1 box at Stoddard Hill State Park, Ledyard, CT (New
London county)

Terrain: short walk, with moderately steep climbs
Clues: easy
Time: about 30 to 45 minutes

DIRECTIONS: Driving north on Route 12 from Groton, CT,
pass the junction with Route 214. Continue for 0.5
mile, to find the brown state park sign for Stoddard
Hill State Park on the left side of the road. Park in
front of the picnic area.

CLUES: Walk uphill to the left (340 degrees) on faint
path through the grassy area. At the top of the hill,
keep right. Pass an old cemetary with gravestones
dating back to 1776 (Revolutionary War!). Continue
with a high wall of boulders on your right and the
river on your left. At a faint "Y" in the path, keep
right to climb sharply uphill (120 degrees). The path
levels out, then gets steep again. At the top, veer
right again, and now you are heading back in the
direction you came, but at a higher elevation. This
path brings you to a rocky area that is high above the
wall of boulders that you just passed. Now you are in
the right general area, but which rock is it under??
To orient yourself, stand at the highest point, facing
the river. On your left is a large tree that appears,
from this angle, to be growing directly out of the
rock. The rock you are interested in is directly in
front of you at 270 degrees, nearest the edge of the
cliff. Instead of heading directly to it, go around to
the right and approach it from the side. There is a
double beech tree (I think it is a beech, I'm not very
good at identifying trees!), and another tree of the
same type that has initials carved into it. Look
between these two trees, under the rock.

RETURN: Continuing on the same path, past the rocky
area, the trail gradually slopes downward to bring you
out at the back of the cemetary that you passed on the
way in. From here, retrace your steps to the parking
lot.

Placed by: Karen in CT



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