Eisenhower Back 9

Eisenhower Park offers some great trail runs. Official Site

You can reach the park from NW Military highway, or like I did, from the Rim Trailhead. The Rim trailhead now connects to Eisenhower by the Leon Creek to Eisenhower Extension

The East side of the park is where most people go, so what is the “Back 9”? This is the lesser known West side of the park, which the paved Extension trail from the Rim now cuts through. This area has an old access road that is decent to run on, and a few “barely a trail” areas. And did I mention the hills? These are a couple of serious hills here that will have your legs begging for mercy. I did about a 6 mile run from the Rim Trailhead, with about 700 vertical feet of climbing, and most of it was off road.

The paved trail connects the Back 9 with the East side of Eisenhower, so you can basically run as much offroad as you want here.

There are only a few areas that are smooth and flat. The majority is rocky and rough with scree and vertical thrown in. Do not go back there alone. It would be easy to twist an ankle, and pretty likely no one will come by till next weekend – not a lot of traffic here. If you are on your own, stick to the East side of the park.

Pro Tips:

• On the way out I saw a few signs that indicated the area is now closed off, so the City may be in the process of closing this whole area off. If you see signage like that, just go over to the East side.
• Do not go alone. This is moderate terrain, and you should take it seriously
• Yuccas are in abundance, be prepared to have your shins exfoliated.
• The hills are steep. Stay within your limits out there.
• Beautiful, isolated area. I hope the City keeps this area open.