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Mt. Prospect Fire Tower LbNA #48613 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Jul 3, 2009
Location:
City:Lancaster
County:Coos
State:New Hampshire
Boxes:1
Planted by:The Odyssy
Found by: Dangerous Dumptruck
Last found:Oct 10, 2011
Status:FFFFFFaaa
Last edited:Oct 28, 2015
Mt. Prospect Fire Tower

This letterbox takes you to Weeks State Park in Lancaster, NH. At the top you will see a firetower. The State Park website says, “The fieldstone tower listed in the National Historic Lookout Register, was originally built as both an observatory and water tower. At 56 feet high, its observation deck affords expansive views of the New Hampshire and Vermont countryside. One of Weeks' motives for erecting the tower and for building the road to the summit, was to ensure that local residents and visitors could enjoy the spectacular views from the top of Mt. Prospect. In 1941 a fire observatory was added to the top of the tower, which is maintained by the N.H. Division of Forests and Lands.”

For more information you can visit this website http://www.nhstateparks.org/state-parks/alphabetical-order/john-wingate-weeks-historic-site/

1. Take Route 3 to Weeks State Park – located between Lancaster and Whitefield, NH. Park at the parking area across from the park entrance. (If you are short on time or not up for a walk, you can drive to the top from Memorial Day until Columbus Day Weekend and park at that top).
2. Enjoy a nice walk up the paved road leading to the top of Mt. Prospect. It is approx. 1.2 miles to the top. There are two overlooks to stop at on your way up the mountain. The first overlooks Martin Meadow Pond and Blood Pond, the second has a nice view of the mountains. After you leave the second overlook you will come to a sharp curve in the road, continue on and you will come out into an opening. Look up to your right and you will get your first view of the fire tower.
3. When you get to the top of the mountain continue to the house and enjoy it if it is open. The house belonged to John Wingate Weeks and served as his summer home until his son Sinclair and daughter Katherine gave it to the state as a park in 1941.
4. When you have finished exploring the house, walk towards the fire tower and you will see a paved path leading up to it.
5. Just before you begin up the paved path to the tower look down and to your right. You will see an unmarked trail leading into the forest. Take this trail down a short hill.
6. Turn left at the junction with another trail.
7. Follow the trail up a small rise as you walk below the fire tower, which will be up to your left.
8. When you have gotten just below the tower look on the right side of the trail for an eight trunked tree and then a three trunked tree just beyond it.
9. Behind these you will see two large rocks. The one in front is covered with moss and the one behind is standing upright. You will find the letterbox amongst these two rocks.

After you find the letterbox take the trail back out to the paved trail and visit the fire tower. You can go up inside of it when the park is open. It has a spectacular view of the Connecticut River valley and the surrounding area.