Esterのおすすめランニングルート

A beautiful family park with many picnic and playground areas

This is a wide, well-marked trail with very little elevation gain. It's a perfect run in winter, but tends toward mud in a typical summer. Waterproof shoes and gaiters, and/or a penchant to imagine you're running in a steeplechase event, may be recommended in the summer.

This is a summer-only trail, and one of the older bike trails in this area. As the name suggests, it's lots of bump-eriffic fun and you might just want to ride a few loops of it with the nearby Powerline/Commuter Trail. Travel is allowed in both directions. In the winter this is designated as a ski-only trail.

At this point you're passing the University of Fairbanks Alaska Georgeson Botanical Garden to the north of the road. If you like plants, it's well worth a stop near the beginning or end of your run, although it's only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. There is a requested donation to enter: https://georgesonbotanicalgarden.org/visit/

This starts out as a roadside run, then dives into the trees along Sheep Creek Road. If you'd like, you can use this route to connect the University of Alaska Fairbanks, or UAF, campus to the wonderful running and biking trails near Ester Dome — or just enjoy it as a fun, straightforward run in its own right.

This trail is fun, swoopy singletrack that lures mountain bikers like honey — but you may see walkers and runners here, too.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Patty Center serves as the start of the Midnight Sun Run, a fun 10k that encourages runners to wear costumes and spectators to cheer their lungs out. The race is run on the Saturday closest to the summer solstice and does happen late at night, although the faster runners will be done before midnight actually arrives. The race course is run as a point-to-point, ending in Pioneer Park with a shuttle back to the starting point. But you can always run it out-and-back, or tackle just a portion of the course, if you're looking for some training.

This 44-acre historical theme park straddles the line somewhere between kitschy and charming, with lots of historical buildings and interpretive displays. During summer, the park comes alive with an evening salmon bake, local shops, small museums including a historical stern-wheel paddleboat, and a life-size model train that chugs around the grounds. Admission to the park is free, but some of the activities within come with a charge. You can still explore the park during the winter, and it's sometimes used to host special events.