Try your hand at letterboxing! Whether this is your first time or you're a letterboxing aficionado, make your way over to Lampson Falls between now and the end of July to find our five-box series. Read on to learn more about what letterboxing is and the supplies you need, and find the Lampson Falls Letterbox clues below!

First of all, what is letterboxing?

Letterboxing is a treasure hunt that anyone can participate in by looking online for clues, hearing about a box by word of mouth or running into one by accident. A letterbox is a small hidden container holding a unique stamp and log book. Any Letterboxer can find or plant boxes. If you are finding a box you will need your own personal stamp to sign in to the found box’s log book and a book or paper of your own where you can stamp the one you find. Placing a box involves making its stamp, creating the clues to accompany the box, and maintaining the box until you retire it or put it up for clue adoption.

Letterboxing dates back to 1854 in Dartmoor National Park in the UK where the term Letterbox means mailbox. The hobby didn’t really pick up in the United States until the late 1990s when an article written about Letterboxing was published in the Smithsonian magazine.

There are only two rules in Letterboxing: respect and safety.

Respect the environment and the letterbox: pick up any trash you find, try not to damage location, be discrete when finding the box to protect its location, replace containers if necessary/possible, don’t give it away to others who might want to find it, clean the stamp if you can – someone put a lot of time into making it!

Safety: you are outside which can be hazardous at times. Be sure to read the Letterboxing Waiver of Responsibility and Disclaimer before heading out to the trail.

Once you have found a letterbox, you have the option to record your finds online so that others know the boxes are active. It is a useful way to communicate with the owner of the box if the letterbox is damaged or possibly missing. The online letterboxing community is also a great place for stamp carving tips, hike comments, and finding clues!

There are hundreds of letterboxes right here in the North Country! You can search for The Three Musketeers near Degrasse, find a mysterybox named Montagna Azzura, or check out Colton's Critters. Letterboxing is an excellent way to share local favorite places and their personal, historic or cultural significance. For example, one avid letterboxer in Broadalbin, NY created an entire series focused on historic sites called the Fish House History Series. Get started with this series of five letterboxes at Lampson Falls which will be placed for one month, and for more letterboxing ideas and clues visit letterboxing.org.

Lampson Falls Letterboxing Series!

This series will be at Lampson for ~one month, until the end of June,  remember to bring your own stamp and paper!

All of these letterboxes were inspired by amazing female scientists at St. Lawrence University and the subjects that they study! Make sure to read about them when you find their letterbox. 

Perfect Porcupine - Letterbox #1

Pass through the bright yellow gate to get started

Notice the shrubs on either side of the trail starting to put their leaves out!

See the path curve in front of you? Continue on along the route!

Keep going until you can hear the road, but no longer see it

You are what you eat: 

Porcupines love chewing on branches of evergreen trees for a treat!

Notice short, small evergreens on both sides of the trail

In among the branches you’ll find letterbox #1 if you pay attention to detail!

Fabulous Fossils - Letterbox #2

Leave Spike the Porcupine behind and continue down the path

On the right you’ll see lots of tall evergreen trees - what am I?

Carry on once you can name this tree

Pass the singular tall Eastern White Pine with an orange tattoo (5 needles in a bundle identifies me)

Soon you’ll see a swampy area with water that trickles under the trail

Look to the side, under a log, you’ll find me (if you prevail!)

If you reach the trail sign-in board, you’ve gone too far! Turn back, search more!

Mushroom Mayhem - Letterbox #3

Before you search for number three

Make sure you sign in at the trailhead for me!

Continue down the path until the sign in is out of sight

Soon you’ll notice a log fell across the trail, but had its middle cut out so we could pass without a fight.

Woah! Find the fallen trees to the right with their roots all exposed. You’re almost there!

Just a bit further up the path you’ll see a small bunch of pink and white flowers

Look for the hollowed out log where you’ll find letterbox #3 waiting for a couple hours!

Bird Bonanza - Letterbox #4

One more left you’re almost there - keep going on the trail, don’t despair!

Walk past the big rocky hill on your right

Round the corner notice the forest preserve signs above your line of sight

Notice the trail to your left -  but we keep walking forwards.

Can you hear the thundering of the falls we’re heading towards.

Wait! What’s that? A birdhouse on the tree? 

Look around the trunk and you’ll find me!

Hermon-DeKalb Girl Scout Troop - Letterbox #5

If you’re starting at the beginning: go through the big yellow gate

Continue down the trail (try to find the first 4!)

When you hear the rushing water follow the path with logs on each side

See the cool root formation in the fallen tree on your right!

Continue until you see the waterfall

When you see the “JC” tree, that is where you’ll find me

*Letterbox #5 placed and clues developed by Hermon-DeKalb Girl Scout troop*