Letterboxing: Warren County Launches a New Treasure Hunt

Beginning with a kick-off event next Saturday, June 5th, Warren County’s First Wilderness Heritage Corridor is bringing you a treasure hunt! This family-friendly event will take throughout fun and historical sites throughout Warren County.

The hunt will take the form of a growing hobby known as “letterboxing,” which incorporates orienteering, art, and puzzle-solving to find hidden treasures and complete a challenge. The goal is to find specified sites in the First Wilderness towns using clues.

Two kickoff events for the challenge will be held on Saturday, June 5th, one at The Kinnear Museum in Lake Luzerne and another at Martin’s Tree Farm and Sawmill in Thurman.

How to participate:

Pick up a First Wilderness Letterboxing Passport at an area Visitors’ Center or Chamber of Commerce. You can also print your own using the instructions at firstwilderness.com.

At each letterboxing site in the First Wilderness, you will search for a hidden, weather-proof box, with a logbook, a hand-carved stamp, and an inkpad. Use the provided clues, which are in the form of a riddle, to help find the box. Once you find the box, use the stamp to mark your passport. Leave a note, along with your own stamp if you have one, in the logbook.

Make sure to return all items to the box and hide it back carefully where you found it for the next adventurer. It’s a good idea to bring your own ink pad, if you have one, just in case the one in the box is missing.

Find at least 18 of the First Wilderness letterboxing sites and receive a free embroidered First Wilderness patch!

To get your patch, submit your passport online at firstwilderness.com or mail your completed passport to:

Warren County Planning Department
1340 State Route 9
Lake George NY 12845

Post pictures of your First Wilderness letterboxing adventures on social media with the tags:

#firstwilderness
#firstwildernessletterboxing

Please don’t post the actual box locations though. We don’t want to spoil the fun for other adventurers! Enjoy the hunt!