red Fox Trail). Now head southwest again along another ridge to Hanging Rock. This trail is very different geologically, with an amazing conglomeration of sedimentary rock called puddingstone. Following the trail to the southwestern end, enjoy well visited Hanging Rock. From the sheer drop off, notice a level area a bit lower down and to the west. Back track a short way to the path down to this area, and find the Hanging Rock Letterbox living in a crevasse in the southwest corner of your original ledge.
Not recommended: one of our earliest boxes, the stamp is store bought and the box is way overdue for retirement. An excellent interlude between visits to the growing Mystic Aquarium and the fabulous Mystic Seaport, the Dennison-Pequotsepos Nature Center provides the trails for this single letterbox. As a private nature sanctuary, there is a nominal fee for visiting, but it is worth it, especially for children. The nature center has a natural history museum, a terrific owl display, a wildlife garden, a nature trail for the visually impaired, duck feeding, and an exceptional gift shop and book store focusing on birding. Directions: from I-95, take exit 90, and follow the signs for the Mystic Aquarium. Continue straight past the aquarium and turn right on Jerry Brown Rd, and then right again on Pequotsepos Rd. The nature center will be on your left in about ½ mile. There are 7 miles of easy trails here, and this letterbox is placed centrally so that you can explore on your own. The box itself is about ½ mile from the trail head, where maps are available. The white trail has several tails, but the main stretch is a loop around Hidden Pond. On the eastern point of the loop, just west of where it joins the eastern tail of the orange trail (at the point where the orange crosses perpendicularly under the power lines), the white trail passes through a stone wall. There are 3 white loop wall crossings: this is the westernmost of the three. At this crossing, take 15 steps along the western face of the southern portion to a small cairn perched on top of the wall. The Birdhouse Letterbox lives inside the wall here. Be sure to explore the orange, red, and blue loops if you have the time and the kids have the energy!
This fantastic 2 mile long strand is Connecticut's longest undeveloped sandy beach. Set in a rapidly growing area, Hammonasett is becoming more and more a refuge for both people and birds. You can vary the distance you hike on this walk to a single letterbox anywhere from several hundred yards to 4 miles, depending on where you park. Bring beach blankets, binoculars, birding books, boyfriends, babies. Directions: On I95 in Madison CT, take exit 62 and follow the Hammonasett connector to the park entrance (seasonal fees apply). Early risers will find the park closed, and can flip a u-turn at the beach entrance, to park on the road with the local exercise enthusiasts before walking in. Beachcombing: Walk or drive into the state park and find your way to Meig's Point. You can park your car at the West Beach Pavillion (our favorite) for the longest possible shoreside walk, or drive farther in to East Beach or Meig's Point to park closer to the letterbox. Meig's Point has a Pavillion with a marvelous little boardwalk over wetlands. There is a wonderful Nature Center across the street with some big, splendid seashell sculptures. From the Meig's Point area, walk northeast through expansive parking to find a grassy picnic area. To the left through a yellow gate is a nice loop trail around Willards' Island (which would be a great spot for a second letterbox...). From the picnic ground pavilion, walk up a short way to the northeast corner and find an unmarked trail. Walk through woods near a beautiful marshland, over a small footbridge, and to a sublime observation deck on the extensive wetlands. This spot is treasured by the Audubon Society as one of the most important flyways in the east: the shorebirds and migrating flocks can be incredible here. On the trail in, after the small footbridge and before the wooden deck, on the "island's" highest point, spot a split rock just to the left (northeast) of the trail. The original letterbox was behind there, but was vandalized in the fall of 2000. Continuing east, the path to the observation platform trends slightly downhill. You'll spot two rounded, waist-high boulders off to the right (south), near a pictureseque, knarled oak tree on the marshes' edge. The Meig's Point Letterbox is plugged into the ground, between trees, just north of the western of the two boulders. From here the beach, the day, and the world is yours.
