Gwinnettians are a fortunate lot — they live in a county that has put a focus on providing beautiful green spaces, providing the community with nice places to take children or to get out and run through a park.

Some of these parks have nice trails to run for those of you who, like me, prefer to run on more challenging, unpaved paths. This guide is here to show you how to get started to do trail running and what parks provide nice trails. This guide will be a bit sparse in parks since it’s the dead of winter as I’m writing this and only got to visit a few different parks this past summer. When the days start to warm up expect this guide to get plenty of updates.

Why should you do trail running?

It’s fun

Running multiple laps or, even worse, staying in place on a treadmill just isn’t enjoyable. The best way to exercise and get in shape is by doing things you enjoy because you’re less likely to quit.

It’s challenging

The rough terrain of a trail provides something else you have to conquer while running. Sure, you can run up paved hills and increase the incline on a treadmill, but neither account for the challenge of running up some gravel that gives way as you push on it, or the lateral movement of having to pick your steps around crevices that have formed from a part of the trail being washed out.

It’s healthier

Running on trails is shown to help correct back problems because of the softer running surface and because trail runners’, especially barefoot ones, stride lands on the balls of their feet and not their heels. Plus, trail running is done in forested areas and in cleaner air.

How to start doing trail running?

Trail running is relatively cheap sport. All that is needed for getting started is some footwear. There are a few different options when choosing footwear, ranging from shoes that look like gloves for your feet to traditional running shoes.

Vibram Five Fingers

This what I’ve personally been running in for over two years now. The Vibram website includes a list of their various types of shoes. They recently added a shoe designed specifically for running called Bikila, which I hope to purchase for this summer’s running season.

Vibrams take a little bit to get used to, but once your toes start playing around you barely notice them. I prefer to run in them because it’s more natural. Running in Vibrams also strengthens the muscle in your ankles and calves to provide more agility.

I purchased mine from Abbadabba’s Gwinnett, the only retailer in Gwinnett selling them at the time. More stores, especially outdoor retailers, carry them now. Use the Vibram Store Locator to find a retailer near you. I recommend trying to find a local retailer, because the sizing is a bit odd and you need to get something that fits your toes comfortably.

New Balance

Of any other big-name shoe company, New Balance seems to have taken the most effort in making shoes designed for trail running and adhering to minimalist running methods.

The NB Minimus offers three variety of minimalistic style running shoes for those not wanting to wear something as odd as the Vibram Five Fingers and are wanting a bit of cushion in the heel.

I currently use the Vibram Five Fingers when I’m running something that is primarily trail, like the at the Gwinnett Heritage Center and the NB Minimus Trail when I’m running on pavement.

Where to go trail running?

This is a list of parks, with some info about the type and length of trails they have.

Little Mulberry Park

The running trail at Little Mulberry is one of the nicest I’ve found, in that it provides very good cover throughout the entire run and it’s almost one trail, so you don’t have to switch terrain multiple times to stay on course. With that being said, it is also probably one of the more dangerous trails I’ve been on because the terrain is full of steep inclines and declines, and it is pretty secluded.

Once you’ve run this park, you’ll find yourself wanting to return more often to be enveloped in its thick forest while looping around a scenic ravine. There is a spot marked on the trail where you can go down into the ravine and see a small waterfall.

Great trail to just escape.

Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center

The Heritage Center trails are some that I know very well. I helped a couple of my friends map out a 5k run on the course for a school track meet, so I’m going to take you through the path we came up with. Even if you don’t want to follow our path, the Heritage Center trails are broken up into several small trails that can be easily mixed and matched to suit your needs.

Here’s the superb trail map that the Heritage Center provides to plot your route.

Our 5k Route

The route is predominately trail, features a nice mix of terrain, and has a rough climb at the end.

Start of from the Central Pavilion near the parking lot, head back towards Plunketts Road, and turn left on the Cherokee trail.

Follow Cherokee down towards Creekside. This will be the main paved area you have to run on, everything else should be nice unpaved trails. Towards the end of this stretch you get to run through a small patch of bamboo, which I wish were longer because there’s just something nice about running through it.

Cross over the road and head into the Creekside trail. Shortly after getting on Creekside, you will have to turn left at a fork. The trail is marked with a sign to make sure you don’t miss it. This stretch is a narrow dirt trail that winds around next to a stream. After you get out of Creekside, turn right on Greenway Spur and head down and across the Access Road.

After crossing the Access Road, turn right and up into Homesite Loop. You’ll take another right after entering the trail to take the longer path down towards the South Pavilion. Homesite Loop is a nice forested trail with good cover shade. When you get to the South Pavilion, head back up to Greenway Spur to where it intersects with Sweetgum.

Now that you’re warmed up, here’s where the terrain starts to get tricky. Turn onto Sweetgum and you’ll be greeted with a short gravel trail that quickly scales upward to a dirt path. After that first big inline, Sweetgum continues to slowly scale upwards until you reach the Access Road.

When you reach the Access Road, turn left onto it and head back towards the Greenway Spur. You can run on the paved road if you prefer, but I stick to the soft grass next to it. This stretch has an bit of an incline at the beginning, but crests quickly into a nice decline all the way back the Greenway Spur.

Now you’re in for the final stretch. Cross back over the Access Road and head right up into the Dogwood trail. Dogwood has one pretty steep downward hill, so be careful. Dogwood feeds into a fork at Stream Ecology. Turn right and go over the small bridge that heads up a steep incline. Keep following Stream Ecology all the way back to the Central Pavilion where you started off. This part of the trail is the hardest, in my opinion, because of the steep inclines and declines and because I’m already pretty tired from the previous running. If you’re already feeling too winded when you get to the fork at Stream Ecology, then just take the left path. It’s easier and shorter, but it still has a good climb towards the end.

And that’s our 5k trail lap at the Heritage Center.

If you’ve completed it feel free to tweet or facebook us and let us know what you thought.