Jekyll & Hyde

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

The vast majority of this trail has a great smooth tread for running. The width of the singletrack varies with some areas being much wider than normal. There are brief sections where there are some rocks and runners will encounter roots in two sections of that are legacy portions of trail that existed prior to the construction of Jekyll & Hyde.

This is a multi use trail so runners should be aware of possibly meeting cyclists. It serves several purposes. The downhill trails all feed into this trail so riders can head north to access shuttles or head south to climb back to the top. Riders and pedestrians using neighboring Sunbridge Hills Conservation Area area will use sections of this trail to complete their loop back to their parking.

It starts at Waterworks Road. After a short climb, the trail flattens. DH bike-only trails feed into this trail so please pay attention to signage that says "Do Not Enter." At about .15 of a mile is a multi-use trail climbing back to the top, Low Rider. Keep right to remain on Jekyll & Hyde. The trail will continue it's gentle meander among the trees until just past 3/10 of a mile when it begins to climb. After a couple of switchbacks, it goes flat once again and runners will pass through the ruins of a long-forgotten city park.

Passing a leaning chimney and going through an old wall signals the start of another climb. There are four switchbacks here. From the fourth switchback, the remainder of this climb is the steepest and toughest part where the trail squeezes between limestone boulders and formations. Runners are rewarded with another period of relatively flat trail to prepare for the next climb. A slight downhill section signals the climb is just ahead.

It starts quite steep and then has a brief recovery zone before a steep section switchbacking up to the most scenic portion of the trail. Roly Poly, a multi use connector trail, turns uphill to the right while Jekyll & Hyde continues strait for a tenth of a mile of gentle trail to another scenic spot that is a prelude to the easy climb up to one of the trail hubs on the gravel trail. Jekyll & Hyde keeps to the right without crossing the gravel and after just a few feet, Lee's Loop branches off to the right up the hill. This section of the trail flows without a lot of elevation change.

As runners approach the next hub at the gravel, turn right into a pretty section with cedars. The south access to Lee's Loop will appear on the right and the top of Roly Poly just beyond that. As the trail continues south of Roly Poly, one will encounter berms and rollers that cyclists may be enjoying so be aware of possible quickly approaching runners. Soon, the trail emerges and ends at the Crushed Limestone Trail by a picnic area in an old WPA structure built in the 1930's.