The Tiny Tilden Post Office has been quietly going about its business in the hills above Berkeley since we installed it back in December. The little establishment is tucked into a knothole in an old tree on the Curran Trail in Tilden Park. For the past six months, countless hikers and dog walkers have enjoyed this unexpected world of postal tiny-ness.
A Gift For Gareth
The tiny treehouse post office started as a special gift for Gareth Branwyn who wrote a lovely little essay about us back in 2009. The tiny post office installation is mentioned in Gareth's new book, Borg Like Me, which is getting some really great reviews!
On The Curran Trail
Until now, the location of the tiny treehouse has been kept secret; it's tiny delights reserved for those with a patient hiking pace and a keen eye. Now we want to share it with all of you, and encourage locals and visitors alike to get out into the woods and follow the map to hidden treasure.
Keep your eyes peeled while walking the Curran Trail!
Grand Opening: December 2013
We dare say that this little outpost may be even smaller than our original World's Smallest Post Service. It's certainly fit for a field mouse, or a young butterfly, or even a flying fairy. Here's a closer look:
The original scene as we left it back in December 2013.
And at night, sometimes the lamp is on!
The First Month
We checked on the treehouse post office a few times in January and, to our delight, it was still there every time! We crafted a sweet little ode to small things and stocked the mailbox with letters for passersby to take home as a memento.
...thank you for noticing something small today...
Six Months Later...
From February through June, we left the Tiny Tilden Post Office to its fate. Though the winter was remarkably dry and warm, we weren't sure how it would fare amongst the squirrels and blue jays. To our great surprise and delight, we returned in June to find the tiny treehouse post thriving. It seems hikers had regularly restocked the office with tiny notes written on scraps of trail maps and rearranged the furniture just for fun. A few even added small details of their own!
Someone redecorated! There's even some fairy dust glitter.
Mini wall maps (mounted on toothpicks) appeared!
A girl left a tiny blue pencil on the desk along with a sweet note for the fairies! And, hiding inside the originally empty bird cage was a big fuzzy bumble bee that someone must have found on the ground during his or her hike. The bee is my favorite tiny discovery so far. Amazing!
Freddie & Penelope
My friend Jeremy (caretaker of the popular Ladybug Hotel) and I decided to leave a note too! When we went back to check on things a few days later, we found Freddie Field Mouse himself sitting on the desk chair! Freddie unfolded into a colorful note from "Penelope."
Check out the fancy neon script!
Here's the original letter Freddie left and our response to Penelope's correspondence, just in case she returns.
More Curious Visitors
Now we're hooked and can't wait to visit the tiny treehouse post office as often as possible. What will we find this time?! On July 5, it was one letter from "Newt" and another from the "Tai Chi Hikers."
We wrote back, of course. How could we not?
What Will You Find?
The care and respect that strangers have given this knothole delight is heart warming. We had no idea what would happen when we set it up. Not only are most of the original Tiny Tilden Post Office components still there, but new artifacts and letters keep showing up. There's plenty of creativity and kindness on display, and nary a speck of teeny tiny graffiti!
If you're in the Bay Area and looking for a little adventure, print the image below, tuck it into your pocket and head out on the Curran Trail. What will you find? Let us know in the comments below and share photos with #tildenpo!
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