Great For:
Long Runs, Hill Runs, Hill RepeatsNot Great For:
Jogging strollers, tempo runs (I prefer a flat surface for those)Cost (5/5)
Everything here is free. Parking at the ACRES Office (Dustin preserve) is closed after hours. There is a small parking turnoff a little bit West off of Chapman Road with access to the trails.Distance (10/10)
Any. I have done runs of up to 15 miles in this area, but typically between 5-8 miles. You can stick to the roads, or cool off in the shade or take a bathroom break at the two Land Trust preserves accessible from Chapman/Schoaff Road.Surface (7.5/10)
Gravel Road, Paved Road, Wooded Trails (optional). If you just stick to Griffin road, you can run almost entirely on gravel. The rest of the roads are paved, but the roadsides have small gravel sections that are wide enough to run on comfortably. The two wooded preserves have dirt trails, but if you don't like bugs you'll need to keep moving in the summer or wear some bug spray! This would get a higher score if more of the roads were full gravel instead of pushing you to the roadside to get away from the pavement.
Terrain (10/10)
This area offers everything you need for an interesting and challenging run. Flat stretches, winding wooded paths, steep hills, rolling hills, extended climbs, wooded trails, etc. You'll never get bored here and you can chart all kinds of different routes to keep it interesting.
Scenery (5/5)
This is one of the more beautiful and hilly areas I've seen in Allen County and it makes for a very peaceful and enjoyable run. You'll run down heavily wooded country roads that open into old farmlands and secluded properties.
Parking
I live nearby, so I don't have to worry about parking. However, there's parking at the Bicentennial Woods Preserve and the Dustin Preserve detailed at the end of this post. I have also seen cars parked off of Griffin Road, just north of Auburn Road.Traffic (7.5/10)
I rarely see other runners, walkers, or bikers. Street traffic is extremely light (maybe 3-4 cars per run).Cover (3.5/5)
If you run at the right time and along the right route, you can avoid the summer sun for most of your run. In the summer, I like to run early in the morning so that I can take advantage of the long shade cover from the roadside trees and bushes along most of the route. Cedar Canyons and the southern end of Griffin offer good shade cover, as well as most of Chapman/Schoaff Road between Bicentennial Woods and the Dustin Preserve. There are some stretches on Griffin road where the sun can't be avoided. Auburn Road, the eastern end of Chapman, and the northern end of Griffin are mostly farmland and don't have much shade and can get pretty windy. Obviously, the preserves offer a ton of great shade and wind cover.Markers (0.5/3)
Obviously, road routes won't have any trail markers. The preserve trails aren't very well marked either, so your first couple of times running or hiking them might seem a little chaotic. However, the trails aren't that long or complex, so you shouldn't worry about getting lost.Family (2.5/5)
This isn't the best area to run with your family or a jogging stroller, since it's mostly country roads. As I mention in other reviews, if there's a nearby attraction (playground or hiking trail) my wife and I sometimes bring our kids along and take turns running versus staying with the kids. Our kids love the Bicentennial Woods trail, which has an easy hike to a scenic bridge overlooking Cedar Creek. The creek is very shallow and the water runs slowly - so the kids can wear their water sandals and have fun throwing rocks and splashing!Connections (1/3)
This route gets one point for connecting to the ACRES preserves. Other than that, there aren't any nearby trail systems right now and I'm not aware of any slated for future development.
Safety (3/5)
I usually run by myself and have never seen or experienced anything unsafe or threatening in this area. It is very low-traffic except for crossing over Coldwater Road or a small stretch on Auburn Road. I typically only have 3-4 cars pass by me on any given run. The trails can by very secluded, so use common sense if you feel uncomfortable going anywhere by yourself.Extras and Intangibles (5/5)
If you can't already tell, I love the scenery and challenging, variable terrain of this area. You won't find a more interesting area to run in the immediate Fort Wayne area. If you know of one, please (PLEASE!) let me know in the comments. There are some fantastic hill segments to try out on Strava (described below) and the ACRES preserves are a real underutilized gem.Devil's Hollow Run Review Score:
80% Really great area to run. Just needs more gravel roads and/or off-road trails.Notable Segments
The Hill
This roughly half-mile stretch of gravel road on Griffin Rd. between Hollopeter and Chapman Rd is basically one big valley that offers one of the most challenging uphill stretches in the area. The hill is no joke - you'll climb about 60 feet and reach an incline of more than 15%. I found this segment on Strava and its name is fitting. This is a great place to do hill repeats and has very little car traffic.Cedar Canyons Hill
This is really a beautiful and peaceful stretch of windy, wooded road. On early morning runs, I'll sometimes pass by a family of deer in the marshy woods on the north side of the road. The other side has some dramatic creek hillsides. The hilly part of this segment is also quite a challenge - you'll climb 50 feet and reach an incline of 10%. I wouldn't recommend this for hill repeats, as the hill has several twists and turns that make it difficult to see and hear car traffic. However, as part of a long, hilly run or workout I always hit this segment.
Griffin Road
This is my favorite place to do hill repeats. It has a long, challenging hill on gravel road with almost no car traffic. The main climb takes you up 55 feet and the incline is about 13% at its steepest point, and the entire segment gives you a climb of nearly 70 feet from its lowest point. It's another beautiful wooded stretch that opens up into some old farm properties. You can park at the end of Griffin Road, where it meets Auburn Road.Other Highlights
ACRES Land Trust (Dustin Preserve) - Entrance is on Chapman Road between Coldwater and Griffin Rd. The preserve guide says 1.8 miles of wooded trails. The entry to the preserve itself is about 1/4 mile of nice gravel road with free parking. There's a visitor center, which I think has a bathroom.
Bicentennial Woods Nature Preserve - Entrance is on Shoaff Road just West of Coldwater Road and has a few free parking spots. The preserve guide says that this preserve offers 2.6 miles of hiking trails to run on.
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