Mid-Lo Mines LbNA #25799 (ARCHIVED)
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Add Location| Owner: | Adoptable |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Sep 24, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Richmond |
| County: | Chesterfield |
| State: | Virginia |
| Boxes: | 2 |
| Planted by: | LBStarfish  |
|---|---|
| Found by: | paper trail |
| Last found: | Oct 11, 2014 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFFFFFF |
| Last edited: | Sep 24, 2006 |
[At last report, the one by the tunnel in the tree is no longer there. --Choi]
Midlothian, Virginia is burgeoning Chesterfield County residential and commercial community situated approximately ten miles west of Richmond on U.S. Route 60 and the Norfolk-Southern Railway. A highway historical marker states that Midlothian is probably the site of the first coal mines in the U.S.
Scattered throughout the village are remnants of the Midlothian area mines—old homes, taverns, and buildings of colliery owners and a few dwellings connected with French Huguenots, among the first European settlers in the Midlothian area.
To begin your quest, park in the parking lot off N. Woolridge Road. Trail conditions: paved trail, gravel and earthen paths, slight rises. The link takes you to a map based on development plans so it is not completely accurate but you may find it helpful.
Follow the path of the dinosaurs and coal miners to find the letterboxes within the Mid-Lothian Mines Park. As you enter the park, stop to read about the clues for dinosaurs found in Midlothian area. Continue to follow the paved path as it snakes through the trees.
Midlo Mines Box #1
As you wind you way deeper into the trees you will come upon a low-lying area. While the path continues on, there is a wooden boardwalk that branches to the right. Follow the boardwalk, stopping to enjoy the wild flowers that seem to bloom in almost every season. When you reach the end of the boardwalk you will see a creek and the paved path winding up a rise. Continue to follow the path until you come to a tunnel under the roadway. Feel free to walk through and explore the other side. It leads to a beautiful walk around a man-made pond. When you are done, come back to the entrance of the tunnel on the park side of the road. Backtrack along the path 40 paces. On the right you will see a tree with a Gnome Home in its roots. Long abandoned, spiders have draped it with their lace. The letterbox is in the southeast wing of the gnome home. This is a popular walking trail so be sure to check for passersby before retrieving the box. When you have finished, tuck it back into its niche so it cannot be easily seen from the path.
Midlo Mines Box #2
Continue to retrace your steps until you reach the main path. Follow the paved path deeper into the trees. You will come to a bridge over a creek. Stand with your back to the houses you can see through the tree break and look over the edge of the bridge. Stop and listen to the wind ruffling the trees and the tinkling of the stream as it finds its way through the rocks. It is hard to believe when looking that way that you are between two major housing developments. Once you cross the bridge you will be on a gravel path. You will notice two blank markers on trees to the left of the path. When the park first opened, posters were mounted here with information about the mines and the life of African Americans during that time. Unfortunately, time and weather has washed them away. Continue your trek until you see the ruins of the mines on the right. A chain link fence protects them. It is time to leave the path and follow the dirt trail around the left side of the ruins. As you follow the trail, don’t forget to look at the ruins of the mine buildings. I wish there were interpretive signs so I would know what I was looking at! Continue along the trail until you see another trail branch off due south. A few feet along you will see a storm topped tree with an unusual twist. Continue along the path for 33 paces. On the left atop a small rise is a sycamore tree, straight and tall, with multiple pockets among its roots. Choose the small one on the up hill side and find the final box. Be careful, you can be seen from the main path so practice stealth. Make sure to return the box to its hiding place for others to find. While your quest is over, feel free to explore the rest of the trail before retracing your steps to return to the parking lot.
Midlothian, Virginia is burgeoning Chesterfield County residential and commercial community situated approximately ten miles west of Richmond on U.S. Route 60 and the Norfolk-Southern Railway. A highway historical marker states that Midlothian is probably the site of the first coal mines in the U.S.
Scattered throughout the village are remnants of the Midlothian area mines—old homes, taverns, and buildings of colliery owners and a few dwellings connected with French Huguenots, among the first European settlers in the Midlothian area.
To begin your quest, park in the parking lot off N. Woolridge Road. Trail conditions: paved trail, gravel and earthen paths, slight rises. The link takes you to a map based on development plans so it is not completely accurate but you may find it helpful.
Follow the path of the dinosaurs and coal miners to find the letterboxes within the Mid-Lothian Mines Park. As you enter the park, stop to read about the clues for dinosaurs found in Midlothian area. Continue to follow the paved path as it snakes through the trees.
Midlo Mines Box #1
As you wind you way deeper into the trees you will come upon a low-lying area. While the path continues on, there is a wooden boardwalk that branches to the right. Follow the boardwalk, stopping to enjoy the wild flowers that seem to bloom in almost every season. When you reach the end of the boardwalk you will see a creek and the paved path winding up a rise. Continue to follow the path until you come to a tunnel under the roadway. Feel free to walk through and explore the other side. It leads to a beautiful walk around a man-made pond. When you are done, come back to the entrance of the tunnel on the park side of the road. Backtrack along the path 40 paces. On the right you will see a tree with a Gnome Home in its roots. Long abandoned, spiders have draped it with their lace. The letterbox is in the southeast wing of the gnome home. This is a popular walking trail so be sure to check for passersby before retrieving the box. When you have finished, tuck it back into its niche so it cannot be easily seen from the path.
Midlo Mines Box #2
Continue to retrace your steps until you reach the main path. Follow the paved path deeper into the trees. You will come to a bridge over a creek. Stand with your back to the houses you can see through the tree break and look over the edge of the bridge. Stop and listen to the wind ruffling the trees and the tinkling of the stream as it finds its way through the rocks. It is hard to believe when looking that way that you are between two major housing developments. Once you cross the bridge you will be on a gravel path. You will notice two blank markers on trees to the left of the path. When the park first opened, posters were mounted here with information about the mines and the life of African Americans during that time. Unfortunately, time and weather has washed them away. Continue your trek until you see the ruins of the mines on the right. A chain link fence protects them. It is time to leave the path and follow the dirt trail around the left side of the ruins. As you follow the trail, don’t forget to look at the ruins of the mine buildings. I wish there were interpretive signs so I would know what I was looking at! Continue along the trail until you see another trail branch off due south. A few feet along you will see a storm topped tree with an unusual twist. Continue along the path for 33 paces. On the left atop a small rise is a sycamore tree, straight and tall, with multiple pockets among its roots. Choose the small one on the up hill side and find the final box. Be careful, you can be seen from the main path so practice stealth. Make sure to return the box to its hiding place for others to find. While your quest is over, feel free to explore the rest of the trail before retracing your steps to return to the parking lot.