The Atomic City Series LbNA #15300

Atomic City Series

Placed by Quilter & Traveler

Placement date: May 25,2005 checked 6/6/2024 all current

State: Tennessee

County: Anderson

Nearest City: Oak Ridge

Clues:

Hike length: 0.75 miles

Difficulty: Easy

Bring ink pad and pencil. Red, brown and green are good colors for these boxes.

Specific location:

The UT Arboretum is conveniently located on Highway 62 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. University of Tennessee Forestry Experiment Station is an 2,260 acre field research laboratory and a regionally recognized leader in developing new technologies applicable to modern forestry and wildlife resources management.

By the time Pres. Roosevelt authorized the Manhattan Project on Dec. 28, 1942, work on the east Tennessee site where the first production facilities were to be built was already underway. Original plans called for the military reservation to house approximately 13,000 people in prefabricated housing, trailer, and wood dormitories. By the time the Manhattan Project headquarters were moved from Washington,DC to Tennessee in the summer of 1943, estimates for the town of Oak Ridge had been revised upward to 45,000 people. By the end of the war, Oak Ridge was the fifth largest city in Tennessee and was consuming 1/7 of all the electrical power being produced in the United States. Today, Oak Ridge is home to approximately 28,000 people.

Nestled between the Great Smoky and Cumberland mountains, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is a progressive, sophisticated city with an unparalleled commitment to excellence and its school system has been selected as one of the Top 100 Schools in the U.S. Take the time to look around and visit some of its attractions.

Box # 1- Atomic City

Turn in UT Arboretum and park in first available lot beside the Visitor's Center. Walk back toward the entrance and turn right at the Valley Rd. pole. Go past the road barrier to the next trail on the right. Poison Ivy thrives in this area...be forewarned. Go up the steps. You will pass by information regarding Pine Oak Forest on the right side of the trail. Next, on the right side of the trail, there is a large, mounted cross section of a fire damaged tree. Uphill, just left of the tree cross section is a vestige of a tree poking up from the ground. Look inside for the box. After stamping in, please tuck back out of sight.

Box # 2- Conifer

Continue on up the path past a Virginia Pine on the right. Soon you will see a bench for a small rest if needed. The trail continues on up and makes a turn to the right. The path dead-ends into another path with the choice of going to the right or left. Go right and follow path until you come to a park bench, then make a left on the service road Follow this road while staying in the clearing and hugging the trees on the left. Eventually you will look straight ahead where you will see two pine trees and two stumps. To the left is a birdhouse and just behind it is a tall evergreen Hinoki Cypress that has seen better days. At one time, stamp Conifer was hidden in its base. It has been lost for some time.

Box # 3- Double Trees (Formerly Triple Trees...one fell!)

Get back on the service road to the right which leads to the Juniper Collection. There is another path merger. Go toward and thru the gazebo type shelter, down the steps and to the right past the large tulip poplar which is the Tennessee state tree. The path curves right and farther ahead you will pass the Shade Tree Study of 1969. It is not uncommon to see deer and wild turkeys in this area. Just after you pass a very large fallen tree on the right, you're back to an open area you have seen before. Follow the sign To Visitor's Center to the left. A short way along on the left you will see a premier and excellent resting place. Just behind this place are two trees close together the smaller of which appears to be thunderstruck. Look behind the largest tree for a pile of rocks Dx carefully. Stay on the path back to the parking lot.

Would like to be advised of box condition. Thank you.