Waller Mill Park Loop

Dogs Leashed

Features Lake · Views · Wildlife

This 5 mile route links together the three trails at Waller Mill Park. Each of the three trails are loops and return to the main parking lot, so you can complete each loop in any order. Lookout Tower Trail, heading to the west, is 2.92 miles. Shelter Trail, to the northeast is 0.75 miles. Bayberry Nature Trail, to the southeast, is 1.5 miles.

Parking costs $2. Grab a ticket on your way into the park, then head to park office to pay and they will validate your ticket. Keep the ticket, you'll slip it into the machine to exit the park.

This park seems to receive lots of visitors, so it may be best to run in the early morning on weekdays during the warm season.

All three trails are mostly singletrack and winding with little elevation gain/loss but lots of small ups and downs. There are exposed roots, but overall the trails are smooth with great views of Waller Mill Reservoir. The trailheads are easy to locate by signs but you must first cross the wood bridge heading southeast from the park office to reach the Bayberry Nature Trail. Bayberry Nature Trail also has an option to take a shorter loop back to the start. Stay to the right and keep heading along the lake edge to complete the 1.5 mile loop.

To start this run as mapped, head north, then west on the Lookout Tower Trail. This is the longest of the three trails at Waller Mill Park and is mostly singletrack with little elevation gain/loss but lots of small ups and downs. The path is winding, and you'll find yourself changing direction many times during a run here. There are exposed roots, but overall it is a smooth trail with great views of Waller Mill Reservoir. The trailheads is easy to locate and just south of the Dog Park. The beginning is a short stint on a singletrack path and the trail then meets a hardened bike path. Head left on the bike path, following the signs. The bike path parallels the road for a short distance to cross the reservoir. The trail then turns to the left to enter the woods with a sign to clearly mark the turn. You'll then complete a loop and head back on the same section when returning to the parking lot.

From the parking lot, continue south on Bayberry Nature Trail. This trail iss mostly singletrack, and the route is winding. There is little elevation gain/loss but lots of small ups and downs. There are exposed roots, but overall it is a smooth trail with great views of Waller Mill Reservoir. While skirting the reservoir you'll see a sign directing you to the shorter, half-mile loop. Stay to the right to complete the longer, 1 mile loop, giving you a total distance of 1.5 miles

At the end of Bayberry Nature Trail, turn right onto Shelter Trail for one last loop. This is only a 0.75 mile singletrack trail but proves as a nice increase to the distance of your outing and to link the other trails in Waller Mill Park. The trail is mostly smooth and compact with little to no elevation change.