Seneca Creek

When I course set, I start out as I expect most do: drawing courses on paper (computer). Then I go out to the woods to check the locations I’ve checked. I want to see if the woods have changed significantly since the map was printed; whether there are new features nearby; whether the area is harder or easier than it looks on paper, and so on. Unfortunately, like so many of our parks, Seneca Creek has seen an invasion of invasives (mostly Japanese stiltgrass and wavy-leaf basketgrass), which have taken over many of the previous “white” areas. While many of these patches are low and easy enough to run through, they do cover up logs and rocks, making it a little tricky. And some areas have knee and even waist-high growth! There’s also more greenery in general this time of year, and I suspect it’s worse than it was before it was mapped. So, I adjusted virtually all the courses to take this vegetation into account, eliminating areas that are really awful. That said, you’ll still find some thick areas and plenty of invasive ground cover (I highly recommend gaiters for anyone doing Orange or an advanced course). There are patches of still very pleasant woods, but it’s almost impossible to know where they are. When you get to some open woods, take advantage of them and enjoy them!

Seneca Creek State Park also features some very pleasant non-wooded areas. There’s a large lake, and many trails, roads, and parking areas. There are also multiple picnic areas, including a large one near the lake that includes a playground and marina. I have perhaps sacrificed technical difficulty on some courses in order to make them more pleasant. This has resulted in more trail/road/grass running than I usually include, which will not only make the courses a little faster for the distance, but also more fun (if fun is based on not fighting through thorns and thick woods). This could be a good time to move up to a harder course, as the technical difficulty is lower overall than normal. Hey, advanced runners will still have some harder control sites! While there are a lot of short legs—some courses are almost control-picking—choosing a good route may save time and/or your skin. If you opt to run along a road—often a viable route choice—please use caution!

The park will likely be crowded with park-goers enjoying the lake, the trails, and the picnic areas. Please be courteous and watch out for kids and people doing unexpected things in front of you. All courses cross the main road at least twice; please watch for cars before crossing. The longer courses have several road crossings. All but White and Yellow have controls in busy picnic areas, so watch where you’re running!

The map is about ten years old and could use a full revision. I did ask the mapper (whom I conveniently live with) to update a few areas that I wanted to use but were no longer correct. So there are a few areas that are up-to-date. Most of the map, however, has not been updated. There are several newer and bigger rootstocks that are missing; the mapped rootstocks (with a few exceptions) tend to be smaller. I would avoid navigating by rootstocks. Most point features are on the small side; ditches tend to be shallow. There are a few areas with larger boulders and cliffs. There is a big field (the Peony Field) that is crisscrossed with mowed pathways, and the four longest courses have a control or two in the field, for something a little different.

As mentioned above, Brown through Blue all have controls in or near the disc golf course. Unless it is pouring rain, expect to see disc golfers in this area, and watch out for them. I found the golf course to be inconsistently mapped but quite usable. It’s a fun place to run, if you don’t get hit by a disc or incur the ire of a golfer.

There is a newer trail that loops around a ridge in the south of the map; I have added it very roughly to the map. This affects only the Blue course. The Blue course runners may also find that cutting through nearby neighborhoods is advantageous, but one such cut-through would result in going through private land so I’ve marked the trail there with a purple X (and set the course so that it isn’t the best route).

The finish for all courses goes right by the Nuthatch pavilion. If it is occupied, please do not run through it, and go well clear of anyone using the pavilion.

Enjoy!

Course specifics. There is one Start and Finish for all the courses; the Start is a short walk down the road. Map scale is 1:7500 for White, Yellow, Beige, and Brown, and 1:10,000 for the other courses; all have 5m contours.
On the White and Yellow courses, you will start on the road you drove in on. Please use caution before crossing. On the Orange course, you will have controls in the big picnic area and the Peony Field. Orange circumnavigates the lake.
On the Beige course, you will have controls in the big picnic area.
On the Brown course, you will go through the Disc Golf course and have controls in the big picnic area.
On the Green, Red, and Blue courses, you will have controls in the big picnic area, the Peony Field, and through the Disc Golf course. The Blue course circumnavigates the lake.