After discovering letterboxing, I thought I would search the website to find another near me. I found one listed on a no name trail I had passed many times on a shortcut I take if I am heading east to 6A. I arrived there at the same time as a guy who was walking his two dogs. I didn’t want to start at the same time so I went to a trail, not far away, I had been meaning to walk for a while. The Historical Society of Old Yarmouth(HSOY) Nature Trails, located behind The Yarmouth Port Post Office. Kelly’s Chapel, The Captain Bangs Hallett Museum and weeping willow tree also share this area. It wasn’t until after I hiked here that I found another clue leading to a letterbox that was hidden on the trail.
A .50 cent donation for adults and .25 cent for children can be dropped in the mail slot at The Tufts Gate House. There is also a map and interpretive guide offered. The main trail goes up a hill and loops past the Miller Pond and Woodside Cemetery back to Kelly Chapel. There is also a pond trail that loops back the opposite way around the pond. The main trail is marked by white paint on trees along the path and also has numbered markers on the ground . The pond trail has yellow markings and no numbered ones. There are also unmarked trails that cut off the main trail from one side to the other. The pond trail has a railroad track next to it for awhile and has a trail that crosses it. The trail on the other side was parallel to the tracks. I headed back towards the cemetery and ended up at Dennis Pond Beach.
From the HSOY go east to Strawberry lane and take a right, this becomes White Rock Road. Not far on the right is a parking area for about 4 or 5 cars. This is where the unmarked trail is. I tried the next day and the same guy and dogs where there. The third try I timed it right. There was a sign a short way down the trail. HSOY Nature Trails. This trail was marked by blue paint spots on the trees. It was a wide trail and I followed the directions on the letterbox clue. Haha it led me to The pond trail with the yellow markings. The clue brought me a all the way around the pond past the cemetery and almost to where I had turned into the pond trail. I FOUND IT !! Right where it was supposed to be. I don’t have a stamp yet so I couldn’t stamp it. But it was cool to find it anyway.
I followed the blue trail to see where it led. It crossed the railroad tracks and led to another pond and then up a steep hill to a campsite. Probably Camp Grenough a boy scout camp that is on Pine Street off of White Rock Road. I saw red markings next and followed that trail back towards the railroad tracks and looped back to the blue trail and the campsite. Both the blue and red trails went further but I will have to find where else they lead another day.
Ratings 1- the cellar 2- shoddy 3- tolerable 4- worthy 5- wicked good
Accessibility - 5 Right behind Yarmouth Port Post Office on Rte 6A
Parking - 3 - a few spots behind Post office next to bookstore and some at White Rock Rd
Length- 5 - Main Trail, Pond Trail, Guido Perera foot path, Railroad Trail and Boy Scout Trail
Degree of Difficulty- 4 a lot of hills on side trails
Extras- 5 - Museum, Kelly’s Chapel, Weeping Willow
Trail Markings- 5 - Interpretive map at Tufts Gate House, white paint on main trail - orange on pond trail
Trail Maintenance- 5 - well kept
Variation - 5- Plenty with white, yellow, blue and red trails pus a few that are unmarked
Scenic - 3 - Historically scenic - not so much view on the trail
Worth Returning - 4 - I have to find the letterbox
Beach - no
Facilities - maybe at museum
Rating 44 out of 50
No comments:
Post a Comment