Granite LbNA #36022
Map
Nearby Boxes
Add Note
Add Location| Owner: | wood thrush  |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Oct 13, 2007 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Granite |
| County: | Baltimore |
| State: | Maryland |
| Boxes: | 3 |
| Found by: | Chili Pepper (3) |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Sep 3, 2017 |
| Status: | FFFFFFF |
| Last edited: | Oct 13, 2007 |
This clue was updated on 12.26.07 to reflect a change in the directions for the Nikes box. Thanks to DaddyCat and Mommo for their help!
Special notes. These letterboxes are not recommended for families with young children. The hike is 3.75 miles over hilly terrain on trails rocky with granite tailings. The beautiful quarry you will visit is dangerous for little ones. Depending where you choose to park, you may need to walk several hundred feet along the bridge that carries Woodstock/Old Court Road over the Patapsco River to reach the trailhead. It is highly recommended that you carry the complete trail map for this park with you on this hike, as several of the trails you will be using are unmarked.
About Granite. Granite is a small village in far western Baltimore County, notable for three things: several old granite quarries no longer in use, the buildings of Woodstock College (now the Maryland Job Corps), and a former Nike missile base. You can visit all three on this letterboxing adventure and collect the commemorative stamps, too. If you would like to know more about Granite, Md., visit the historical society’s web site at www.granitehistory.org. (The site is out of date, but history is history.)
Directions. From the northern terminus of Rt. 29, turn left on Rt. 99, Old Frederick Road. Travel 1.7 miles to a right turn onto Woodstock Rd. at the snowball stand. Travel another 1.2 miles on Woodstock Rd. to the Woodstock Inn (biker bar), the Old Main Line of the B&O Railroad, and the Patapsco River. Make a note that on the left side of the road, across from the biker bar and before the tracks, is an optional parking lot where you can park well off the road.
Cross the tracks and the river on the bridge. Note that if you choose to later park in the lot you just saw, you will need to walk the length of this bridge to get to the trail. Consider whether you want to do this OR as you come to the end of the bridge, you will see a small pull-out by the left side of the road with room for about three cars. This is the trailhead.
For now, drive up the hill and the town of Granite will come into view. You will see granite walls, granite homes, and a granite church on the right side of the road. When you see Hernwood Rd. on the left, turn onto it. You will soon see a fenced-off area with signs that say “U.S. Government Property, No Trespassing.” This is the site of the former Nike missile base. All the buildings have been demolished, but the underground bunkers remain. Once you have passed the site, find a place to turn around, and head back to Woodstock/Old Court Rd. Make a right turn to drive back towards the trailhead. As you go down the hill, take a right at the entrance to the Maryland Job Corps. Drive past the small chapel/cemetery until you can see the buildings of the old Jesuit Woodstock College, which now house the Job Corps. Since the facility has a gated entrance, once you have viewed the buildings, turn around and head back to Woodstock/Old Court Rd. Once again, make a right.
Decide whether you want to park in the small pull-out before the bridge or drive back to the larger parking lot and walk across the bridge. In either case, the directions to the boxes begin at the yellow gated entrance to the trail.
Granite Jesuits box. Take the old paved road past the gate, west into the park. Note the “no trespassing” signs on your right, these mark the boundary of the Maryland Job Corps property. When the paved road curves to the right (shortly after you see some gates on the right), abandon it and walk straight ahead on the rocky dirt trail. Cross a small stream that empties into the Patapsco River. On the other side of the stream, follow the path as it turns right and heads up a hill. After a while, you will see to your right (and across the stream) a collection of junked appliances and automobiles. Further on, at about .8 miles, you will see the remnants of an old dam on the stream that created a pond, or perhaps a swimming pool, for the Jesuits. Explore this area if you like, it is interesting to see the old aqua paint still on the walls and the steps that lead up the hill to the college/Job Corps buildings.
Stand by the low rock slab next to the trail and take 40 steps further along the trail. The root end of a fallen tree will be to your right. At 330 degrees up a hill, take 12 steps, climbing over a fallen tree as you go. At an outcropping of rocks, and under the suspicious ones, lie the Granite Jesuits.
Granite Quarry box. Continue along the trail. In just a few steps you will see remnants of an old road from the college crossing the trail and leading up the hill. Do not take it, but continue straight on the trail. At 1.5 miles you will begin to see large granite boulders on either side of the trail. You are near the quarry. Shortly after you pass a rusted old barrel on the left, the trail opens to a clearing with the beautiful Fox Rock Quarry on your left. There are boulders to sit on here for stamping in or to have a picnic lunch, so drop your things and enjoy the peaceful beauty.
