GRIFFIN September 2026

16 • CWEA GRIFFIN • September 2026 Distance: .4 miles Difficulty: Easy Location: NE corner of the park, off Grand Ave. near Faulkner Drive Are you cutting through the park to get to the CWE at Lindell and Kingshighway, or going the other way, southwest, to the Hampton exit? Dashing between appoint- ments or picking kids up from practice? If you have 15 minutes, you can park the car and take a refreshingly short hike. Look for the bridge over the Kindle River, and follow the bike/ jogging paths past the drinking fountains, the Circle Lake on the Got 15 minutes for an urban break? My favorite short Forest Park hike left, and cross the next bridge. Turn right on the gravel/dirt path and follow the trail into the woods along the river. On the map shown here, there is a small loop of paths marked in purple and white. Dis- cover a quiet, tree-shaded path with rocks jutting out into the river with views of the bridges and several CWE skyscrapers, including the Park Plaza. You might come across a student studying under a tree or a fish- erman plying the water, but it’s a relatively quiet and hidden part of the park. There are several exits and a few hills, but if you stay along the river, it’s pretty flat. There is a series of rocks you can use to cross a field to get back to Grand Drive on the south side of the river. Be on the lookout for birds, flow- ers and maybe even a deer I saw on a recent visit! — Jeff Fister