Bird House

Author:	The Wolf Family
Location:	McDowell Nature Preserve Charlotte, NC (United States) [MapQuest] [Yahoo! Maps] [Google Maps]
Plant Date:	June 25, 2005
Clue Last Updated:	October 4, 2009
Status:	active (Last found: Nov 8, 2009)

DIRECTIONS: McDowell Nature Preserve is at 15222 York Rd on Lake Wylie. There is a $3 entrance fee (per car) for residents and $5 for non-residents. See details at this site

or do a google search on "Mecklenburg County Parks" to get the website. Then select Nature Preserves and McDowell. There is a trail map you can download. The park also offers camping, fishing, nature center, and boat docks, and it near Carowinds Amusement Park.

HIKE: Only about a 10 minute hike. It is downhill on the way there, but uphill off the path to the box.

NOTE: This used to be a Hitchhiker Hostel so it is large enough for 3 HH's. However, I am no longer in that area of town regularly to maintain a hostel so I retired the hostel status on 4/14/08. Please take any HH's left in there as you please without needing to trade.

CLUE:
Drive pass the first right turn to the Nature Center and take the second right turn (it is immediately pass the Nature Center turn).
You will drive pass the Shady Hollow Trail and the Cove Trail and then reach the parking area.
Walk back to the Cove Trail that you just passed and take that.
The path will eventually take a sharp right turn down to the lake.
Continue following the path with the lake on your left.
You will see two deep run off ruts to your right.
Then, just before the path takes a sharp left (to the west) there is downed tree directly ahead running east.
Follow this tree up the hill (or walk on the tree up the hill if your balance is good) until it ends.
On your right you will see two trees kissing.
There you will see the bird house. Unclip the latch under the log at the base of the tree.