Road to Nowhere Letterbox

Placed: October 24, 2002 by the Buds

Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, northwest of
Bryson City, North Carolina (Swain County)

Supplies Needed Compass

Time: About an hour

Directions: From Bryson City, NC, take Everett Street north from the
Everett Street Diner in the center of town. This restaurant, open for
breakfast and lunch, serves delicious food. Follow Everett Street from the
Diner for a total of 2.8 miles north. You will pass the Bryson Train Depot,
Swain High School, and will notice this road has changed names to become
Fontana Drive. It is listed on maps as Lakeview Drive. After the 2.8 mile
drive, go past the Road to Nowhere" sign and the entry sign to the Great
Smoky Mountains National Park. There is a gate here that may be closed in
winter. The gate you seek is several more miles. This gate marks the end of
the driving road. Park and walk toward the tunnel. Clues start here.

Clues:
Head for the light at tunnel's end,
This is where your quest will begin.
Take the trail that is straight ahead;
When the 2 forks appear, pretend the bears have led.
Pass through the thickets of laurel,
Cross the small creekbed with metal, won't snarl.
From here we go up and look to the right.
The "peace" tree is a sign of a counting site.
From this tree count 158 steps, about,
You'll come to 3 trees, pay attention to the route.
These friendly trees, two of them hug,
One leans across your path to make you feel snug.
Walk around the corner of the trail,
At left the first oak is your way to the grail.

Head 220 degrees to the small table rock,
Go 230 degrees down to the next cluster of rocks.
These have a moss cover
With a small maple tree lover.
Go down from this maple degrees one-seventy
To rocks down slope which lead to the cavity.

Seven steps from the south side of the rocks
Look for the spot, a Hobbit hole mocks.
The hole in the tree is about waist high
Remove the bark and rock, your prize is neigh.
Stamp in, replace the box, the bark, and the rock.
Turn around to follow red blazes that mock.
Your journey continues if you want
Or back to the car, you've ended your jaunt.

If problems with this letterbox, contact lillie@wildriveroutfitters.com