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Filed Under: Running
Start at the Harper Lake parking lot. The trail is crushed gravel for the first half (I guess quarter, since it's an out and back). Run either direction on the Harper Lake loop until you get to the bridge at the East end of the lake. At the south end of this bridge, the trail splits off to the East and starts running downhill on a trail that goes down a gulley through some neighborhoods. After about 0.3 miles from the split from Harper's, you'll cross a street and continue along the gulley for about another 0.4 miles. Here the trail splits and this course branches to the left (North) and at this point quits descending. You follow this for a little while until you reach South Boulder Road. Cross South Boulder and the trail picks back up on the other side, but now it's a concrete path. Follow this concrete path through some more neighborhoods. More descending. The path curves around and then starts running along a small water canal. After a short while along this canal, the trail splits again at a small wooden bridge that crosses the canal. Take the bridge, which turns you back west now. Let the climbing begin. You ascend gently to some switchbacks, then more gentle climbing and then just a few more, really short switchbacks. Finally, it tops off and the trail heads west along the Louisville Res. You can't really see the Res that well and it's fenced off because it's the Louisville water supply, but the view of the front range is pretty nice here. The trail dead ends at a park. Not sure if there is water here or not. Anyway, turn around and follow your path back to Harpers. Remember all that descending at the start of the run, you get to climb it now. It's not that bad, but it's not what I would consider an "easy" run.
The other options are to do some laps on the Harper's Lake loop. And/or cross the street and run the Davidson Mesa trail, which is either a ~3 mile loop or a 2.8 mile out-and-back. Another option (I think, I've never run it) is to turn left at the split at the park at the turnaround point of this run and run the trail under the powerlines. I think the trail goes all the way back to Harper's Lake and you don't have to do the climbing/descending that you did on the out. Plus it shortens it up a little.
I'll try to get elevation info on this soon. Harper Lake doesn't allow dogs, but you could probably bypass the first half of this run if you got creative and knew the neighborhood.Get on McCaslin.
From Denver take US36 to Louisville/McCaslin Exit and head North on McCaslin
From Boulder, take South Boulder Road East until you hit McCaslin and head South.
Once on McCaslin: Harper Lake is on the East side of McCaslin right by Washington Street. Parking is right off Washington.
Posted by: merschel and last modified on Feb 15, 2007 by sean
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