Animals Make Me Happy LbNA #75477
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Add Location| Owner: | Mrs. Happy
 |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Apr 21, 2021 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Hollis |
| County: | Hillsborough |
| State: | New Hampshire |
| Boxes: | 3 |
| Found by: | Mrs. Happy (3) |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Jun 14, 2025 |
| Status: | FFFaaFFFO |
| Last edited: | Jun 14, 2025 |
Oops. I totally forgot to put pens in the new boxes! Bring a pen so you can leave me a note! :)
This hike is great! Bring a water bottle, snack, water shoes for the small stream, and bug spray. It is about 1.25 miles round trip. Easy Peasy. Do NOT swim in the big river. It is NOT safe.
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Find the intersection of French Mill Road and Rideout Road in Hollis, NH. There is a parking lot there.
Park in the parking lot and then walk out towards Rideout Road. Cross the street. You will see an old faded sign with green letters. If it says Flints Brook Project Hollis conservation commission you are in the right place!
You are now entering Hollis town conservation land as you walk past the gate. Just make sure you crossed the road to get to the other side!
Flints Brook stream will be on your right as you walk in to the forest, maybe you can hear it? Continue along this path for a couple minutes until you see a smaller path off to the right. There will be an old stump where you should turn right and follow this skinny path.
You will start to walk down a hill and the stream will still be on your right. You are getting closer when you go down a small staircase made of roots.
You should now be right at the water's edge. Play here for a while if you'd like! When you are ready to move on, continue on the way you were headed. You will need to climb up a steep hill. There is an old rope is tied to trees, but don't trust it!! ...it's too close to the edge and very old!
Once you get to the top of the mountain turn back around and you can see how the stream turns and curves. Cool huh?!!
Notice that the end of the old, untrustworthy rope is tied to a tree that seems to have six small trunks. Starting at this six trunked tree, take 13 regular Mrs. Happy sized steps forward and then stop and look to your right for a tree similar to this six trunk tree, BUT one that only has three small trunks. In many letterbox clues trees with multiple trunks these are called "sister" trees. Six sister, three sister, etc...
Now look even further into the forest. Past this three sister tree is a fallen log and the first letter box is hidden behind it and is covered with sticks. This is the FOX BOX.
After you stamp your notebook, please be very careful to pack the box up nicely and hide it back under all of the sticks so that it can't be seen from the trail.
To find the second box, keep going along the path away from the water. Very quickly you will find yourself back on the main trail you started on, veer to the right and continue.
As soon as you turn onto this larger trail, start to look on the left of the trail for a spray painted orange face on a large tree. I like smiley faces, but not on nature! ...Hey kids, don't grow up and be a person who spray paints on trees please. Thanks! :) .
Stay on the large main path and continue walking ...or skipping, your choice. When you get to an intersection shaped like a Y you will see a very old, dirty white birch tree that is very skinny. Take the path on the left.
Walk down the path and you will find you are walking past adorable little baby pine trees! These saplings are mostly white pines, BUT there are also some Red Pines here! (Remember you can count the needles in a pine needle bundle to identify pine trees! White Pine = 5, Red Pine = 2) Keep going!
You will come to an intersection-like place with a lot of cut down trees, this was a road used by tree farmers. It seems sad, but if you look around you can see all of the new trees and plants starting to grow and fill in! If done responsibly, tree farming actually helps take care of forests ...and we use a lot of trees every day! Continue walking along the path as it curves to the right.
Keep walking (or skipping) for about five minutes ...and think of all the ways we use trees: paper, pencils, houses, toothpicks, jenga blocks, etc. You will walk into a forested area. As soon you start to walk into this dark forested area look for a red mark on a big tree to the LEFT. Walk to the tree with the red mark. Face the tree with a red mark and look for a second tree with a red mark behind it ...on the same LEFT side of the trail. (These red marks are boundary markers.) In between these two trees there are two very old, skinny trees/logs that have fallen down on top of each other. The second letter box is next to these logs hidden under sticks. This is the BEAR BOX. Please be very careful to take care of this box and when you re-hide it make sure that you cannot see it from the trail.
Walk back to the path and you will see a bridge made of wood on your left. Keep right and do NOT cross that bridge. As soon as you round the corner to the right be very careful not to miss a turn on the left where you see a large tree that is shaped like a V. I’m not sure if this is an official trail, but follow it to the water.
