Orange Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Fall Colors · Wildlife

In order to access the Orange Loop, you can start from either Park Lane South or Myrtle Avenue. There's no "parking lot", but plenty of room to park on the street and make your way onto it from the street. From Myrtle Avenue, cross the bridge on Myrtle Ave and make a sharp right into the woods. Follow the Blue Trail immediately ahead, and hike a few feet until you reach the intersection with the Orange Trail.

Make a sharp left here and follow the Orange Trail for the rest of the hike. The first section has a small incline, followed by a drop into a nice pine wooded area. Coming out of here, you continue across the train tracks (make sure to look both ways before crossing). You then continue onto a slight downgrade, coming across a horse-crossing area.

Following a small climb, you'll make your way along Jackie Robinson Parkway (along the trail) and up to Forest Park Drive. Instead of following the road, continue onto the Orange Trail, which takes you up into the trees. This is asphalt, but you can hike on the shoulder which is dirt. Make a sharp right and cross Forest Park Drive into a short climb. This is followed by a downhill crossing the main horse path.

Cross the bridge that goes over the train tacks, make a sharp right at the end of it onto the Orange Trail again. This section is nice and downhill, followed by a small up-climb. Coming across Forest Park Drive again, you'll head into Pine Grove—make sure to enjoy the smell of this area.

You'll then have a small climb, followed by a big downhill (the biggest on the course). Cross Forest Park Drive again, following the Orange Trail until you come into a nice gradual climb. The top of this climb will give you a good view of parts of the park. Complete the Orange Trail loop with another small climb, and you're done!

Hawks, chipmunks, robins, woodpeckers, cardinals, blue jays, crows, squirrels, raccoons, horses, dogs, etc.