Camillus Unique Area

Date of Run: 12/8

Time: 12:45 pm

Weather: 28 F, cloudy

Route: Counterclockwise Perimeter Loop

Distance: 3.74 (actual distance is closer to 3 miles but I did some extra adventure!)

Elevation Gain: 617

Terrain: Perimeter Trail is mostly single track; some interior trails include double track grass.  The ground was mostly frozen.

Gear: Altra Timps, CEP Compression socks, North Face shorts, Base Layer, lightweight pullover hoodie, UD raincoat/windbreaker, buff, trucker hat

Summary: Today I decided to explore a little bit so I adventured to the other side of town to check out Camillus Unique Area.  It’s been a while since I visited so it was a great reminder of how fun the trail is.  Starting from the parking lot I ran in a counterclockwise direction on the perimeter trail.  This proved to be the easiest way to get to 3 miles in a single loop!  There are a few trails that criss-cross through the middle of the Unique Area if you’re so inclined.  Maybe the first half mile from the parking lot is on a grassy double track (runnable uphill)  At the crest of the hill prior to entering the woods is a nice view towards Syracuse!  From that point on, the perimeter trail is single-track.  The ground/leaves were frozen so the footing wasn’t bad at all and I found it very runnable.  There are a couple of places where you need to be careful to slow down because there are some sharp turns to look out for.  The trail is very well marked, with painted blazes and medallions, and is easy to follow as long as you look for the blazes.  If you’re someone that doesn’t look up when trail running, you’d probably find it easy to get lost because although there was a noticeable trail there were some spots where the entire ground blended together.

I only saw 4 people while I was on the trail and the parking lot only had 3 cars (including mine) in it when I arrived.  There were a few more when I left.

Being wintertime, I didn’t encounter any wildlife, as a matter of fact, I found it incredibly peaceful!

Link: https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/63131.html