There are 4 caches in this park. If you plan carefully, you should
be able to get all 4 in one trip. This is a 2 stage cache located
in Goldsmith Woodlands in Andover. Park at 491 South Main Street.
You might want to use the Goldsmith Woodlands
Trail Map from the AVIS site.
The first cache is a small, green, bullet-shape key-chain with
the final coordinates contained inside. The final cache is a green
ammo box. It is well-hidden as this is an area with plenty of scout
activity. This is a kid-friendly hike and the cache is loaded with
all kinds of stuff they should enjoy.
History: An 1830 map shows the Goldsmith family as owners of the
woodlands. During the early 20th century, Goldsmith Woodlands were
a favorite summer retreat. Bessie Goldsmith collected rent from
those who had cottages on her land. Stories about Bessie
Goldsmith's somewhat eccentric behavior in her devotion to
protecting her woodlands are legendary. She lived in a rustic cabin
on a knoll overlooking Foster's Pond on what is now called Bessie's
point. She was known to point her shotgun at trespassers and if she
caught people picking blueberries, she demanded they turn the full
pail over to her.
Natural features: Some of the trees, rhododendrons and laurels
growing along the roadway in Goldsmith Woodlands were planted by
Bessie Goldsmith herself. Note the avenues of black pines, so dense
that few plants can grow beneath them. Lady slippers abound here in
late spring and other plants rarely seen are visited by Harvard
University botanists. The marshes adjacent to the pond are home to
cattails, pitcher plants, sundew, snapping turtles and Great Blue
Herons. The uplands provide habitat for resident deer, fisher, fox
and wild turkey while owls patrol the margins.
To find out more about Goldsmith Woodlands, visit the AVIS
Website. Special thanks to Pinster56 for his guidance in
helping me set up my 1st cache.