(February 2003: the second letterbox is reported missing...) A pair of letterboxes on a town-sponsored masterpiece overlooking the incredible Thimble Islands in Branford, CT. This hike covers an easy shoreside 1.5 miles with a small climb and an option for a fine stroll into a divine village for Sunday cappuccino. Directions: On I95 in Branford, take exit 56 and head south 1.4 miles on Leetes Island Road towards Stony Creek. Turn right on Rte. 146 for 1.2 miles, where the road makes a double-left towards Pine Orchard. These two beach communities used to be connected by a trolley, now converted to a splendid rail-trail. After your double-lefting, pass over and under railroad tracks for 0.6 miles to bear left on Totoket Rd. In 0.4 miles, after passing through a golf course, take your first left on an unmarked road with a Tilton 190 sign. Miss the turn and go a bit too far and you'll see Juniper Point Rd. Park near the big concrete blocks with the locals. Rail trailing: In the northeast corner of the parking lot, head east over the tracks with the white blazes for an east to west out-and-back hike with a couple of spurs to the letterboxes. Follow the boardwalk over salt marshes with lots of birds and fiddler crabs. Regaining land, the official white blazed trail turns left. We'll turn right, south, on a fainter unmarked trail that weaves down to the marshes. You'll cross a boulder strewn brook on the way: there are several faint side trails, but if you head generally south you'll soon reach a stone wall. Just beyond is a large smoothly rounded outcropping, wonderfully splint by a maple. In the slot behind the maple, find the Thimble View Letterbox. Visit 50 yards south to a lovely smooth viewing spot. Return to the main rail trail and continue east. Pass under a road bridge and out to enjoy the trestle bridge, a delight for children. A short way further is Stony Creek, a wonderful refreshment stop. Heading back, turn north at #8 on the white blazed loop trail, which climbs gently and curves first west, crosses a residential street, and then bends south to an absolutely stunning overlook with a monument. At the 3-way junction by the overlook, you'll find a rooty oak tree a step off trail at bearing 130 degrees. Behind that is a low smooth shard of granite that is "picked up" on the south side. The Trolley Car Letterbox is under a larger than usual trap door in the southeast corner. Continue down the white trail to regain the Trolley Trail, turning right (if you must) back to civilization.
(Note: the first letterbox is missing) A delightful and gentle two-mile walk on the Rhode Island shore with views of salt ponds and barrier islands, and splendid birding, for a pair of letterboxes. You could also easily include the "Trustom Pond Quest" letterbox along the way for a triple. Directions: In Charlestown RI on Rte. 1 between Moonstone and Ninigret Beaches, turn south to Green Hill Beach. This is Post Rd: after a couple hundred yards, turn left onto Green Hill Beach Rd and follow it for 0.7 miles to the end. Turn left at the stop sign, then quickly left again onto Matunuck School House Rd. After 0.8 miles, find the Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge entrance on your right. The Trustom Pond NWR occupies old farmland bordering salt pond estuary. There are two connected loop trails, each with a southward-pointing extension that leads to observation towers over the wetlands. From the parking lot, if the small headquarters is open, grab a map. Then follow the well maintained path past a map board to skirt a field and pass a farm pond. The trail turns to grass. Turn to the path bearing 144 degrees, and then at another map, go left to 134 degrees. Follow this straight old farm road past a lovely bench and out to the observation tower: the East Point Letterbox is behind the stairs, under a flat rock. Now return to the map by the farm pond and turn onto 244 to cross a short boardwalk. At a wide intersection, go 270 degrees and then 282 degrees at the next intersection, towards the second observation tower. This path will lead you up to another crossing with a bench and map: turn to 146 degrees. This larger, more isolated observation tower is the place for a rest! Again, peak behind the stairs and under a flat rock for the West Point Letterbox. When you've had your fill of this expansive place, return to the last map to plot your next adventure!
....last updated Thursday, September 22, 2005 |
