This is a pleasant little run with some nice scenery and a challenging hill at the beginning. It’s also possible to extend or reduce the mileage in many ways. The one I show is about 4.7 miles.
Park at the Hempfield Rec Center. Head left out of the parking lot and then right on to Corporate Blvd.
Continue to Marietta Ave, where you dogleg to the left, then cross Marietta Ave and begin climbing the hill. It’s possible to stay on the grass in this area.
Halfway up the hill there is a sidewalk to the right. Take that till it ends, then continue up the hill.
At the top of the ridge, turn right on Horizon and follow that all the way to Summit Drive.
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| Vista from the top. |
Turn right on Summit and follow to Marietta Ave. This road has poor shoulders, so be wary of traffic.
During the winter and spring it’s sometimes possible to take the abandoned rail track as shown in red, below. I wish someone would drive a bush hog through here occasionally. In summer it is not navigable because it gets overgrown with brambles.
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The old train track trail in the early spring.
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Off of Marietta Ave, turn left between the junk yard and the Fire station, and get on Ivy Drive.
Along Ivy Drive, I recommend crossing to the right side and running between the evergreen trees and the farm field.
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Between the junk yard and the Fire House.
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| Cross Ivy Drive here and run between the hedgerow and the fields. |
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| The home stretch |