Boyce Park East and West Loop

Dogs Unknown

This route covers most of the park's main trails with beautiful forests, hill climbs, and some nice views from the top of the ski slopes before crossing over to the east side of the park where rolling trails are predominant.

Bring enough water with you. There are no spots to refill along this route, though there are some water fountains along the park's paved roads.

The east half of the park can be very muddy after rain or snow melt. Wear appropriate shoes.

Boyce Park West:
The run starts heading south on the Carpenter Trail - Yellow Blaze Black Dot soon taking a trail to the left to connect with the Yellow Blaze Red Dot. Here you'll pass through open deciduous forest with a gently rolling and winding trail. After a short, but steep, descent and climb veer right and then left. You'll pass under power lines on this section of the Yellow Trail before it T's at the Orange Trail.

Go left here and down a slight hill. At the bottom, take the trail to the right. This is the Orange Blaze Black Dot. Use care in crossing the little bridge as the boards are sometimes loose. Following along the trail, you'll climb steadily with views of the ski slopes to your right. The trail comes out onto a gravel road with a steep hill to the right. Climb that hill and continue straight into the open fields atop the ski slopes. Follow the trail across the top of the slopes past the ski lift and drop down to the park office.

From here, you'll cross the parking lot for the office and go past the gate. Continue straight on the trail. This section has a wood chip/mulch surface for a short bit, and when the opportunity presents itself, go left past the park bench. Make a right at the T in the trail. Here you'll follow along a relatively straight section. Continue straight past the big hill on your left. The trail begins to bend right and descend onto a grassy surface. A short ways down, you can turn left back into the forest. The trail will let out onto the park road leading down to the Ski Lodge. Go right when you meet the road and cross it.

Continue past the closed bathroom building (passing behind it) and stay low on the slope. You'll follow a short trail section before coming out in a field again. Veer left to the top corner of the field and follow through a shorter section of woods. Now you can immediately turn right and follow the Airplane Loop. When you meet another trail, make two quick lefts to finish out the loop and continue across the fields. There will be a pavilion to your left. Run away from it and follow the gravel road down to a paved road leading back to the start of the Carpenter Trail at the bottom of the hill.

Boyce Park East:
Cross the road and go through the gap in the guardrail onto a small field which heads northeast to the Soccer Fields. About halfway up, you'll see a trail to your left. This is the Green Trail or Soccer Field Loop. Follow this trail. After crossing the power lines, take the trail left. The Green Trail will take you about 1.3 miles until it meets a park road (closed to traffic). Follow the trail straight across onto the Blue Trails.

Many trails will branch off all throughout this section. Continue on the main Blue Trail. You'll meet a section where the White Blaze branches right. Continue straight and slightly left up the hill along the Blue Trail and follow until you come down into a wide open gravel space. Stay left up the road until you see a trail to the left. Here you have choices. Take the rightmost trail and continue along the Blue Blaze Red Dot until you come to a stream crossing. After the stream, go left. You'll intersect the Blue Blaze at a four-way intersection. Go left and, shortly after, go left on the gravel road down the hill. As you pass a barn and gravel lot, take the trail to the right and follow it straight when you come to another four-way intersection. Continue on this trail, and you'll come back to the soccer field area. Enjoy!