Around Austin are hundreds of clues that lead to secret, concealed boxes. More than likely, you have walked by one of these hidden treasures completely unaware of its existence. The treasure hunt is all part of a game called letterboxing.
Letterboxing is an interactive puzzle that guides players to a secret spot where “boxers” have disguised a prize. Clues leading to the planted positions can be found on various Web sites, like Letterboxing North America.
“We consider it a treasure hunt game that is not too far off from the ‘X-marks-the-spot’ game you would play as a kid,” said Melina Baker, webmaster of Letterboxing North America.
Letterboxing is cited as dating back to 1854 in Dartmoor, England, when a man placed his business card in a jar and left it in the moor to see if anyone would mail it back.
Apparently, someone did and left his or her card in the jar as well, thus starting a trend. The hidden jars soon began to grow in number. In order to follow the hundreds of participants, explorers began using a tracking method with customized stamps and logbooks.
Though there were various versions of treasure-hunting groups already existing around the U.S., letterboxing did not come to North America until 1998, when it was featured in Smithsonian magazine. Today, the organization has grown to an estimated 10,000 boxes hidden around the U.S.
After more than 150 years, two traditions remain integral parts of letterboxing: Secrecy and maintaining the etiquette of the game. For instance, it’s important for players to place the boxes back in the same places they found them and to not reveal their locations once found. The containers can be planted anywhere that does not violate trespassing laws or disrupt nature. However, don’t expect to find many on the UT campus — Baker said that the packs are not allowed because of the fear of bomb threats.
The letterboxing organization runs like a secret society as well. Everyone has a designated “trail name” that corresponds to their customized stamps. But Baker stresses that anyone can join. The majority of clues for Austin are posted free on the Web, and the only required tools are a logbook, a stamp, an ink pad and occasionally a compass.
The charm of letterboxing that has led to its massive expansion across the globe is the mystery of treasures hiding in places we might normally ignore. Browsing through the clues for Austin reveals three hidden off the Drag that pedestrians would miss unless they knew what they were looking for.
“The thing that catches people most is the thought that there is something hidden,” Baker said. “It makes you realize that there is this whole world that you never knew was there.”
More information about letterboxing can be found at letterboxing.org.
