Bolton Outdoor Challenge: Stamp Locations

For additional information on the challenge/event, click here

Bolton Outdoor Challenge

Get outside on nature trails! Earn prizes! For all ages!

Fun challenge sponsored by the Bolton Conservation Trust & Trails

Instructions:

1. Get started: Pick up a book at the Bolton Public Library
2. Go explore nature: Get out on the conservation trails and find the stamps (hints for the locations can be found at https://www.boltonconservationtrust.org/get-outside-go-explore)
3. Claim your prize: Find us at our trails booth at Backyard Bolton at the end of the summer and show us your book and earn prizes: adventure backpacks for kids and tote bags for adults

For more information: info@BoltonConservationTrust.org

If you want to get your kids outside and in nature this summer, then check out the Tom Denney Nature Camp at https://www.tomdenneynaturecamp.org/. Spots are still available.

1. Vaughn Hill – Beaver Dam: Approaching from the Green Rd. Parking area walk to the beaver pond shore staying to the eastern side. Walk east and you will see the beaver dam to your left and a very large fallen oak tree, roots and all. Look in the tree trunk side of the root mass to find the container. Lat 42.4559 Long -71.61775. Vaughn Hills Map: https://boltontrails.org/map2
2. Bowers Spring: Proceed on path towards the ponds.  Turn right at the dog waste station.  In 300′, bear right at the fork.  Continue approximately 1300′ on the path through the north meadow.  Turn right just before the trail map and look for a small bridge. The container is tucked into the south side of a tree on the right side of the bridge. Lat 42.466790 Long -71.604910. Bowers Spring Map: https://boltontrails.org/map3
3. Gould-White – Cave: Located near the entrance to the cave as displayed on the Gould-White Map Gould-White Map: https://boltontrails.org/map11 (POI Flag#1)
4. Danforth – Abandoned Cars: near one of the cars along the gas pipeline. Danforth and Keyes Farm Map: https://boltontrails.org/map9
5. Powder House: Look near the historical Powder House structure displayed on the Powder House Map. Lat 42.434949 Long -71.605082. Powder House Map: https://boltontrails.org/map4 (POI Flag#1)
6. Zink/Northwoods – Boulder-With-A-Face about ¾ mi in from Corn Rd trailhead, nestled in nook at base of the boulder, right-hand side of trail. Zink-Northwoods Map: https://boltontrails.org/map5
7. Houghton Farm – Waterfall Bridge: starting at Houghton Farm trail head, on the far side of bridge, nestled in tree base, on the left. Houghton Farm Map: https://boltontrails.org/map13
8. Ballville – Cave: Start at the Oak Trail Circuit trailhead near the entrance to the housing development. Follow the path past the houses, turn right at the sharp turn into North Brook Valley. Take a right turn at the fork with a sign to Ballville. Pass the Indian. The path eventually turns downwards past a the trail junction. Turn right on to the Ballville Upper Path; cross the access track. The Cave is a short distance down the hill. About 1 mile from the start. The stamp container is next to a rock and tree below the cave Lat 42.430354 Long -71.642060. Ballville Map: https://boltontrails.org/map18 (Photo location #5)
9. Kettle Hole Loop: Enter the trail at the wooden sign on the west side of Kettle Hole Rd just south of where Fox Run comes in. Follow the trail as it curves counter-clockwise to the left around the kettle hole geological feature after which it is named. You’ll go down a steep slope and then back up to the rim as you reach the highest point on the feature. Look down to your left to see the expanse of the geological feature as you continue along the rim. Keep an eye out for foxes. They LOVE the Kettle Hole for its isolation and feeding ground resource, and they frequently dig dens on the slope to raise their kits in. You’ll eventually reach a point with two large trees on the rim and some downed logs lying between them. You’ll see the box snuggled up to one of the downed logs with an orange flag beside it. Continue counter-clockwise along the rim a few hundred feet to the exit via a private driveway out to Kettle Hole Rd. Look left to see the entry where you started.      Lat 42.461073, Long -71.633780 Kettle Hole is on the Bolton Flats Map: https://boltontrails.org/map1
10. Rattlesnake – Split Rock: About 0.5mi from TH3 trailhead at the end of Old Sugar Rd. Between the split rocks in a fissure in the north face about 4’ above the ground. Rattlesnake Map: https://boltontrails.org/map6
11. Rattlesnake – Quarry Cave: About 0.5mi from TH1 trailhead on Main Street. Located near the entrance to the cave between intersection markers 1B and 1C. Lat 42.437751 Long -71.571582 Rattlesnake Map: https://boltontrails.org/map6
12. Wilder Goose Pond – Pond View at end of loop: Enter and park at the wooden trail sign on the right side of Rte117 heading east just after Goose Pond Rd. Follow the entry trail with Rte 117 on your left for 500 ft, and then turn right and continue across the footbridge you’ll see ahead of you. Follow that trail along the old Lancaster Railroad bed for another 400 ft to where you’ll see a fork in the trail marked on a large double tree trunk with two yellow arrows marking the fork. The box is located at the base of the tree and marked with an orange flag. One trail goes to the right toward the Goose Pond Road neighborhood. The other branch continues down toward Wilder Pond, loops around to your left toward the pond and back up along a stone wall toward the entry trail and then through a gap in the wall to the intersection where the box is located. You can exit back up along the rail bed, or out through the Goose Pond Rd neighborhood and along Rte 117 back to the parking spot. Wilder Map: https://boltontrails.org/map14
13. Fyfeshire Refurbished Dam at Wattaquadock Pond: Use the main entrance on Wattaquadock Hill Rd., follow the path straight ahead past the upper pond. Go over the humpback bridge and continue on the main path. Eventually you will see the dam on your right. Take the fork off the trail to the right down to a bridge, Cross the bridge and the stamp container is next to a tree on the left a few feet further. About 1/3 mile from the Fyfleshire entrance Lat 42.415389 Long -71.648991. Fyfeshire Map: https://boltontrails.org/map15
14. Powder House – Quail Run Side: From the trail head at the end of Quail Run Road, approximately 0.1 mi in before trail drops steeply, tucked under rock, on right. Lat 42.445268 Long -71.600793. Powder House Map: https://boltontrails.org/map4
15. Vaughn Hill – Cliff Area below North Peak: Approaching from the Green St. parking area walk to the beaver pond shore staying to the eastern side. Walk the trail along the eastern shore of the beaver pond toward its northern end. Turn left at the second branch trail which heads northeast along the base of North Peak. Just past 0.25 mi from its start, the trail is at its closest to the cliff base. Look at crevices under large boulders just off the trail to find the container. Vaughn Hills Map: https://boltontrails.org/map2
16. Keyes Farm Pipeline Crossing: Enter at the parking area on route 85 (Hudson Rd.). Follow the trail for .5 miles ignoring the path on the right at .4 miles. Stamp container is between a tree and a rock just before crossing the pipeline Lat 42.419682 Long -71.578400. Danforth and Keyes Farm Map: https://boltontrails.org/map9

A town-wide map of the locations of the stamps can be found here. https://boltontrails.org/BOCMap.

Stamp locations are shown on this map with this icon. Use the +- zooming on your device to look closely.