Review
This is hands down the easiest loop at either Phipps Park or Maclay Gardens. The terrain is flat, the conditions are lovely, and every factor just seems easy.
For starters, the Top Loop is a very simple 1.7-mile-long trail looping around Maclay Gardens near Meridian Road. The composition of the Loop is nothing more than a simple loop with only one major trail that branches off from it, the Top Loop to the Overstreet connector trail. The trail is very flat with virtually zero elevation, not just to an extent where you will not encounter any hills, you may find yourself actively noting to yourself just how flat this loop is.
Additionally, the quality of the trail feels like a direct step up from the Phipps Park side trails. This is because this trail receives better funding and protection than the Phipps side trails since it is part of a state park. This also means that the trails do have a collection box where you are supposed to pay $4 to enter the trails. I would opine that the price is justified given the quality of the trails on this side. The air seems cooler with occasional cool breezes bursting in and the nature just feels more real and vibrant. This sounds hard to picture, but once you enter these trails and run around on them and compare them to the trails at Phipps Park you will be able to notice the difference.
The combination of a lack of elevation and near-ideal conditions makes this loop incredibly easy to hit. Every part of this loop seems to be propelling you forward, and if you just want to do some easy running, come to the Top Loop.
Rating: Out of 10