Naherholungsgebiet Scharpenacken is one of the most scenic spots in Wuppertal for a run. A former military training ground, Scharpenacken is located in the Heckinghausen neighborhood of Wuppertal on an elevated plateau, with a rolling hill, open meadow landscape. There are wonderful views into the Wupper Valley. 

This is an area to create your own route. A perimeter loop is ~5 km, but you could easily put together a 7-8 km run on the crisscrossing paths. The trails are a mix of paved and gravel. with good footing. There are kiosks with maps in the park. 

Add-Ons: There are numerous ways to add more running in this area. At the northewestern end of Scharpenacken, you can use Vorwerk Park to connect to the Barmer Anlagen, which has a nice network of wide, hilly forest trails. There’s more rugged forest running in Barmer Wald and even more in the Murmelbach Valley.