Area 1: Martin Acres
Beginning at the Martin Park shelter, South 36th St and Eastman Ave, Boulder, CO 80305, head north on Bear Creek Greenway path. Take the Martin Drive exit, turn right on Martin Dr, and approach the entrance to Creekside Elementary School. On the right, before the parking lot, is the first Little Free Library (LFL) stop:
Little Free Library Stop #1, 3740 Martin Drive (Charter # 6638)
The general guideline is to “Take a Book. Share a Book.” Someone takes one, someone leaves one. The LFL vision is a freely provided “book for every reader.”
Have fun. Take your time exploring and considering the book inventory. When ready, return to the path and walk back towards the Martin Park shelter alongside babbling Bear Creek. Note the nature scavenger hunt on the east side of the path. Just past the bridge to Creekside Elementary, take a right on the concrete path and then left onto the divergent path towards South 36th Street. When close to the tennis courts at the path intersection, turn right towards Eastman Avenue.
Walk into the street past the park’s edge to the third house on the right, the second LFL stop:
Little Free Library Stop #2, 3535 Eastman Avenue
When facing the LFL box, you can see Martin Park in the background.
Little Free Library book sharing is open 24-7, accessible to all. In high-need urban and rural areas, there are support programs to provide LFLs that are full of books.
When ready, walk back towards the shelter on Eastman Ave and then straight onto the path towards the tennis courts. Turn left and walk along the courts, into the shelter, and then south on Bear Creek Greenway towards Broadway. Leaving the shelter, the walking distance thus far is about 0.8m. It will be about the same distance again before you reach the third LFL.
Walking along the open field with Bear Creek on the left, the Boulder Flatirons come into full view on the right. Take in the sights of picnickers, frisbee action, kickball, and whatever a grassy meadow inspires. Approaching Broadway, veer to the left at the fork and go down through the underpass.
On the other side of Broadway, come up the ramp alongside Harvard Lane and carefully cross that intersection with Table Mesa Drive, remaining on the sidewalk on the north side of Table Mesa. Here begins the elevation gain for this Guided Walk into the Highland Park neighborhood. The route has been curated for strollers so that the grade to the top of Hartford Drive is as gradual as possible.
Area 2: Highland Park
Heading up Table Mesa, cautiously cross the Standford Avenue intersection. The George Reynolds Branch of Boulder Public Library is on the right, where you can find even more books – to borrow (after it opens: 10 AM on Saturday). Across the divided road is King Soopers and the Table Mesa Shopping Center.
Cross the intersection at Gillaspie Drive, the next street, and walk up Gillaspie on the west sidewalk past four houses. Take a left on Baylor Drive, remaining on the same sidewalk, now on the south side of the street where it is wider. In late spring, the landscaping and flowers are beautiful in this neighborhood. Irises plentifully abound.
The next intersection is Yale Road. From the Baylor sidewalk, cross to the east sidewalk on Yale. Walk four houses up Yale and cross the street to Hartford Drive on the south sidewalk. Hartford is a steady uphill climb. At the top and around the bend is our next Little Free Library destination.
As you approach the Hartford summit, straight ahead is the majestic Royal Arch. The summer tree covering in the photo gives way in the fall to an even more beautiful perspective. Just beyond the top of Hartford, but quite a bit higher in elevation, is the NCAR–Table Mesa Trail.
Enjoy the shade at the top of Hartford hill. Go around the bend and the third LFL is the fifth house on the left, on the east side of Hartford.
Little Free Library Stop #3, 730 Hartford Drive (Charter # 182591)
On the day of this photo, there was a free, unopened box of kitty litter, so you never know what you might find. Enjoy the stay at the third little library.
Cross the street at this driveway. A couple houses down, on the west side, look for the inspirational peace post.
A little further on the right with the Flatirons in the background will be our fourth and final LFL. Lovely irises greet book lovers.
Little Free Library Stop #4, 785 Hartford Drive (Charter # 55657)
From the fourth Free Little Library, cross Baylor Dr and cross again to the east sidewalk on Hartford. Continuing downhill toward Table Mesa Dr., Bill Bauer Park will be the one-mile point in the Highland Park neighborhood loop.
Take the path through the park between the benches, the shelter, and the playground. Head across the small park toward the intersection of Table Mesa Dr and Yale Road.
In the southeast corner of the park at the intersection, soak for a moment in the splendor and solidity of the Flatirons. This is a photo op perspective. The view is panoramic, depending on the season of the year.
At the stop sign, carefully cross both directions of Table Mesa boulevard. Proceed down Table Mesa on the southeast sidewalk, past St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church, to Gillaspie Dr and turn right.
Area 3: Table Mesa Shopping Center
Nearing an ice cream break, pass Brookdale Meridian on the right and cross Gillaspie at the “Senior Citizens” crosswalk.
Continue upward towards the shopping center parking lot and turn left at the next entrance.
Walk down the sidewalk towards the southwest Table Mesa Shopping Center parking lot and carefully cross over to the center walkway, navigating any moving vehicles.
Take the sidewalk across the parking lot to the opening between the buildings. Walk to the southeast side of the shopping center and take a left at the South Side Walnut Café.
Sweet Cow Ice Cream will be the next business. Enjoy a sweet treat if you wish!
Afterwards, continue the same sidewalk to Neptune Mountaineering. Turn right towards Southern Sun Pub & Brewery.
Descend the metal steps toward Under the Sun Pub & Pizza. Walk across the parking area towards Chase Bank and the traffic light at Table Mesa and Broadway.
For strollers not able to navigate the steps, go around Boulder Nordic Sport and Runners Roost on the east side of the upper parking lot. Then meet the rest of your group at the Table Mesa and Broadway traffic signal.
Cross Table Mesa Drive.
On the north side of the Table Mesa Dr intersection, turn left and walk a few feet to the Bear Creek Greenway underpass. Follow the path and, three miles after departure, arrive back at the Martin Park pavilion.