Letterboxing at Fort Worden, Port Townsend, WA
©2005 by aisling d'art
before visiting any Washington State Park,
it's a good idea to review their
regulations
In past years, I used to visit Fort Worden every year, to teach at an annual arts event.
Although I plan to visit Seattle in the future, I'm no longer able to check on these boxes regularly;
I live in Texas. The Port Wilson Letterbox is the only one that seems to remain intact,
as of late in 2004.
Fort Worden Trails
MISSING! This one was easy to find, but the stamp
is missing now. It was at the main desk at the office at Fort Worden State
Park. They kept it in the box directly behind the counter, with
the Junior Ranger stamps, and so on.
Even though this stamp is missing, get a trail map and visitor's info
before hiking to look for other stamps. The Fort Worden staff is
very helpful, and they're easy to work with if you're planting any
letterboxes. (Get their okay before planting any.)
Point Wilson Letterbox
At Fort Worden State Park, find Battery Stoddard. It's an easy walk from the office.
Take the trail uphill, just west of Battery Stoddard. Continue straight up the
trail, past the wooden step-like rails. Continue past the first bench.
first bench
Pause and sit at the second stone bench, and
enjoy the view.
second bench
view from bench
pt. wilson lighthouse
Stand, and turn to your right. Take about 38 paces uphill on the trail. You'll go past
two "waterbars" in the ground. They look like railroad ties, with Xs across them.
Continue up the trail. About 19 paces from the second waterbar, on your left
you'll see a large evergreen
tree with a burrow started in the base of it. The letterbox is tucked just in back of that tree.
a waterbar
tree on the left
burrow in tree
"Artfest Was Here" Letterbox (with a nod to "Kilroy Was Here")
REPORTED MISSING.
Continue up the trail. You may be glad that you picked up a trail map at the
Fort Worden office, so you can find Memory's Vault easily. That's where this letterbox
is hidden. (For info about Memory's Vault, see
this website.)
At the vault, find the sheltered chair.
sheltered chair
From the chair, turn to 140 degrees (SSE) and look at the split trees. They're
about 14 paces from the chair (and no more than three or four paces off the trail.)
The letterbox is in a green-lidded Rubbermaid container, hidden in the ivy in the
elbow of the trees.
the two trees
letterbox in the ivy
return to aisling's letterboxing page
IMPORTANT: Before letterboxing,
please read this waiver from Letterboxing North America
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