These lands are now owned by The Nature
Conservancy and are open to public exploration. This area
is largely undeveloped, but still makes for a nice walk in the
woods along some easy-to-follow trails. The Nature Conservancy
simply asks that visitors stay on the trails and enjoy the area
with minimal impact to the environment.
You'll notice soon after
leaving the small parking area (see waypoint), that there are
many possible trails to follow. We found none of them marked
and would suggest you keep heading "straight back" in an
easterly direction. Use your GPS to help navigate through the
woods.
You won't notice much trash in the area, but you will notice
evidence of human activity. Most notable are the many, many stumps
from an era of timber harvesting in this area. You will also notice
PVC vent pipes, and test holes. If anyone knows what these are,
We'd be interested to know. The most delightful aspect of these
woods are the abundance of white tail deer. They seem to be most
active at dawn and dusk.
After descending a small hill, you will come to a stone road
which crosses the Queen's river. In times of high water this bridge
is covered by water, but it is still passable at the expense of
some wet feet.
Though this area is off-limits to hunters, you should be
sure to wear 200 square inches of Blaze orange clothing to
distinguish yourself during hunting season. My experience with
hunters has proven that it's better to be safe than
sorry.
The hide is a classic one in a standard ammo box. The site of
the hide was chosen because it appears to be an interesting plot of
land once used as a homestead. Once found, be sure to spend some
time exploring the immediate area.