Pyramid Mountain Letterbox Series (4)
Pyramid Mountain Natural Historical Area
Planted 05/28/01, Refreshed 03/29/03
Montville, Morris County, New Jersey

Clues: Easy
Terrain: Moderately Easy with a steep climb
Time: Approximately 1 1/2 - 2 hours

Please be discreet, as some areas of this park are heavily traveled.

Established after a lengthy grassroots effort to preserve the area from
development, the Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area is over a thousand
acres of open space rich in natural and historical resources.

The broad mountains, flat-topped ridges and narrow valleys of Pyramid
Mountain are not only beautiful but also vital in feeding downstream
reservoirs, supplying needed aquifers and supporting flora and fauna. The
wide variety of natural habitats found within Pyramid Mountain include
fields, forests, streams, swamps, and ponds, which support a number of plants
considered uncommon to New Jersey as well as threatened and endangered plants
and animals. Bears, snakes, foxes, and bobcats have all been seen in the
park. Historically, Pyramid Mountain is important for its lessons about the
Lenape Indians, who flourished in this area, and the early European settlers,
who came to the area to take advantage of its rich natural resources.

DIRECTIONS

FROM INTERSTATE 287 NORTH
Interstate 287 North Bound, Exit 44 Main Street Boonton. Proceed to Boonton
Avenue (County Road 511). Turn RIGHT. Proceed 3.3 miles on Boonton Avenue.
Visitors Center on LEFT (Opposite Mars Court)

FROM ROUTE 23 NORTH BOUND
Take U-turn for right on Boonton Avenue (County Road 511S). Proceed 4.4
miles. Visitors Center on RIGHT. (Opposite Mars Court)

FROM ROUTE 23 SOUTH BOUND
Turn RIGHT on Boonton Avenue (County Road 511). Proceed 4.4 miles. Visitors
Center on RIGHT. (Opposite Mars Court)

This hike takes you through the park and highlights some significant areas.

Diploma Letterbox (Placed 03/29/03)

Begin at the parking area across from Mars Court. If a map is available take
one. Take and follow the blue trail. The blue trail forks before a walk over
bridge, take the fork west over the bridge. If you come to a road, you've
taken the wrong fork. Follow blue trail until you see the start of the red
square trail. Take and follow the red square trail. Shortly you'll see the
start of the unmapped red circle trail on the left of the trail. Follow this
trail to the end, there is an overlook and a boulder indicating the end of
the trail. From the boulder go 51 paces at 5 degrees. You will come to a
rock mound. On the north face of the mound, near the ground and behind a
rock is what you're searching for. This box was planted to commemorate
Wingfoot graduating from college!

Pyramid Mountain Letterbox (Placed 05/28/01)

Go back and pick up red square trail. Continue along red square trail the
way you didn't come. When you come to the white trail, go right. You will
come to a gigantic boulder on the left of the path. This is Bear Rock. It is
a glacial erratic. Take the blue trail heading north. When you come to the
intersection of the blue and red/white blaze trails look for a sign on a tree
pointing you to the "Visitor's center". Take 3 paces northeast from that tree
with the sign. There will be a downed tree. Follow tree uphill to its stump.
Under a pile of rocks, at the tree's stump, is what you are searching for.

Whale Head Rock Letterbox (Placed 05/28/01)

Now take the red/white trail. There is a steep rocky climb along the trail.
Once you reach the top continue along the trail. On the right you'll see the
Whale Head Rock, a massive boulder. After passing the boulder continue along
trail. You'll see a red/white blaze directing you to a left turn. From the
tree with that blaze you'll be able to see a big split tree behind a rock at
130 degrees. Take 25 paces to that tree. From tree take 16 paces at 60
degrees. There will be a stump with a pile of rocks behind it; within the
pile of rocks is what you're searching for.

Tripod Rock Letterbox (Placed 03/29/03)

Now continue along red/white trail going the way you didn't come. You'll
eventually pass a massive boulder on the right. Shortly you will come to a
rock formation on the right of the trail; the trail will then begin to climb.
Now it gets a little tricky. At the top you'll see two four foot tall rocks
a few feet off the left side of the trail. If you look back, you'll see a
blazed tree on the right of the trail. That tree is unblazed from your
original approach. 90 degrees and four paces from the tree is the far four
foot high rock, behind that rock, hidden behind two smaller rocks is what you
seek. Hide box after stamping in and continue along trail the way you didn't
come.

When you come to the white trail take the south fork. Continue along white
trail until you come to Tripod Rock. Tripod Rock, perched on a bluff, this
megalith seems like a freak of nature, its 140-ton boulder resting
precariously atop three small rock feet. Geologists believe a receding
glacier created it some 18,000 years ago during the Ice Age. Some super
naturalists suspect it was an Indian version of Stonehenge, used to pinpoint
the summer solstice. (Reportedly some devotees gather each June 21 at sunset
to burn candles and beat drums in tribute.) The planter of these boxes has
not taken part in these ceremonies. After examining Tripod Rock continue
along white trail. When you come to the blue trail, take the south fork.
Eventually you'll come to the blue/white trail on your right. If you want to
take a quick detour for an overlook take this trail to the end and you'll
arrive at Lucy's overlook. Enjoy view and when done continue along blue
trail. Blue trail meets up with yellow trail. Take the merged blue/yellow
trail. When trail splits, take blue trail once again. Eventually you'll come
to an overlook on the left of this trail. Enjoy the view. Once back on blue
trail you'll shortly come to yet another overlook. Continue down hill on blue
trail back to parking lot.


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