To find the box, stand by the Swimming Prohibited sign and take a bearing of 140 degrees. The box is 55 steps in that direction, just before you reach the boulder-strewn hill. Take a bit of a circuitous route, turning right at a group of four boulders, and walking a path with one boulder on your right. Step over a low boulder in your path. Head for the old log with many holes that points from the hill to the quarry. Take four steps along its right side. The Granite Quarry is in a hole in the log, behind a piece of granite.
Granite Nikes box. Turn around on the trail and go back the way you came. You’ll notice a trail intersection very quickly. Do NOT take the trail to the left—this heads in a different direction and is not the trail you came in on. Take the trail to the right. After .6 miles, look for the old road from the college again. You will see a small tree with TWO orange-pink ties on it, and to your left, the place where the low wall starts for the old pond. (This is the second trail to the right you will see; another trail heads right much earlier on your trip back. Do NOT take it; wait for this second “old road” trail.) When you see it, take it to the right, climbing quickly to the top of a ridge and a T intersection in about .1 mile. Turn left on the trail, which parallels the original trail you were walking on, only on top of the ridge.
After just .1 mile you will come to a rather confusing intersection, which at first appears to be a Y intersection. Do not take the trail to the right that heads immediately downhill. Instead go to the left. Take a few steps and make your way uphill to your left until you intersect with a trail that runs close to the ridge line. There will be no markers, but you will see a definite narrow trail used by horses and people. As of 7/3/09, pink marker flags in the ground (possibly temporary) mark a new trail that continues well below the ridge line. You do not want to take this trail. [Thanks to Sunny Sal for this update!]
This unmarked, rather indistinct trail then gradually goes up a hill to a higher part of the ridge. You will need to step over several logs, and at one point will be confronted by a huge tulip poplar that bisects the path. You will walk along the top of the ridge for about .25 miles, and then just as the trail begins to head downhill, you’ll see another tree in your path. This one is an oak, with some damage along its right side. Stop here, and take a bearing of 110 degrees. Seventeen steps in this direction is a downed tree that parallels the trail. Walk to the root end. On the left side, right near the roots, is a SPOR where you will find the Granite Nikes. Many thanks to our first finder, Whisper Foot, for refining this placement for us! (I would have liked to place this box closer to the old missile site, but the trails in that part of the park were even more confusing!)
To return to your car, follow the trail down the hill for about .15 miles, and when you reach the Patapsco River, take a left on the white-blazed trail there. In a short distance you will come back to the small stream you forded earlier. Make a right to cross the stream and return to the old paved road that will take you back to your car. We hope you enjoyed visiting some of the interesting sites of Granite, Md.
Special notes. These letterboxes are not recommended for families with young children. The hike is 3.75 miles over hilly terrain on trails rocky with granite tailings. The beautiful quarry you will visit is dangerous for little ones. Depending where you choose to park, you may need to walk several hundred feet along the bridge that carries Woodstock/Old Court Road over the Patapsco River to reach the trailhead. It is highly recommended that you carry the complete trail map for this park with you on this hike, as several of the trails you will be using are unmarked.
About Granite. Granite is a small village in far western Baltimore County, notable for three things: several old granite quarries no longer in use, the buildings of Woodstock College (now the Maryland Job Corps), and a former Nike missile base. You can visit all three on this letterboxing adventure and collect the commemorative stamps, too. If you would like to know more about Granite, Md., visit the historical society’s web site at www.granitehistory.org. (The site is out of date, but history is history.)
Directions. From the northern terminus of Rt. 29, turn left on Rt. 99, Old Frederick Road. Travel 1.7 miles to a right turn onto Woodstock Rd. at the snowball stand. Travel another 1.2 miles on Woodstock Rd. to the Woodstock Inn (biker bar), the Old Main Line of the B&O Railroad, and the Patapsco River. Make a note that on the left side of the road, across from the biker bar and before the tracks, is an optional parking lot where you can park well off the road.
Cross the tracks and the river on the bridge. Note that if you choose to later park in the lot you just saw, you will need to walk the length of this bridge to get to the trail. Consider whether you want to do this OR as you come to the end of the bridge, you will see a small pull-out by the left side of the road with room for about three cars. This is the trailhead.
For now, drive up the hill and the town of Granite will come into view. You will see granite walls, granite homes, and a granite church on the right side of the road. When you see Hernwood Rd. on the left, turn onto it. You will soon see a fenced-off area with signs that say “U.S. Government Property, No Trespassing.” This is the site of the former Nike missile base. All the buildings have been demolished, but the underground bunkers remain. Once you have passed the site, find a place to turn around, and head back to Woodstock/Old Court Rd. Make a right turn to drive back towards the trailhead. As you go down the hill, take a right at the entrance to the Maryland Job Corps. Drive past the small chapel/cemetery until you can see the buildings of the old Jesuit Woodstock College, which now house the Job Corps. Since the facility has a gated entrance, once you have viewed the buildings, turn around and head back to Woodstock/Old Court Rd. Once again, make a right.