As you are walking towards the river you will see another bridge to your left, but turn right and follow the path. Do not cross the bridge. The river will be on your left; this is the Nashua River. Across the river you will see a golf course; this is the Overlook Golf Club.
As you continue walking, with the water on your left, you will eventually see a large pile of neatly stacked logs on the right. I miss them all the time so pay attention even though the water is so pretty! The third and final letterbox is behind this pile. You may need to look under some pieces of bark. When you put this letterbox back please put bark on it so it stays hidden and doesn't get blown away! This is the BIRD BOX.
You can pack up your letterbox supplies now, but keep enjoying your walk! Continue walking down the trail with the water on your left and the path will curve around a fallen tree, but keep going. Soon you will see a blue arrow on a tree that a beaver gave up on chewing down. Stop here and choose your own adventure. Left is the adventurous way and was a little scary for my dog Blue, who didn't want to walk that close to the water. Right will take you the forest way. Both places will lead to the same spot.
RIGHT: Stay right and walk past both blue rectangles and notice a third up ahead. Follow the blue rectangles along the trail until you can turn left at a side trail and follow that trail to the bench.
LEFT: Stay left and follow the path near the water. Walk along the river until you see a bench.
At the bench you will be where Flints Brook Stream meets the Nashua River. Please do not swim here; it's not safe, look how fast the current is moving. There are also many hidden underwater trees.
To leave, sit on the bench facing the golf course. Stand up. Walk to the right and you will find a small, skinny path that goes very close along the water’s edge, follow this path as it goes uphill. At the top you will see were beavers have chewed logs a long time ago. Continue walking and go down the winding path.
When you come to a split in the trail, you could go left to explore the beaver dam for a little bit, but to continue back you need to turn right. After you turn right, continue walking and you will immediately see a "blobby tree". At the "blobby tree" turn left and continue along the path.
You will walk over a tree that is lying down across the trail like a little step and just continue on that same trail moving forward. Do not U turn when you see another trail merge in.
After you walk about 5 minutes (.16 mile) you will notice the area of adorable baby pine trees and the same tall old skinny birch on the right. Keep walking ...maybe it's time for some more skipping ...you are almost there!
As you are leaving you will come to the small turn where you can turn left and go back to the old sketchy rope near the water or you can continue forward and take a short cut back to the road!
Good job getting outside and thanks for visiting my letterboxes!
Hike length: 1 mile
This hike is great! Bring a water bottle, snack, water shoes for the small stream, and bug spray. It is about 1.25 miles round trip. Easy Peasy. Do NOT swim in the big river. It is NOT safe.
------------------
Find the intersection of French Mill Road and Rideout Road in Hollis, NH. There is a parking lot there.
Park in the parking lot and then walk out towards Rideout Road. Cross the street. You will see an old faded sign with green letters. If it says Flints Brook Project Hollis conservation commission you are in the right place!
You are now entering Hollis town conservation land as you walk past the gate. Just make sure you crossed the road to get to the other side!
Flints Brook stream will be on your right as you walk in to the forest, maybe you can hear it? Continue along this path for a couple minutes until you see a smaller path off to the right. There will be an old stump where you should turn right and follow this skinny path.
You will start to walk down a hill and the stream will still be on your right. You are getting closer when you go down a small staircase made of roots.
You should now be right at the water's edge. Play here for a while if you'd like! When you are ready to move on, continue on the way you were headed. You will need to climb up a steep hill. There is an old rope is tied to trees, but don't trust it!! ...it's too close to the edge and very old!
Once you get to the top of the mountain turn back around and you can see how the stream turns and curves. Cool huh?!!
Notice that the end of the old, untrustworthy rope is tied to a tree that seems to have six small trunks. Starting at this six trunked tree, take 13 regular Mrs. Happy sized steps forward and then stop and look to your right for a tree similar to this six trunk tree, BUT one that only has three small trunks. In many letterbox clues trees with multiple trunks these are called "sister" trees. Six sister, three sister, etc...
Now look even further into the forest. Past this three sister tree is a fallen log and the first letter box is hidden behind it and is covered with sticks. This is the FOX BOX.
After you stamp your notebook, please be very careful to pack the box up nicely and hide it back under all of the sticks so that it can't be seen from the trail.
