Letterboxing - Adventure for the whole family

People keep asking me, what is letterboxing? Here is a brief explanation from Wikihow.

"Letterboxing is a type of treasure hunt/hiking activity involving hidden boxes, journals, and rubber stamps. Each person needs his or her own personal rubber stamp (called a signature stamp) to leave his mark on the letterbox's journal. In return you take an image of the box's stamp for your own journal. It's like treasure that is art and proof of your find."  

The locations are endless.  All you need are a few hours of your time, a journal and a stamp kit. Don't forget your sense of adventure though, it is highly recommended. 

First choose where you are going at Letterboxing.org. We planned a trip to Kingman Az for memorial weekend.  There are four letterbox locations in Kingman listed on the website.   This is what the clues look like:

1. Looking for Gold

2. Stone Corral

3. Another DamLetterbox

4. Joshua Forest Parkway Letterbox

The second clue included a disclaimer: Beware of rattlesnakes.  We made sure to bring long sticks and cautious ears.  We hiked for 20 minutes to an old corral. At the end of a rusty pipe, under the boulders was a ziplock bag with a plastic jar inside. Inside the jar - a stamp and a journal.  Phew! I was praying there would be something there after the hot hike. 

The girls stamped their journals, then stamped the letterbox journal along with their signature, date, and state of residence. It was fun to look through the notebook and see where everyone was from.

Our next stop - the Mohave County Museum. Unfortunately, it was closed for the holiday.  This is when planning ahead is beneficial.  Luckily, I like the spontaneity and hope involved.  So we ended up at the third location which was inside the Dambar Steakhouse.

Next time we will pick a location in the Hualapai Mountains and hide one ourselves for people to find.   All that is required is a membership. 

This is a great activity for kids as early as 6 to adults.  Be considerate and put the package back exactly as you found it.  If something is damaged, leave a note on the website.

For people with a keen sense of direction and a GPS, try geocaching.  It is more involved and prizes are involved.

Letterboxing kits are available to give as a gift but I find they are fun to make as a craft with the kids as well.  Here are some stamp ideas to add to your own letterbox kit.

Have you tried letterboxing?  Share your story below.