Comana MTB Purple 34 km Comana - L. Comana - Pd. Comana - Comana

Route length - 34 km. Offroad / gravel road - 28 km; asphalt / concrete slabs - 6 km

--- description, map & pics by FB page 'Pe verde, in natura - hike, MTB, outdoor-fun'

Duration: 6h30m in my case, moderate pace with frequent breaks admiring landscapes, photos, lunch break

The tour took place in June 2020. Bike type: MTB XC hardtail (not an E-bike). Route marking: red cross starting at km 2.8 when entering the forest until km 5.6, where I followed the blue stripe to km 7.7 at the entrance of the modernized gravel road and again the blue stripe between km 14 - 14.7; yellow cross between km 21.2 - 26.4 and red cross between km 30.9 - 33.4.

One of the few trails near Bucharest that gives me a somewhat mountain-like feeling, this map having a decent number of climbs and descents even if quite short. The tour starts with a very beautiful landscape - a tour of the Comana Adventure Park - with a path that takes you along the bank of the Neajlov Delta (Balta Comana), among water lilies.

The first 2 km of the tour are on asphalt, after which we entered the gravel road leading to the ornithological observatory, and at 2.5 km we turned left onto the dirt path that enters the forest with a red cross marking. Up to 6.8 km - at the stream crossing - the road mainly follows dirt forestry paths - a very flowy and pleasant trail through the forest; from km 5.6 I continued on the blue cross marking, and from the stream the road is a single trail up to km 7.7 - where I turned right onto the modernized gravel road - from where I faced two demanding climbs - about 250 meters for the first, 150 meters for the second.

Next came a wilder section of trail (I liked it also because it spices up a typical lowland tour) between km 9.4 - 12.6 - with a trail whose texture seemed appropriate for MTB but with vegetation that in certain places extends more prominently onto the trail, returning to the modernized gravel road at 12.6 km and after a succession of dirt forestry paths in the same forest area adjacent to Balta Comana and a brief foray into a forest section situated between DJ 603 and DJ 413, it was time for another wilder section of the trail between km 21.2 - 26.4 (which I liked even more than the one between km 9.4 - 12.6; here the texture of the trail seemed appropriate for MTB and the same - with vegetation that in some places began to encroach onto the trail) located south of DJ 603.

At km 21.2 I turned right onto a dirt forestry road - at that point there were three paths in the forest leading in the same direction - I took the third and continued from there on the yellow cross marking - an area of forest with a lot of tranquility that I liked a lot, a rolling trail that I ended with a tough 300 meter climb and a descent back to DJ 603 of about 150 meters.

At km 27.6 I entered the forest next to Balta Comana and after a demanding 200 meter climb at km 29.1 followed by a 700 meter descent, I reached km 30.5 at the gravel road that connects the Adventure Park with the ornithological observatory, where I made a small detour to the viewpoint - crossing over the wooden bridge with railings to admire the Neajlov Delta from above from the wooden observation tower, which is also wooden (the ornithological observatory is higher, before entering this bridge) - and in 3 km I was back at the place where I started my bike ride - time for a lunch at one of the terraces by the lake.

A fairly complex tour for the lowland area, I really liked it; relaxing, with a good portion of climbs and descents, a trail that takes you mostly through the forest.

Car access. I chose to come from Bucharest via DN 5 with an exit via Soseaua Giurgiului, I turned left onto DN 5A at the entrance to the village of Adunatii Copaceni, right onto DJ 412A in the village of Gradistea and left onto DJ 411 where I continued to the village of Comana.

Have fun :)