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Maple Wood Nature Center LbNA #16321

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Jul 3, 2005
Location:
City:Lagrange
County:Lagrange
State:Indiana
Boxes:2
Planted by:Tiptoe & Tonto
Found by: Leapin' Lizards (2)
Last found:May 31, 2009
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFa
Last edited:Mar 31, 2016
*** AS OF 3/30/2016 THIS BOX HAS BEEN PULLED: WAITING TO REPLANT
MAPLE WOOD NATURE CENTER

Most people know Lagrange County, Indiana, as Amish Country. It’s a great place to travel the back roads and soak up a visual taste of a simpler time of life, but don’t forget that there are some wonderful natural areas in the county too!

Maple Wood Nature Center is a secluded wood that is a wildflower lover’s dream in the spring, a lush canopy covers her secrets in the summer, autumn is full of color, and a tranquility settles in as winter covers her acres. But possibly the most sublime time comes in late winter when her maple trees offers a liquid taste treat none can resist!

Length: 1 mile -- easy hiking
**Both boxes have been temporarily pulled by park staff July 2010

Clues:

Your quest starts at the stoplight in Lagrange at the intersection of US 20 and SR 9. Head south on 9 exactly 1 mile, and look for the sign on your left that tells you to turn on 100 S to Maple Wood Nature Center. Follow this road 4 ½ miles to the entrance of the Nature Center. The Nature Center itself has limited hours and there may be a gate across the driveway. Don’t let that discourage you! Park off the road to the right of the entrance (just past the buggy hitching post) and walk in as the trails are always open. These woods are lush and bug spray is a must!

Fallen Leaf Box
For the first box, take the gravel trail behind the building to the left of the main nature center building. Stay to the left until you come to a T. (Ignore the small loop trail behind the building.) Take a right at the “T” on the main trail. Shortly you will come to a “Y” and you will stay right.

Continue on the trail until you pass three trails heading off to your right. At the third trail entrance, you should spot on your left a post with a yellow triangle. From the post, count 40 steps further on the trail and the “Fallen leaf” can be found hidden in the letter “L”.

Sap Bucket Box
After re-hiding #1 “well in the L,” continue up the path and turn left at the next post. Just like one has to wait through winter for the trees to release their sap, so this trail seems a lot longer than says on the map. But, take heart, a treat awaits you not as far as it seems.

Follow the trail around up a hill and it will loop back north. Continue on until you find a large fallen tree that acts as a railing along the right side of the trail. Fifteen steps past the end of the tree you will come to a post on the right. Take another 50 steps to a tree with an “E” on the right side of the trail. At this point take 15 additional steps until you see a stump on the left where the “Sap bucket” has all but been swallowed!

After, taking a quick peek at the sweet sticky treat, place the bucket safely back for the next who will seek. Continue on the path until another decision is placed in your way. Left this time followed by a short right and a left will bring you back to savor a most perfect day.

Please let us know if you found the boxes by contacting the placer!