What is the most scenic HS invitational in the U.S.?

Thetford Academy (Woods Trail, Vermont) has a course that is definitely a novelty to a school coming from Cali.

Van Cortlandt ((Manhattan College Invite) is a great course but is largely on a grass field although the woods are awesome.

I hear incredible things about Crystal Springs although I've never been there.

I loved Mountain West (Missoula) when I went there.

There's some crazy "Three Course Challenge" in Oregon that has achieved regional legend status although I've never been.

I don't think any high school races there anymore but Patricks Point in Humboldt County is one of my favorite courses of all time. Definitely something you don't get further south.

My First choice is definitely Woods Cross followed by Van Cortlandt though.

I love franklin Park, it's a great course,

also, although entirely on a fairground, the Barnstable Twilight Meet is great, varsity races are held late at night under the lights in Falmouth I believe, a great atmosphere for a meet.

Good call! I forgot they hosted high school meets there. Been gone for too long.

cool kid wrote:

I love franklin Park, it's a great course,

also, although entirely on a fairground, the Barnstable Twilight Meet is great, varsity races are held late at night under the lights in Falmouth I believe, a great atmosphere for a meet.

If you are in CA, then Crystal Springs is a good bet. Lowell Invitational in Golden Gate Park is run on a pretty nice course as well.

I'm pretty sure that there are a couple of meets run on the beach, hosted by some NCS teams. I want to say Clam Beach up by Arcata is one. That's a heck of a drive though unless you are already close.

I've never been to any of the meets in SoCal other than Mt. SAC, so I don't have a lot of input. You could try that course they ran as a state qualifier in McFarland, that looked pretty scenic ;).....Stallion Oak Regional? WTH?

You could always come to Hughson for our epic mud pit.

http://www.hughsonsupercross.blogspot.com/

We do have a lot of loops, but they are interesting loops, at least. And everybody gets a popsicle.

Not sure if it is an invitational course, but Brandywine Creek State Park in DE. It is half wooded along the Brandywine and then emerges into several fields lined with stone walls (picture Aran Islands). The course is also guaranteed to add a minute to your 5k time. You start at the lowest elevation point and end near the highest point in the park and has a few nasty hills in between.

It's been 15 years for me so I don't know if the course has changed, but that is how I remember it.

New NXN course is much more scenic than the old one. Would have to qualify for NXN to run on that course though as it's the only XC race held there.

Crystal Springs in CA is beautiful as others have stated. Definitely not an easy course for an 8k. 5k wouldn't be as bad, but still not easy. Ran there many times in college and loved it, especially early AM races when the fog is still hovering.

Lake County, Colorado.

Thanks for all the input. Crystal Springs and Lowell we have done, great runs no doubt.

Towering redwoods in Humbolt sound amazing. It would take a year of fundraising to go out of state but I'm all for it.

Time to google your recommendations. Thanks all.

Sounds like you're in NorCal, having done Crystal Springs and Lowell. Care to share?

With Crystal Springs, you need to get lucky with the weather. If it's rained recently, or drizzling when you run it, the course will be beautiful--dust won't get kicked up, everything will be covered in this soft fog, and running it will be great. If it hasn't rained there in weeks, or if it's really windy, you'll kick up massive clouds of dust which just make racing it kind of awful.

I'd throw my hat off to Lowell. You're basically running through a forest for 2/3 of the race, and even the one stretch where you're not running through trees really nice. If you can get in an early morning race there, you won't regret it.

I loved Bowdoin in NY

Paul Short at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA

Far from CA, but Rim Rock Farm in Kansas is pretty nice. The course is located on farmland just north of University of Kansas. You run in and out of woods, around some ponds, and through covered bridges. It's a fairly big HS meet in the Midwest, so good atmosphere too.

Rimrock is a beautiful course, but it is hands down the sh!ttiest to race on. The first mile is pretty flat, so it's easy to go out too fast, and then you get into the hills. They're fairly short but insanely steep, and if you don't have the strength they will kill you. I have only run one race there, but it was the worst one I have ever been in. Go watch a meet there, enjoy the scenery, and be glad you aren't racing.

campus of Woodberry Forest in VA is pretty nice. And they host an invitational. UVA's meets at panorama farms are nice as well. Most years they host a hs invitational.