When the weather is nice, gym-based cardio can be a bummer.

Nothing beats a jog outside with fresh air and sun on your skin. If you are itching to get outside, but haven’t found the right route yet, don’t worry. Here’s the perfect run for you.

Directions:

Start at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. Why start at the museum? Parking. It is hassle-free and relatively close to campus. After parking, either warm up by jogging once around the pond in front or start your run.

Head toward South Gay Street along Woodfield Drive. At the four-way stop, turn left to continue running on Gay Street. This is such a great road to run on. It has the perfect mix of inclines and declines, and the scenery is beautiful. At the end of the road, you’ll approach the light at Samford and Gay. This is your first mile!

Next, turn right and then make another right onto Wrights Mill Road. Continue on Wrights Mill until you get to Woodfield Drive again. Take a right onto Woodfield, and continue until you are back at Gay St. Mile number two: check!

At this point, you can call it a day and head back, but if you are just warming up, then you’re in luck — we have more!

Take a left onto South Gay Street. toward Town Creek Park. This is one of Auburn’s best hidden gems. The running trails are beautiful, and it is never too crowded. Town Creek Park will be on the right, and it’s set back off the road and kind of hard to see.

Get on a trail, and follow it behind the front of the park. There you will see the hidden pond and tall trees framing the trail on every edge. After you circle the pond, head back towards Gay Street. This should be about your three-mile mark!

Follow Gay Street back to Woodfield and then take a left toward the art museum. The jog back is about one mile, so use this time to cool down and take in the nature around you!

Once you arrive back to JCSM, you should have covered between two and four miles, so give yourself a high-five and drink some water because you made it!

Already have a favorite trail in Auburn? Let us know where you like to run below or on social media @AuburnCampusRec. As always,

Be well, Auburn

Photography: Jack P.