Starkenberglauf Loop

Dogs Off-leash

Features Lake · River/Creek · Views · Waterfall · Wildflowers

This is a lovely run with some challenging steep sections and some fantastic views.

There are lots of alternate trails in this area, so you could spend hours exploring. There are also cows with bells on their necks wandering the woods, and sometimes flocks of sheep or goats.

This is a pretty well-marked trail. The first couple kilometers cross over a river on a fire road, and then the trail cuts to the right (while the Teilwiesen Trail goes to the left). Follow the signs along this short side route, but beware that when the first sign here points to the right, it means the right of three options a few meters beyond the trail (toward a beautifully situated bench).

The trail turns to singletrack here, dropping down into the valley and winding around the hill you were just on. Climb over the fence where it has an opening for you, and you'll end up on a street corner. The trail crosses this little street and drops steeply down a fire road, across another main street (the road headed up to Teilwiesen - there are often lots of motorcycles here), and back to singletrack. You're coming up to Starkenbergersee, which you'll skirt to the left.

Next, you pass along a beautiful high field on your left with an incredible view of the valley to your right and the mountains across the way. What do you find at the end of the field? The Starkenberger Brewery in an old castle. The trail continues up and winds a bit, but is clearly marked, and drops into a neighborhood. Head straight down the road and straight through the little park at the end of the neighborhood, and you'll disappear into the forest on singletrack again.

At this point, the trail starts working its way up, up, up to the Hoherubergang, which you cross on a footbridge. The view is dizzying. There is water along the way from a Quelle. You'll begin your journey back toward Hoch Imst from the gorge. You'll come out from the gorge into another little development; turn right at the first intersection (yes, uphill... sorry), and there is a trail marker a couple hundred meters up where you turn left down a little grassy alley behind someone's house.

Follow the signs through this section of forest, including a hairpin turn and a couple steep climbs. You'll find yourself running through what appears to be someone's driveway, but the signs clearly mark the path. Now make your way back through the final lightly-forested section before you drop out of the woods onto a fire road just a couple hundred meters downhill from where you first stepped off this road into the woods 11km ago. Follow the road back and you're home!

Elk, squirrels, mice, occasionally biting black flies.