Out and About

‘Time for a Treasure Hunt!’
All About Letterboxing

By Michelle Blair

“I’ve got it!” whispers Megan. Her 9-year-old arm disappears into an old tree stump, searching for a small box while her younger brother stands as sentry ensuring no passers-by become suspicious of their activities. Megan withdraws the cobweb-covered tub, lifts the lid and draws out its contents . . .

This scenario could be the opening for a children’s mystery story, but it’s actually my two children enjoying a recent letterbox hunt in Portland’s Hoyt Arboretum.

Letterboxing is a family activity that falls somewhere between geocaching and a treasure hunt; your primary objective is to follow clues and find the letterbox – a watertight container concealing a small journal (log book) and a rubber stamp – hidden in parks, gardens and other public places. To participate, you need no special training or equipment, just a blank journal, ink pad, rubber stamp and access to the Internet for clues. With those clues in hand, you and your kids become modern-day treasure hunters. When you find the letterbox, you’ll imprint your stamp in the letterbox log book, then place a mark from the letterbox stamp in your own “letterboxing journal.” Part of the fun is approaching the box stealthily, so uninitiated strangers in the area don’t uncover its hiding place.

My family’s enthusiasm for letterboxing began in 2003 when I spotted a small note in a magazine about summer family activities. I surfed Letterboxing North America’s Web site and the next weekend we were off – visiting a park in Portland we had never seen and hiking a trail we otherwise never would have found. Pictures of my young children from that adventure show mile-wide smiles after the discovery of our first letterbox. We were hooked.

Letterboxing began in England 150 years ago when a man left his calling card in a jar at Dartmoor National Park. He added a note encouraging other hikers to leave a card as well. The tradition spread through word of mouth and his jar became a hiking destination; other jars were added through the years. In 1998, Smithsonian magazine published an article profiling the activity at Dartmoor and widespread popularity of letterboxing in North America followed quickly. With nearly 21,000 letterboxes listed in online databases, you can enjoy this pastime in all 50 states and in many countries around the world.

In Oregon alone, there are over 600 letterboxes and more than 200 are located within 25 miles of Portland. On the atlasquest.com Web site, you’ll find notations for letterboxes that are especially kid-friendly or easily accessible by car. A good beginner letterbox is titled “Portland Skyline at the Rose Garden.” This letterbox houses a nicely rendered, hand-carved stamp of our city’s skyline and is easily accessible for treasure hunters of all ages. Our kids especially enjoyed taking grandma and grandpa along on this search. Another of our favorites, called “The Goonies One-Eyed-Willie,” has such a great hiding place at Ecola State Park near Cannon Beach, it’s been in the same spot since November 2003; it also contains a terrific stamp.

Getting started in letterboxing is easy. Print out letterbox clues by visiting online searchable databases at www.letterboxing.org (official website of LbNA – Letterboxing North America) or www.atlasquest.com. Bring a blank journal to record your discoveries and a rubber stamp to press in the letterbox log book. My family started with a simple store-bought smiley-face, stamped once for each family member and embellished with a pen to add individual characteristics (curly hair, glasses, etc.). We recently carved our own, unique family stamp – a passion held by many letterboxers. You’ll find that most letterboxes contain hand-crafted stamps to imprint in your journal; however, creating your own stamp is not a requirement. We’ve even been known to improvise with a pencil sketch when we ventured out without our supplies.

In my experience, finding the letterbox is only one of the rewards of this pastime. On a chilly winter day at the Oregon Coast, my family laughed until our sides ached while traversing a cold creek in our bare feet and winter coats to find a letterbox (titled “Tiger at the Beach”) – the journey was just as much fun as the final discovery. Another of our favorites led us on a pleasant walk through Fort Stevens Park along a trail that ended at the shipwreck of the Peter Iredale, a sight we had never seen. We even found the “Tropical Hibiscus” letterbox recently while traveling with friends in Maui. On this occasion, it was especially interesting to look through the log book and see where all the other stamps originated – many were from the Pacific Northwest.

Once you’ve found success discovering several letterboxes, you may want to plant one of your own. Simply sign up on the LbNA or Atlasquest websites at no charge and post your clues. Planting a box close to home is a good idea, so you can check on its status occasionally and replace it quickly if it disappears.

As my family has experienced, letterboxing can lead you on a path of discovery to new places both in your own hometown and while traveling. It’s a terrific way to spend time with your kids and to entice the entire family out for a hike. Each time we uncover a letterbox, my 6-year-old sums up his enthusiasm in one exclamation: “Cool, let’s find another one!”

Tips for Letterboxing Success

• When researching online databases, note the date a letterbox was planted. Older boxes may be lost or retired. Atlasquest keeps a running list of the date each box is found and most LbNA letterboxers post updates at the beginning of their clue lists, but you may want to start with newer boxes, so you won’t be disappointed if an old one turns up missing.

• Carefully check details in the clues before heading out. Some terminology may require a little research before you go, or you may notice that you need a compass to follow specific headings.

• In addition to your stamp and journal, bring your own ink pad. Some letterboxes provide them, but many do not. Occasionally, clues might suggest bringing several markers to hand color a particularly detailed stamp before pressing it into your journal.

• Letterboxes are often well hidden in natural locations. Letterboxers always treat the natural environment with respect by not trampling plants and not carrying anything away (except trash).

Letterboxing Resources

www.letterboxing.org: Official website of LbNA (Letterboxing North America). Contains clues for finding letterboxes across North America, a detailed glossary of letterboxing terms, tips on getting started and a kids’ section with stamp making ideas.

www.atlasquest.com: Lots of information on getting started. An advanced database (independent of LbNA, though many people post their clues in both places) that allows you to search for letterboxes world-wide (www.atlasquest.com/lboxes/search.html?gTypeId=6).

www.letterboxing.info: Includes basic information, links to letterboxing paraphernalia (hats and t-shirts) and discussion groups on additional, advanced forms of letterboxing.

The Letterboxer’s Companion by Randy Hall (Falcon, 2004). Offers tips and techniques for letterboxing and creating your own stamps.

Michelle Blair is a Portland freelance writer and mom.

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