Route:

The main route is out and back (with some additional options for faster runners). Please keep your run to about 1:00-1:10. In other words, you should turn around in about 35 minutes. If you are taking the road down, it takes about 5 min longer than the trail from the top to Windy Saddle, and another 5 min longer from Windy Saddle to the bottom.

There are both road and trail options. The road may be a good choice for those without good lights. The hill gives a good workout and traffic is pretty light. Note: The road is longer than the trails, both in time and distance. Please judge your time accordingly.

Trail Route: Start up the road ~1/2-mi. Go left onto the trail at the small dirt turnout. Head up the trail for another ~1.5 mi to Windy Saddle.* If you have lights, cross the road, jog left, then pick up the Beaver Brook trail on the other side. If you don't have lights, go left and head up the road until you've been out 30-35 minutes, then return on the road.

Continuing on the trail, in another 1/4-mi, at the next trail junction, make a sharp left. At the next junction, about a mile further up, intermediate runners should stay left. This takes you to a park* in another ¼ mi. Return either back on the trail, or go left on the road and take it down.

Faster runners should take a sharp right at the last junction and continue another ~1/3-mi to the Boettcher Mansion.*

There are several options for faster runners from there:

1) Go left on the road at the mansion, for ~3/4 mi down the hill. Go left again at Lookout Mtn Rd , then look for a park on the left. Enter the park and look for a trail on the far left. This will merge back with the trail we took up at the last junction before the mansion. Stay right, and continue down the same way you came up. 2) For an even longer route, go right and follow the trail (or road) along the west side of the mansion, outside the fence for ~1mi. Go left at Lookout Mtn Rd for another 1.1 mile to the park. Then, either go left and look for the trail in the park, or continue down the road.

*Regrouping places:

+ At the Windy Saddle road crossing, both ways;

+ At the park, if you continue up the trail.

+ At Boettcher Mansion, for the faster runners.

Road Route: Run up and back along Lookout Mtn Road . It's ~4.5mi and 1,500' to the park, if you make it that far.

¹Trail Rating
Trails are rated on a 1 -5 scale, with 5 being the hardest. This is a subjective rating system. Actual difficulty may vary depending on time of year and which trails you take.
T = technical difficulty - rocks, narrowness, trail slant
P = physical difficulty - length, steepness and number of hills
N = navigational difficulty - trail signs, landmarks.