FRANKLIN PARK
LETTERBOX:
WEST ROXBURY,
MASSACHUSETTS
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Planted:
May 16, 2004
Length:
Golf Course Loop; 3 miles Playstead
Loop
; 1 mile Hagborne Hill Spur; 0.6 miles
Shattuck Hospital Area parking lot to Letterbox; 0.4 miles
Ellicott Arch to Forest Hills T-Station; ¾ mile
Difficulty:
Moderate for biking. Paved with some hills.
Directions:
From I-93, take exit 15 to
Columbia Road west
for 2.2 miles to
Blue Hill Ave.
and continue straight across the intersection onto
Circuit Drive
. This takes you through
Franklin Park
where there are several parking options. If biking, I would suggest parking at
the lot located along
Circuit Drive
, next to the "Giraffe Entrance" to the Franklin Park Zoo.
For the shortest route to the Letterbox, drive down
Circuit Drive
and take a left just before the
Shattuck
Hospital
entrance and park near the tennis courts.
This is
Boston
's largest Park at 500 acres. Originally known as West Roxbury Park, it
was renamed in honor of Benjamin Franklin. It was designed by Frederick
Law Olmsted, who also designed New York's Central Park and San
Francisco's Golden Gate Park. The park consists of an 18-hole golf
course, an athletic stadium and the Franklin
Park Zoo. For information visit; FRANKLIN
PARK ZOO .
There are a total of three Bike It or Hike
It Letterboxes located in this area. See also; Arnold
Arboretum Letterbox and Southwest
Corridor Greenway Letterbox . Check out this link for directions
to
Arnold
Arboretum, Southwest Corridor Greenway or the Charles River Bikeway, all located along the Emerald
Necklace Greenway . Starting from the
Charles River
, the Emerald Necklace is a series of interconnecting parks and parkways
created by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1891 that pass from
Boston
through
Brookline
to Jamaica Plain. The Muddy River Bikeway, Jamaicaway Bikeway
and Arborway connect the Charles River Bikeway in the north to the
Southwest Corridor Bikeway in the south as well as Arnold Arboretum
and
Franklin Park
.
Starting from the
Circuit Drive
/Giraffe Entrance parking lot; you can
access the Golf Course Loop Trail, Playstead Loop Trail and the Hagborne
Hill Spur.
For the
Golf Course
Loop
; cross over
Circuit Drive
to the cement trail and head right (west). Immediately take a left to check out
Schoolmaster Hill on a short loop. There is a nice
overlook of the golf course, as well as an unusual stone wall structure.
You come back out alongside
Circuit Drive
and go left downhill. After about a ½ mile you come to Ellicott Arch.
This is a stone arch that passes underneath
Circuit Drive
.
Note;
You can take this trail to reach the Southwest Corridor Greenway
and Arnold Arboretum. See below for directions.
Continuing past the arch, bear left at the
junction to the Hospital and you'll come to the tennis courts. Parking is
located along the road here as well. Take the trail to the left of the tennis
courts until you come to an intersection at about the ¾ mile point. Right is a
gravel road that takes you to the
Shattuck
Hospital
Area parking near the tennis courts. You want to go left up the
asphalt road to the top of Scarborough
Hill. It's about a ¼ mile to the top, where you'll see a semi
circle stone wall containing historical plaques describing the park's origins.
Proceed to the far right plaque concerning Fredrick Law Olmstead Sr. Take
4 paces (1 pace=2 steps) to the right to another rock that looks as though it
too should have a plaque. Then proceed around the stone wall down to the
backside of this rock. Looking to your left at chest height should be several
small rocks blocking access to the Franklin Park Letterbox in a
crevice of the wall. Please rehide carefully, as there is a well worn path along
here. Proceed back down the trail to the intersection and go left. Next you'll
come to Scarborough
Pond. Take a left and you'll pass through a
forest
of
Beach
trees. You then cross over the pond via a stone bridge and continue straight.
When you come to a black gate, bear left on the paved road that is closed to
traffic. This is
Circuit Drive
. You'll get another nice view of the golf course on your left and there will be
picnic tables to your right. You climb a small hill and come to the Golf
Club House. You've now traveled about 2 ½ miles. When you reach
Circuit Drive
, take a left down the hill back to where you started. The "Zebra
Entrance" to the zoo is right, up
Circuit Drive
.
For the Playstead Loop;
head up the Giraffe Entrance road. You'll pass by the ball fields and zoo
parking lot and come to the zoo's entrance. Two huge statutes guard the zoo's
entrance. Directly across from the entrance is
Playstead Road
, which is closed to traffic. Proceed down this road and at a ½ mile, you'll be
in front of "White" Schoolboy Stadium.
Take a quick detour here by heading to your right up a path that brings you to
the old Bear Exhibits that were built in 1912. The zoo no longer uses
this part of the park. Next, travel around the stadium to the opposite side,
where you pass by a black gate and head straight, not left towards the fields.
You pass by some old foundations on your left and then a trail that comes in
from
Glen Road
on your right. This brings you back to the parking lot on
Circuit Drive
after about a mile round trip.
The
Hagborne Hill Spur Trail; runs in back of the parking lot. Take a right at the
intersection and head up through what they call "The Wilderness".
Just after you pass by a “Picnic”
sign, bear left on the trail. This will bring you to a picnic area and pull out
that probably had a scenic view at one point. Note the old stone stairs. The
trail then brings you back down hill to
Circuit Drive
after 0.6 miles. Cross over
Circuit Drive
to the trail and turn left to return to the parking lot or head right on the Golf
Course Loop.
To
access Southwest Corridor Greenway and Arnold Arboretum; From the Ellicott Arch, pass through
the arch and proceed down to Forest Hills Street. Cross the street and turn left
down the sidewalk. At the end of this road is a traffic circle. Take a right on
the paved trail, keeping the elevated Arborway on your left. This will bring you
to the start of the Southwest Corridor Greenway and front of the Forest
Hills T-Station after about ¾ miles.
HH
CLICK HERE FOR
FRANKLIN PARK MAP
CLICK HERE FOR BOSTON BIKE
MAP
LETTERBOX LAST VERIFIED
ON
AUGUST 31, 2008
TO EMAIL A VERIFICATION
CLICK HERE
BEFORE YOU SET OUT BE
SURE TO READ THE
WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY AND
DISCLAIMER
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