Combining a ‘running tour’ of the Vassar campus with the adjacent Vassar College Farm and Ecological Preserve makes for a gorgeous run. Vassar is one of the more bucolic college campuses in the United States, with historic buildings and beautiful grounds. Meander around its pedestrian paths for 2-3 miles (it’s ~1 mile long and 0.5 miles wide). Make sure you get over to Sunset Lake and the Observatory. Then, hop over to the athletic fields and enjoy a jaunt around the gorgeous outdoor track.
We also recommend a loop around the gentle trails of the Vassar College Farm and Ecological Preserve. Use Vassar Farm Lane, and then use the Wright Trai/Helen Johnson Memorial Trail/Drumlin Trail, for a 3.7 mile loop.
Add-On: The Dutchess Rail Trail is ~1 mile east of the Vassar campus, across Rt. 55.