Tuesday Trails, Routes, and Races: Greenway Trail

​I would be remiss if I didn't write about our very own Greenway Trail. It's a blessing these days in the concert jungles we live in to have an area to run like this right in the middle of a city. The Greenway Trail (Whittier) runs from Mills and Lambert west until right before you hit the 605. Beyond just a nice place to walk run and bike it has become sort of a gathering spot for all of us that live in the area. It's rare when I am not running on the Greenway that I go more than a few miles before running into someone I know. The quick "hey how's it going" or "great job!" makes the run even better. This won't be a turn by turn direction of the route as there really is only 2 ways to go, East or West on the trail but here is some highlights on the Greenway trail. 

First of all It runs for 4.64 miles from Mills and Lambert to where you dead end on Pioneer Rd just slightly south of Beverly. Of course you can run it out and back or in reverse just up to you. Most of it has options to run on the paved path or on the side there is dirt if you prefer. You do avoid crossing some streets while on it or there are cross walks right on the trail but a few times you need to move to the street corner then cross. It even goes over 5 Points (Washington and Whittier Blvd) on a bridge but fair warning if you run a a group the bridge will wobble just enough to feel it. No danger of it collapsing or anything like that its on purpose but the first time you feel it wobble it may catch you off guard. Much of the way is covered with trees and shrubs and even flowers so makes for a much nicer run that on the streets. There are even some workout areas where you can stop a do some exercise and some historical information as well at some stops. Near Whittier High School there is a dog park which is fairly new and a great place to bring your dogs and let them free with other dogs. They are fully gated so no fear of them running away or chasing other runners or cyclists. Near the far end it also goes through Palm park which has restrooms and a water fountain. This is a great starting or turnaround spot for any run. And last but not least you can even find some art displayed through the run which makes it nicer.

​Now how to run it. You can definitely run from one end to the other and turn back at any point on the trail. While this is fine you can also change it up. I like to do runs where I start elsewhere and then connect to the Greenway for a few miles then exit somewhere along the way. At the West end you can turn right on Pioneer and left on Beverly to connect with the San Gabriel River trail less that .5 miles away to then run as far as you like in either direction. On the East side you can run north on Mills and cross Whittier to run into the hills or if you like a rougher trail type run just stay along the railroad tracks and you can run all the way into La Habra. Just keep in mind some area have lots of small rocks so be careful. The great news is that they will be expanding the Greenway in that direction through not just La Habra but Brea and eventually connecting out near Yorba Linda to the Santa Ana River Trail. I know land has been bought and now just waiting on permits and funding from each city through grants for the construction. So give this Trail a try and make your running journey more enjoyable!