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Letterboxing Northeast East Lyme Land Conservation Trust The East Lyme Land Conservation Trust is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the natural areas and history of East Lyme, Connecticut. Supported by private donations, the East Lyme Land Conservation Trust sponsors many conservation and educational programs in an effort to create and environmental ethic in the town. The larger properties preserved by the Trust are open to plein air painting, walking, hiking, photography, and bird watching. Letterboxing is a new activity sponsored by the trust. We hope you enjoy your time in East Lyme. Saving The Place You Love...One Piece at a Time
Laurel Hill Tract From I-95 in East Lyme, take exit 74 and turn right on Rte. 161 South. In 0.8 miles, turn left on Laurel Hill Rd. Stay left at the top of the hill, then turn right on North Ledge Road. Park in the cul-de-sac. This adventure follows an out-and-back course on a wonderful ledgy preserve to a single letterbox. The Laurel Hill Trail, marked in white square blazes, meanders a bit and soon crosses a brook. Bend eastwards to scramble up a hill behind a blue house and turn south to pass through a stone wall. The trail bends left here. Instead of following the trail, continue southwards to a big jumbled outcropping of ledge. The first rocky hump is split down the middle. Hop over onto a second bulge of rock and on top, down at the southern edge, find the letterbox under a cracked overhang. (It looks like the neighborhood kids are playing paint ball here: please be sure to completely rehide the letterbox or it'll go missing). If you’d like, you can continue to explore the trail before returning to your car. Rosecliff Tract From I-95 in East Lyme, take exit 74 and take all lefts from there. First turn left on Rte. 161 North, then left on Rte. 1 South. In one mile, turn left on Ancient Highway, then on Webster Drive, Charter Oak Drive, Poppy Lane, and finally onto Bittersweet Rd. Park in the cul-de-sac. This quest follows an easy one mile loop trail over marvelous wetlands with a single steep downhill scramble. If you have one, a walking stick will help maintain your balance on that hill. Head northeast with the white blazes, crossing a series of bridges built by our local Eagle Scouts. After the big bridge, find an intersection of trails at an old farm road. Make a quick right-left zig zag across this track to head southeast on a blue blazed footpath. At the next intersection with an unmarked path, the blue trail makes a steep downhill scramble. Follow it down, and then walk as the trail tends southwest to cross through a stone wall's rough gate. Circle around behind the left arm of stone to find the letterbox tucked low in the south corner. Now continue southwards. The trail loops left to head northwards. (At a huge, multi-trunked maple, a blue spur trail cuts 140E to dead end at a brook). Continue northbound on the white trail until it loops left to another stone fence. Before passing through, take a step or two to the left to find the second Rosecliff letterbox. To finish hiking, continue southwest uphill and straight past a cross trail. Turn left, south, on the old farm road. Watch on the right for the original zig zag where you came in: turn west northwest to the entrance. Thursday, March 11, 2004 |
