Trillium Trek Trail Walk/Run 5K

Race - Oct 3, 2020

Dogs No Dogs

Features Fall Colors · River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Same Great Race, Different Date

Race along the trails in the Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve as part of our Fall 2020 activities taking place at Elachee Nature Science Center.

With multiple courses, the Trillium Trek Trail Run & Walk is a great adventure for advanced racers and beginners alike, and the perfect opportunity to experience the great outdoors within Georgia's only Dedicated Old-Growth Forest.

DATE/TIME: Saturday morning, October 3, 2020. See schedule below.

LOCATION: Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Dr., Gainesville, GA 30504

Races and Entry Fees:
$60 = Half-Marathon
$30 = 5K Run/Walk


Participants registered by September 14, 2020 are guaranteed a tech t-shirt. Refreshments will be available before and after the race.

The 2020 Trillium Trek Walk/Race requires pre-registration. Due to group size limits, Elachee will not allow day-of registrations.

Races start in the Elachee Visitor Center parking lot with a brief portion of the race route along Elachee Drive (required for spacing), before entering the Forest. Once in the forest, runners/walkers actually travel along the trails of Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve. Race routes are well-marked with lots of cheerful volunteers guiding the way. The terrain features moderate-to-easy singletrack trails along rolling hills, with beautiful woodland scenery interspersed by several streams.

The 5K race features a 150-foot suspension bridge crossing over Walnut Creek.

Races start in the Elachee Visitor Center parking lot with a brief portion of the race route along Elachee Drive (required for spacing), before entering the forest. Once in the forest, runners travel along the trails of Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve. Race routes are well-marked with lots of cheerful volunteers guiding the way. The terrain features moderate singletrack trails along rolling hills, with beautiful woodland scenery interspersed by several streams. The 5K race features a 150-foot suspension bridge crossing over Walnut Creek.

Course Length: The race course length has been hand-measured using a measuring wheel and is 3.107 miles. The length shown by the Trail Run Project is digitally estimated and differs from the true length.

There will be volunteers and signage guiding your way at every turn. Water/Gatorade stations will be available approximately 1.75 miles into the race at the intersection of Bridge Trail and East Lake Trail.

Half Marathon

Course Route: The route starts and ends at the Elachee Visitor Center Parking Lot. Runners start up the drive from the Elachee Visitor Center, take the gravel trailhead parking lot toward the forest and will follow the Upland Trail and turn left onto Bridge Loop and follow it through Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve, over the suspension bridge, catching the Bridge–Upland Connector to send runners back to the finish line.

Course Details
Races start in the Elachee Visitor Center parking lot with a brief portion of the race route along Elachee Drive (required for spacing), before entering the forest. Once in the forest, runners travel along the trails of Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve. The terrain features moderate singletrack trails along rolling hills, with beautiful woodland scenery interspersed by several streams.

Signage, confidence markers, and volunteers placed at nine turns make the route clearly defined and easy to follow.

Course Length: The race course length has been hand-measured using a measuring wheel and is 13.1 miles. The length shown by the Trail Run Project is digitally estimated and differs from the true length.

Course Route:

The route starts and ends at the Elachee Visitor Center Parking Lot. Runners start up the drive from the Elachee Visitor Center, take the gravel trailhead parking lot toward the forest and will follow the Bridge Loop until the intersection with the Lake Loop. Follow the Lake Loop until the next intersection with the Bridge Loop. Follow the Bridge Loop until the intersection with the Ridge Trail. Runners make a right onto Ridge Trail, then a right onto Dodd Loop. Follow signage to the Geiger Trail, then to the Bridge Loop again to then catch the Bridge–Upland Connector to embark on the second lap of the Bridge Loop, Lake Loop, Bridge Loop, Ridge Trail, Dodd Loop, Geiger Trail, Bridge Loop and Bridge–Upland Connector.

After the second lap, runners head to the finish line after taking the right off of the Bridge–Upland Connector.

It may sound confusing, but don't worry! The route is well-marked with plenty of volunteers directing at intersections.

A variety of wildflowers and other native plants can be seen along the trails and streams including several species of Trillium wildflowers.