To find the second box, keep going along the path away from the water. Very quickly you will find yourself back on the main trail you started on, veer to the right and continue.
As soon as you turn onto this larger trail, start to look on the left of the trail for a spray painted orange face on a large tree. I like smiley faces, but not on nature! ...Hey kids, don't grow up and be a person who spray paints on trees please. Thanks! :) .
Stay on the large main path and continue walking ...or skipping, your choice. When you get to an intersection shaped like a Y you will see a very old, dirty white birch tree that is very skinny. Take the path on the left.
Walk down the path and you will find you are walking past adorable little baby pine trees! These saplings are mostly white pines, BUT there are also some Red Pines here! (Remember you can count the needles in a pine needle bundle to identify pine trees! White Pine = 5, Red Pine = 2) Keep going!
You will come to an intersection-like place with a lot of cut down trees, this was a road used by tree farmers. It seems sad, but if you look around you can see all of the new trees and plants starting to grow and fill in! If done responsibly, tree farming actually helps take care of forests ...and we use a lot of trees every day! Continue walking along the path as it curves to the right.
Keep walking (or skipping) for about five minutes ...and think of all the ways we use trees: paper, pencils, houses, toothpicks, jenga blocks, etc. You will walk into a forested area. As soon you start to walk into this dark forested area look for a red mark on a big tree to the LEFT. Walk to the tree with the red mark. Face the tree with a red mark and look for a second tree with a red mark behind it ...on the same LEFT side of the trail. (These red marks are boundary markers.) In between these two trees there are two very old, skinny trees/logs that have fallen down on top of each other. The second letter box is next to these logs hidden under sticks. This is the BEAR BOX. Please be very careful to take care of this box and when you re-hide it make sure that you cannot see it from the trail.
Walk back to the path and you will see a bridge made of wood on your left. Keep right and do NOT cross that bridge. As soon as you round the corner to the right be very careful not to miss a turn on the left where you see a large tree that is shaped like a V. I’m not sure if this is an official trail, but follow it to the water.
As you are walking towards the river you will see another bridge to your left, but turn right and follow the path. Do not cross the bridge. The river will be on your left; this is the Nashua River. Across the river you will see a golf course; this is the Overlook Golf Club.
As you continue walking, with the water on your left, you will eventually see a large pile of neatly stacked logs on the right. I miss them all the time so pay attention even though the water is so pretty! The third and final letterbox is behind this pile. You may need to look under some pieces of bark. When you put this letterbox back please put bark on it so it stays hidden and doesn't get blown away! This is the BIRD BOX.
You can pack up your letterbox supplies now, but keep enjoying your walk! Continue walking down the trail with the water on your left and the path will curve around a fallen tree, but keep going. Soon you will see a blue arrow on a tree that a beaver gave up on chewing down. Stop here and choose your own adventure. Left is the adventurous way and was a little scary for my dog Blue, who didn't want to walk that close to the water. Right will take you the forest way. Both places will lead to the same spot.
RIGHT: Stay right and walk past both blue rectangles and notice a third up ahead. Follow the blue rectangles along the trail until you can turn left at a side trail and follow that trail to the bench.
LEFT: Stay left and follow the path near the water. Walk along the river until you see a bench.
At the bench you will be where Flints Brook Stream meets the Nashua River. Please do not swim here; it's not safe, look how fast the current is moving. There are also many hidden underwater trees.
To leave, sit on the bench facing the golf course. Stand up. Walk to the right and you will find a small, skinny path that goes very close along the water’s edge, follow this path as it goes uphill. At the top you will see were beavers have chewed logs a long time ago. Continue walking and go down the winding path.
When you come to a split in the trail, you could go left to explore the beaver dam for a little bit, but to continue back you need to turn right. After you turn right, continue walking and you will immediately see a "blobby tree". At the "blobby tree" turn left and continue along the path.
You will walk over a tree that is lying down across the trail like a little step and just continue on that same trail moving forward. Do not U turn when you see another trail merge in.
After you walk about 5 minutes (.16 mile) you will notice the area of adorable baby pine trees and the same tall old skinny birch on the right. Keep walking ...maybe it's time for some more skipping ...you are almost there!
As you are leaving you will come to the small turn where you can turn left and go back to the old sketchy rope near the water or you can continue forward and take a short cut back to the road!
Good job getting outside and thanks for visiting my letterboxes!
Hike length: 1 mile