Running On Vacation
Running retreats and running vacations are ideally suited to the climate and terrain of Marble Mountain Guest Ranch. Located in the mountains along the Klamath River, it is home to many trails and scenic roads of all lengths and levels of difficulty. If you are a beginning runner or a seasoned veteran to the sport, you can create your ideal running retreat in the place we call home. Keep your non-running travel companions happy with our Western hospitality and thrilling horse rides, rafting, fishing and shooting sports. Each adventure filled day also includes our original and renowned ranch cuisine. The running options and activities may draw your attention, but the fine cuisine will bring you back.
Runners know that spring and fall are the best seasons for running because of the moderate temperatures and the longer hours of daylight. These shoulder seasons of Marble Mountain Guest Ranch are opened for a-la carte bookings that allow personalized and custom itineraries suited for runners, fishermen, and others.They are also the two most beautiful seasons at the ranch, with gorgeous flowers and bright-colored leaves. We suggest targeting your running vacation packages for the months of May and October.
State Hwy 96 is an ideal route if you prefer to run on even ground. Hwy 96 is a well maintained scenic byway that has wide shoulders, follows the Klamath River and has very little traffic. It offers many opportunities for vista views, spotting wildlife and endless detour options onto historic logging routes and spur roads. Most of the spur roads that loop connect to Hwy 96 are less developed for road shoulders (see below), but have little to no traffic.
There are three solid miles of runner’s trails that form the ranch perimeter. You can run them on a short day, or add more mileage by combining them with longer trails that leave the ranch and hook up with abandoned logging roads built by the US Forest Service. Additional scenic roadside routes connecting onto the Hwy 96 provide more gradual elevation changes and fewer obstacles while remaining lightly trafficked. Cross country runners might consider our stock trails and enjoy the challenges of rapid elevation changes, variable trail tread, and absolute solitude. By running a mile and a half down river on the scenic Highway 96, you can access other trails that follow the river upstream. With a 10 minute drive from our ranch base, you can access trail heads for longer runs entering the Marble Mountain Wilderness.
We have some additional running vacation tips to help with planning your visit to the Klamath River area. If you’d like more exciting cross training, add a day of guest ranch adventure with rafting, kayaking, or an afternoon horse ride. For those who are in good shape and love adrenaline, spring is the time for extreme rafting on the California Salmon River. If you visit us in the fall, join us on the Klamath River for a fun whitewater experience or steelhead fly fishing. On your rest days you can simply enjoy the quiet beauty of the ranch by fishing in our pond, exploring our flower garden, or curling up with a good book in your cabin or by the pool.