Location: Hampton Connecticut, Windham County

Trailwood The Edwin Way Teale Memorial Nature Sanctuary is owned by the Connecticut Audubon Society and is located in Hampton CT. Please be considerate of your surroundings in this area.

From Rt. 6 take Rt. 97 into Hampton Center. Go through the center of town and continue past the elementary school. You will turn left onto Kenyon Road. There are signs on the right of 97 stating that this is the turn for Trailwood and also there is a boat launching sign. You continue on Kenyon Road and you will pass the entrance to Trailwood which will be on your left. Take a left onto Griffin Road which will be the first left after Trailwood. Continue on Griffin Rd for about 4/10 of a mile. You will have to look for the old railroad line on this road. You may find parking along side the road for only a few cars. Park your car and walk down the railroad bed headed West.

As you start your walk you will notice on both sides of the rail bed the ground is higher than your trail. As you walk you will find that the rail bed then becomes much higher than the ground below. Think of how much labor was involved to make this rail line level. As you continue, the left side is still downhill. As you go around the gradual curve you will see a short distance ahead that it is a straight stretch. On the left side of the trail you will find a pile of tree limbs and branches. At the end of this pile there is a small path on the left. Take this path. Where the path is located, the left side of the rail bed is slightly uphill and the right is a much higher hill which has very heavy and thick brush. In seconds you will come to a T . Observe the large cut rock on your left. This boulder has many marks and holes on it from the original builders of the railroad. As you stand at the T in the path, go Northeast. You will start walking along this trail which goes along a ridge of a valley. The trail goes gradually downhill. You will pass through a stone wall. As you reach the valley floor you will be heading generally Northeast. Walk over the three plank bridge over the damp land and small stream. Then your trail takes you slowly uphill. You will come to another T.

Planted 12-28-02 by WWW (Formerly known as Chuck and Molly)

Go right here and shortly come to a stone wall on the right. Walk right, along the left side of the stone wall 16 steps. You will see a round rock on top of the wall. Beneath that, at the base of the wall is a large opening behind three flat rocks. Move any one of the 3 flat rocks to see the Penguin Letterbox deep and dry within the wall.

Planted 12-29-02 by WWW (Formerly known as Chickabirdie, Chuck and Molly)

Return back to the T and go North. You will have to pass over a small stream on a wooden bridge. There is a beaver dam here to the left of the path and stream with a small waterfall on the right. As you cross the stream do not go right. Go straight towards and through the stone wall. The trail will wind and curve constantly going uphill. You will see fallen trees and branches on both sides of the trail. Just before this, you will see a tree on the right with rocks leaning up against the base. Remove the flat rock and find there is a hole into the base of the tree. There will be two more rocks blocking your way to the Owl Letterbox.

Planted 12-29-02 by WWW (Formerly known as Chickabirdie, Chuck and Molly)

Continue on the trail until you come to 3 oak trees growing from one base on the edge of the right side of the trail. The oaks are about 30 inches in circumference. Move the one flat stone to get to the box inside of the base of the tree.

To return to your car, continue on the trail. You will quickly come to a point where you can either go right or bear left. You can almost miss that there is an intersection. Bear left here. You will shortly come to a wall and an old barred wooden gate. Just over the wall and gate is a major trail. You can’t miss it. To get back to your car, cross over the gate and go left down that major trail. It is a shorter route to the rail bed. You will easily find your way back to the starting point by following this trail.