SALT CITY STRIDERS
WHERE TO RUN
Rice Park - A one and 1/4 mile winding dirt and cinder path with nice scenery and a soft track when it is not muddy. Maintenance by the City of Hutchinson is pathetic but it is the only soft track in town with any distance to it. You can park at 19th and Hendricks or 19th and Swarens.
NEW NORTHEAST BIKE PATH STARTS JUST EAST OF THE BOWLING ALLEY ON EAST 30TH STREET AND RUNS ABOUT 2 MILES NORTH AND WEST ACROSS LORRAINE ST AND PAST A DIRT ROAD WHERE SEVERANCE ST WOULD BE (THERE IS NOW A PICNIC TABLE THERE) AND CONTINUES WEST AND ENDS IN THE 3800 BLOCK OF NORTH PLUM ST (WHERE PARKING IS AVAILABLE ON DIRT IF YOU WANT TO START HERE..
THE RECENTLY COMPLETED NE GVI TRAIL SYSTEM STARTS JUST EAST OF THE BOWLING ALLEY ON EAST 30TH STREET AND GOES SOUTH ABOUT 1/2 MILE. IT THEN BRANCHES OFF IN 2 DIRECTIONS. IT GOES EAST ALONG 23RD STREET ALL THE WAY PAST THE HOSPITAL TO HALSTEAD STREET. THE OTHER BRANCH GOES WEST AND SOUTH ALONG LORRAINE STREET PAST TRINITY HIGH SCHOOL AND I THINK ENDS AROUND 14TH STREET (IF I REMEMBER RIGHT FROM THE RUN FOR THE ROCKS HALF MARATHON ROUTE). THE PHASE I TRAIL IS 1.7 MILES, THE PHASE II TRAIL IS 1.7 MILES, AND THE PHASE II CONNECTION IS .75 MILES ACCORDING TO THE CITY WEBSITE.
Bike Path - Starts at Rice Park at 19th and Hendricks and follows the river to Carey Park (if you turn around there it is about a 7 mile run). You can also continue on and do the loop around Carey Park which would add about another 4 miles to your run.
Sand Hills State Park - out on 61 Highway just North of Hutchinson has a short nature trail you can run on.
Prairie Dunes and Carey Park Golf Courses - if they are closed runners has ran on them in the past and not been hassled by anyone.
Run the Streets - Popular streets to run on are Main Street, 30th Avenue, Plum Street, and 4th Avenue, although most streets in the North part of Hutchinson are safe to run on but always carry your dog spray just in case.
Please be aware there is a law that was passed to keep the kids from standing around on Main Street and getting run over that says if there is a sidewalk you must run or walk on it and not the street!