Decide whether you want to park in the small pull-out before the bridge or drive back to the larger parking lot and walk across the bridge. In either case, the directions to the boxes begin at the yellow gated entrance to the trail.
Granite Jesuits box. Take the old paved road past the gate, west into the park. Note the “no trespassing” signs on your right, these mark the boundary of the Maryland Job Corps property. When the paved road curves to the right (shortly after you see some gates on the right), abandon it and walk straight ahead on the rocky dirt trail. Cross a small stream that empties into the Patapsco River. On the other side of the stream, follow the path as it turns right and heads up a hill. After a while, you will see to your right (and across the stream) a collection of junked appliances and automobiles. Further on, at about .8 miles, you will see the remnants of an old dam on the stream that created a pond, or perhaps a swimming pool, for the Jesuits. Explore this area if you like, it is interesting to see the old aqua paint still on the walls and the steps that lead up the hill to the college/Job Corps buildings.
Stand by the low rock slab next to the trail and take 40 steps further along the trail. The root end of a fallen tree will be to your right. At 330 degrees up a hill, take 12 steps, climbing over a fallen tree as you go. At an outcropping of rocks, and under the suspicious ones, lie the Granite Jesuits.
Granite Quarry box. Continue along the trail. In just a few steps you will see remnants of an old road from the college crossing the trail and leading up the hill. Do not take it, but continue straight on the trail. At 1.5 miles you will begin to see large granite boulders on either side of the trail. You are near the quarry. Shortly after you pass a rusted old barrel on the left, the trail opens to a clearing with the beautiful Fox Rock Quarry on your left. There are boulders to sit on here for stamping in or to have a picnic lunch, so drop your things and enjoy the peaceful beauty.
To find the box, stand by the Swimming Prohibited sign and take a bearing of 140 degrees. The box is 55 steps in that direction, just before you reach the boulder-strewn hill. Take a bit of a circuitous route, turning right at a group of four boulders, and walking a path with one boulder on your right. Step over a low boulder in your path. Head for the old log with many holes that points from the hill to the quarry. Take four steps along its right side. The Granite Quarry is in a hole in the log, behind a piece of granite.
Granite Nikes box. Turn around on the trail and go back the way you came. You’ll notice a trail intersection very quickly. Do NOT take the trail to the left—this heads in a different direction and is not the trail you came in on. Take the trail to the right. After .6 miles, look for the old road from the college again. You will see a small tree with TWO orange-pink ties on it, and to your left, the place where the low wall starts for the old pond. (This is the second trail to the right you will see; another trail heads right much earlier on your trip back. Do NOT take it; wait for this second “old road” trail.) When you see it, take it to the right, climbing quickly to the top of a ridge and a T intersection in about .1 mile. Turn left on the trail, which parallels the original trail you were walking on, only on top of the ridge.
After just .1 mile you will come to a rather confusing intersection, which at first appears to be a Y intersection. Do not take the trail to the right that heads immediately downhill. Instead go to the left. Take a few steps and make your way uphill to your left until you intersect with a trail that runs close to the ridge line. There will be no markers, but you will see a definite narrow trail used by horses and people. As of 7/3/09, pink marker flags in the ground (possibly temporary) mark a new trail that continues well below the ridge line. You do not want to take this trail. [Thanks to Sunny Sal for this update!]
This unmarked, rather indistinct trail then gradually goes up a hill to a higher part of the ridge. You will need to step over several logs, and at one point will be confronted by a huge tulip poplar that bisects the path. You will walk along the top of the ridge for about .25 miles, and then just as the trail begins to head downhill, you’ll see another tree in your path. This one is an oak, with some damage along its right side. Stop here, and take a bearing of 110 degrees. Seventeen steps in this direction is a downed tree that parallels the trail. Walk to the root end. On the left side, right near the roots, is a SPOR where you will find the Granite Nikes. Many thanks to our first finder, Whisper Foot, for refining this placement for us! (I would have liked to place this box closer to the old missile site, but the trails in that part of the park were even more confusing!)
To return to your car, follow the trail down the hill for about .15 miles, and when you reach the Patapsco River, take a left on the white-blazed trail there. In a short distance you will come back to the small stream you forded earlier. Make a right to cross the stream and return to the old paved road that will take you back to your car. We hope you enjoyed visiting some of the interesting sites of Granite, Md.