Navigation

This is the only normal loop that actually provides you with 2 miles. In  fact, this loop is so normal that it is the only loop that goes by  the name that is officially provided by Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park. Despite this, navigating the East Loop is a little harder than you think. 

For one, the East Loop is not actually to the East of what I consider the  main trail. Instead, it is to the East relative to the West Loop, which makes  sense for anybody who runs the trails according to their logical official  titles. Of course, I obey rules of chaos and disorder, so most of the names  of the loops I run make very little sense to outsiders (and sometimes to  me).  

Additionally, for a trail that is classified as one of the main horse trails, it  is more poorly maintained than you would expect. The Northern and  Western Parts of the East Loop are very well maintained. However, the  Southern part, which is typically the area that is referred to as the East  Loop (since the Northern part is so well trodden that it barely has a name) is moderately overgrown and is quite thin. This not only makes the loop  relatively difficult to navigate, but also hard to follow at times. 

I did not even mention the East Part of the East Loop, which is so  unmaintained that you would probably mistake it for a mountain biking  trail except for the signs indicating it as such. This is excusable though,  since the East part of the East Loop is immediately adjacent to the Soccer  Fields, and you normally just run down the dirt road.  

Nonetheless, the East Loop is still a very good way to hit 2 miles at Phipps  Park. This is a route that comes close to being a true loop, since you leave  the main trail about 1 mile in, and do not return onto the main route until  you reach the 0.2 miles to go mark. In terms of area covered,  the East Loop is a strong loop for its small size. The wilderness of the  East Loop makes it scenic and feel very natural. Perhaps most importantly, the loop is covered in signs telling you how to navigate it, so it is nearly impossible to  get lost on.