Take Rt. 195 in Mansfield Center to Clovermill Road. This will be a left hand turn. Follow this road to the gravel parking lot on the right. There is a good sized sign telling you that this is Schoolhouse Brook Park. The parking here is good. The lot can hold about 10 cars, possibly a few more. You can get a printout of the trail map for this section of the park by clicking here: Schoolhouse Brook South  This map can be very handy on your hike.

Cross the street and you will come to some boulders blocking the entrance to motor vehicles. Walk 30 steps past the boulders to a Y. Bear right and follow the white blazed trees on Stone Bridge Trail. You will hike past a stone wall on the right that comes down to the trail. You will then pass another. Next, you pass the intersection of the Nipmuck Trail. Further along, you pass Clover Mill Trail on the right. Stay on the Stone Bridge Trail. The trail will take a distinct left turn and you will cross a small stream over several large stones. This is the stone bridge: Photo 1

From this bridge, go to the 6th white blazed tree. From this tree, take a reading of 280 degrees and go 15 steps to a stone wall. Follow the east side of the stone wall. Go 14 steps to the tripod tree. Go to the next tree close to the wall. Look low on the tree and move the rocks that are against it to reveal a hollowed out section in the tree. In there lies the Horton letterbox . Horton, the gentle, kind elephant has a special surprise in store for each visitor. To find out more click: About Horton

Go back to the path and continue on your journey along Stone Bridge trail. The trail will eventually pass through an opening in a stone wall. Now begin to look for rock ledge on your left. You will come to a small piece of ledge on the left about 12 feet off the trail. Just past this is a larger ledge on the left about 60 feet off the trail. This is the ledge you are looking for. You will have to find a specific spot on the tail. You have to find a spot that has a large rock 4 steps away at 30 degrees. The rock is touching a tree which has a dent in it 2 feet above ground. Another rock is on the right, at 230 degrees, 3 steps away, against a tree with a spine. At 100 degrees is a white blazed tree. Go 320 degrees, 14 steps to a large rock. Then go 20 degrees, 24 steps to the ledge. In a crack of the rock ledge is the elefant letterbox. To find out more click: Elefant

Return to the trail and keep going east. You will come to the intersection of Barrows, Nipmuck, and Stone Bridge trails. Take Barrows Trail southeast. When you come to the Bird Loop Trail, take a right and follow the Bird Loop Trail. You will pass a stone wall that comes down to the trail on the right. Now start looking for a curve in the trail where about 15 feet off the right side of the trail is a large flat rock leaning against a ledge. You will also see a fallen tree that was across the path but cut by man. The fallen tree is about 2 ½ feet in circumference and the trail is going uphill. The "I Saw The Elephant" letterbox is behind the flat rock. You don’t have to stick your hand in there. You can push it through to the other opening with a stick. Photo 2. Just past this area on the trail is a very rocky, small, dried up stream bed running downhill. If you come to this or a bit further rock that looks like rock steps, you went too far along the path. Photo 3. Find the meaning of I saw the Elephant here: I Have Seen The Elephant

Go back and continue down the trail. You will come to Babcock Trail on the right. There will be a sign with the name of the trail. On the right of the trail is a stone wall. 6 feet down the stone wall on the northern side is a group of large sticks over the wall. On the southern side of the wall near the bottom, there are a few pieces of wood coming out of the wall. Take the wood out and find The Elephant in America letterbox. To find out more click:  The Elephant in America

Continue on the bird loop trail, pass the crossover trail on your left, go through a stone wall and quickly come to Holt Trail on the right. Go to a sign that has a wooden yellow arrow with Holt Trail painted on it. Take a reading of 120 degrees and take 11 steps to a big tree. Take a reading there of 120 degrees and go 10 steps to a bigger tree. Inside of the hollow of the tree is the Jumbo letterbox. Photo 4. Take this link to learn more about Jumbo: Jumbo

Go back to the trail and continue until you get to Barrows Trail. Go east, onto Barrows trail. You will quickly come to a spot where Barrows Trail goes left or you can go straight. Take the left and follow Barrows. You will pass Indian Trail on your right and quickly come to the intersection of Barrows, Hall and Heritage trails. Go north onto Heritage Trail. Cross a 4 plank bridge and go through one stone wall and then another. Photo 5,  Photo 6. When you come to the Ski Trail, take that right and follow the ski trail. You will come close to the road at one point, and pass a short unnamed, unmarked path that leads down to the road. You can clearly see the road down this path. This path enters the ski trail at a sharp angle. From this intersection, take 40 steps back the way you just walked. This will take you to a point that is adjacent to a medium sized tree on your left. The tree is 4 ¼ feet in circumference and is 10 feet away from the center of the trail. From this tree, take a reading of 90 degrees. Walk 55 steps in this direction, off the trail. You will come to a large rock that looks like a chunk has been taken out of it. There is a twin tree stump on the west side of this boulder only 2 steps away. Photo 7, Photo 8 The Woolly Mammoth letterbox is on the ground against the north side of the rock. It is covered by a man made cut piece of wood, sticks and leaves. Be careful here. Depending on the foliage, you can easily be seen from the road. To find out more about the woolly mammoth, look at this link: Woolly Mammoth

Return to the ski trail and continue back to the intersection you just counted your paces from. Stay on the ski trail, it will rejoin Heritage trail and further along, end up at a T with Barrows trail. Go right, down Barrows trail as it passes through a stone wall and crosses a small wooden bridge. Photo 9, Photo 10

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