Route: Umstead State Park, Every Single Trail (NC)

Submitted by Joshua Diver on Mon, 07/13/2020 - 06:20pm
Location
North Carolina, US
Distance
40.5 mi
Vertical Gain
3,345 ft
Description

Umstead State Park covers 5,599 acres and is nestled between Raleigh, Durham and Cary, NC. Inspired by the "every single street" urban running challenge, this route consists of traversing every single official trail at Umstead State Park, which consists of the following gravel Multiuse trails (Bridle Trails) and single-track trails, in a single, non-stop effort.

Admin Note:  As always, you must follow all the rules for the park, which includes visiting only during times when the park is officially open, and staying on officially designated trails (the park does allow off trail travel, but recommends visitors stay on trail for ecological and safety reasons, for the FKT stay on trail).

Multiuse: 
- Cedar Ridge
- Graylyn
- N. Turkey Creek
- S. Turkey Creek
- Reedy Creek
- Reedy Creek Lake

Single-track:
- Campground Spur
- Company Mill
- Company Mill Spur
- Inspiration
- Loblolly
- Oak Rock
- Pott's Branch
- Sal's Branch
- Sycamore

Although there are likely a myriad of different variations of how to combine the various trails to comprise the entire route, we followed the following route:

Start: Old Reedy Creek Road Entrance

  1. Take Reedy Creek MUT & Reedy Creek Lake MUT to Reed Creek Maintenance Gate
  2. Take Reedy Creek Parkway to Company Mill Trail Head
  3. Company Mill Trail Loop (& Company Mill Trail Spur & “Inspiration Trail”)
  4. Once back at Company Mill Trail Start, Do Loblolly Out (& Spur to Park Boundary)
  5. At Loblolly Finish (Loblolly/S. Turkey Creek MUT Intersection), Do Out & Back to Intersection of S. Turkey Creek MUT/Reedy Creek Lake MUT 
  6. Once back at Loblolly/S. Turkey Creek MUT Intersection, Continue to Take S. Turkey Creek MUT/N. Turkey Creek MUT (and .1MI of Graylyn MUT) to Sycamore Trail
  7. Do Sycamore Trail (Loop and Lollypop Stick)
  8. Sycamore Will End at a Parking Lot; from the Parking Lot Do Sal’s Branch Trail Loop (& Campground Spur) 
  9. Once back at Parking Lot, do Pott’s Branch Loop (and Oak Rock Loop)
  10. Once back at Parking Lot, Need to Get to Graylyn Gate/MUT—about 1MI 
  11. Once at Graylyn MUT, take Graylyn MUT to Graylyn Gate and then to intersection of Graylyn MUT/Reedy Creek MUT
  12. Once at intersection of Graylyn MUT/Reedy Creek MUT take left on Reedy Creek to get to Cedar Ridge MUT, and do Cedar Ridge MUT
GPS Track

Comments

Will attempt an unsupported run tomorrow (8/29/2020).  I do not have a PLB, but will post GPX and strava if successful.  Will pull water from fountains/horse water spigots.

I ran the course yesterday 09/05 but completely unverifiable. Cannot express enough my disappointment ?.  Got back after lower time to 6:17:52 but my garmin gpx is a scrambled mess. Apparently GPS signal was spotty it shows me moving straight line and not even on some sections. Contacted garmin but seems nothing can be done. I got lost at Potts branch area as well. I pulled water from spigot and creeks with filtered Katadyn bottles. I have salomon vest but I prefer now to ditch it when possible...way more comfortable. I guess I need another GPS system I am going for another fkt attempt in a few weeks and do not want this to happen again. I am coming again to lower it and gonna use 2 forms of tracking in future now. 

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Profile picture for user Chris Chickenfat LeBlanc

Will attempt a Unsupported Run tomorrow 2/26/2021. Hopefully its not raining hard and I dont feel too sick from the vaccine or I will postpone it until next week. Following a similar path and water pulling plan as Kevin McCabe

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Profile picture for user John Goldfield

Ran it 9/11/21 with a bunch of friends, 3 of us completed the whole route. Did it at our 100-mile pace as I was using it as my last long training run before taper. (So more like an SKT haha). Great route though... about 50/50 singletrack and Multiuse trails. We built in some "aid stations" at mile 19 (Ebenezer Church) mile 27 & 33 (Sycamore parking lot) by having friends/family drop by. Great way to experience everything the park has to offer, and the route/segments pass water fountains frequently enough water is not an issue.

I’m attempting a supported run tomorrow (3/26)!! 

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Profile picture for user elenader

Ran this route today with @JohnGoldfield and a bunch of friends. Four of us finished the entire thing. Just submitted for an FKT as Female/Supported.
💗

Ran the route today in 5:14:48 for a new Unsupported FKT. Just Submitted for Verification 

I love how competitive this FKT has become. Looking forward to see if someone can go sub 5!

No doubt somebody will soon go sub 5... What I want to know is who will go sub 6 at Morrow Mountain?! Better yet, who will go sub 16 at South Mountains?! There are every single trail FKTs not too far away at several other NC state parks: Raven RockPilot MountainMedoc MountainEno RiverHanging RockStone Mountain. All highly recommended, beautiful and unique. Happy trails!

Planning to run this tomorrow morning, I'll update results after 👍