Just past Forest Meadows lies Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park https://goo.gl/maps/Nw583qehsR12. Covering 10 miles of shared trails, this Tallahassee outdoor experience covers Hiking, Biking, Cross-Country Running and Horseback Riding. Included are benches for resting, bridges for traversing over running streams, and also restrooms placed along the trails to provide comfort and support while utilizing the trails. Established in 1992, this park has provided one of the great escapes from the hustle and bustle of Tallahassee’s city district.
Whether you are out for a leisurely stroll as the sun is rising, or perhaps tackling some cross-country biking, I found these trails to offer plenty. The elevation rises and falls the deeper into the trails you go, but yet I never found it too overwhelming in most spots. Perfect for cross-country runners too, providing a good and stable foothold to provide a variety of changing terrain, while never becoming too overbearing.
Wildlife is consistent to include; bird types (eagles, song birds, ducks, and geese), common wood dwellers (racoons, squirrels, and deer), as well as small reptiles (lizards, snakes, and tortoise). Plant life much like the animals, are wide and varied, from mushrooms, wild flowers, and varied tree types. I never grew tired of the selection in both the flora and fauna that can be seen.
Another gem of Elinor Klapp-Phipps is that it stays relatively quiet, well-spaced to provide ample room for visitors. I found myself encountering no more than 2-4 people in any given group to include; horseback riders, walkers, runners, and bikers. This in turn allowed for a more private and personal experience along the trails.
Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park is a welcomed experience, having a wide array of terrain to enjoy. It also contains restroom amenity’s, fountains, and benches for resting spaced evenly along trails. The canopies provided ample sunshade during the summer months, and trail markers are placed graciously to ensure you never stray from your path.
I would’ve liked paths in certain areas to be more accessible, finding some areas hard to reach due to an overabundance of vegetation that had become built up. Also, for those who prefer to stray from horses, a more distinct trail separation would’ve been welcomed, as a I found myself crossing paths with riders far too often along the denser path ways.
I hope that this has inspired you to perhaps go out and experience all the amazing outdoor opportunities Tallahassee has to offer.
