(10 reasons why) I love Beacon Hill

1. Running up (and down) Beacon Hill is an efficient and compact hill workout. The trails up the hill starting at Dallas Road provide a steady 10% grade, rising 15 meters over a 160 meter incline with a satisfying scramble at the top. 
2. Running down Beacon Hill Loop towards Circle Drive and the rest of the Park is a nice cool down of 360 meters.
3. Running back up the curve of Beacon Hill Loop gives a consistent increase in elevation grade starting at 2% and rising to 7% at the top.
4. For a shorter cool-down between hill repeats, one can run up the hill and right back down because there are multiple trails on either side. 
5. The scenic overlook at the ‘summit’ is hard to top – panoramic views of the spectacular Olympic mountains just across the azure waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
6. Circle Drive (the loop around the hill) is exactly one mile long – perfect for mile-repeats. The road has a separate bike/pedestrian lane which is handy for evading slow-moving car traffic.
7. In springtime, Beacon Hill is ablaze with blue wildflowers (flowering camas native to the area).
8. In summer, the once lush green meadows turn to sun-bleached gold.
9. Peacocks wander the lower reaches of the hill. I almost ran into one the other day. Surreal, yes.
10. And baby goats scamper and lurch around adorably too, if you’re looking for signs of hope and rejuvenation after a particularly life-threatening workout.