Little Red Lighthouse Letterbox LbNA #63076

There are many ways to get to the Little Red Lighthouse (henceforth LRL) so we will leave that part of the trip up to you. This is a very popular area with plenty of people and kids and lots of bike riders (especially on the weekends). If you have small children and walk down the path from the Henry Hudson Parkway keep your children by your side as many cyclists go whizzing by on the narrow path. This is a great bicycling destination if you travel up along the Hudson River on the Hudson River Park bike path. (The path to the north of the bridge has a VERY steep hill.)

Find out how to get to the park and the LRL at the NYC Department of Parks website: http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fortwashingtonpark/highlights/11044

Directions to the LRLLB

Win your next New York City trivia contest with this fun fact: the official name for the LRL is Jeffrey’s Hook Lighthouse. From the LRL walk back out the path you came in on and bear left, following the stone wall that curves around the base of the George Washington Bridge (GWB). Continue along the path, north, pass the guard booth and start up the hill with the black wooden railing on your left. As you go up the hill you pass under the GWB as the wooden railing ends. You will pass one black "boulevard" light, one silver light pole holding floodlights for the bridge and then come to a second boulevard light. From this second light, continue 53 paces along the path and you will come to an open dirt area on your left. (Just went by and found some black wire fencing at this spot to deter people from going down the hill. It will not stop you from getting to the LB, though you do have to go around it.) If you get to the bridge over the railroad tracks you have gone too far. Walk down the slope toward the Hudson river and you will see a large three-trunked tree straight ahead. A set of eyes are spray painted onto the base of the trunk. Walk down and around to the other side of the tree, so that your back is toward the river. Looking in between the three trunks you will see a white painted rock wedged in that does not come out. The letter box is hidden under another rock (actually a chunk of asphalt) behind the white one (hopefully hidden under some leaves).

At this point, once you've scouted out the placement (and maybe casually brushed away the leaves) you're going to want to check for people up on the path and behind you on the rock ledge looking out over the water. When the coast is clear, lift the covering rock and right below it is the LB. There is an ink stamp and a pad in the box. Find a spot to stamp in, maybe enjoying the view over the water - but don't stray out too far on the rocks, it's not a place to climb around. When you put back the LB, snug it down into the space between the trunks and put the wedge of asphalt on top so it doesn't rock around (it's triangular and fits better one way than the other). If you could drop a couple of dried leaves on top to make it look like everything's been sitting there a while that would be great. This is our second letterbox and we are hoping it survives the "urban jungle". Happy hunting!