Ridley Creek Box

Southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware County, near Gradyville, PA, placed by Arbo on 6/12/02

A 2-3 hour hike located in the outer Philly suburbs in beautiful Ridley Creek State Park.

Getting there: From I-476 South, Take exit 3 (Rt.1 South). Turn right onto PA 352 North. Pass by Granite Run Mall. At 4^th stoplight turn right onto Gradyville Rd. At stop sign turn right. Continue on that road past the park office to picnic area #14. From there the games afoot.

Clues

Blue is a color you should know, follow this trail Northeast bound you go.

Through tunneled foliage lush and green, across hard pavement where cars careen.

Past a settler house old and crumbled, treasure you seek be not humbled.

At the juncture with an end, go by a tree that once had been.

Continue on down blue pathway, around many turns along the way.

Up a hill with blue and yellow, your time is short with this cowardly fellow.

Continue on with Mr. Blue, the shiny loot calls to you.

Cross a road man has built, pass a pole with blue-white hilt.

Over the bridge across the stream, then up the hill a hikers dream.

Up the hill first left then right, Mr. Blues here do not fright.

At the top a green grass ocean, continue right around the commotion.

Find the path the color of light, Not much farther, Mr. White knows right.

Down the hill and to the arrow, continue on down the 360 degree narrow.

Past the trees with carvings askew, soon Ridley Creek will come into view.

At the bottom where rapids flow, with the current you will go.

To the second fallen tree, a bridge Mother Nature built for free.

Across this sidewalk you will go, to find a letterbox a secret to know.

Here the path is hard to see, you will pick it up at One-ten degree.

Continue on down the way, along the anglers pathway.

Spy a bench on a boulder, continue along the waters shoulder.

Three boulders you come to on a turn, turn right through the pathway your feet do yearn.

Watch the stream along the way, many rocks you might say.

But youll find these rocks with two large trees, your compass will work from one of these.

From the tree three trunks graces, 330 degrees at 18 paces.

At 13 paces and 10 degree your next stop will be a young birch tree.

At 60 degrees and 22 more youll find it there under cooled magma core.

To return to your starting point, continue along the path you found the box until arriving at a road. A short walk down the road will reveal a bridge. Across the bridge is where you will find maps of the park. There are maps to take and you can choose your path back to picnic area #14. I recommend walking the multi-purpose trail past the dam and to the left. You can pick up the yellow trail there, which will take you to the blue trail. A left turn on the blue trail will take you back to your car. Happy hunting!