Though you’d hardly guess it from the gridlock on Route 1 and the dense urban development along it, College Park is home to a collection of parks and trails accessible to students seeking a place to run or bike or simply to escape from the constant commotion of the rest of the city.

One of the most popular locations is the Paint Branch Trail, which runs behind the north side of the campus before crossing Route 1 near the A.V. Williams Building and winding through the woods to Lake Artemesia. There, it connects with a 1.4-mile loop around the lake.

Ambitious runners also take on trails such as the Sligo Creek trail, which winds through the woods surrounding the creek off Adelphi Road, and the Northwest Branch trail, which carries runners through Silver Spring and Wheaton, said Clarice Ahn, co-president of Terp Runners, the school’s official running club.

Terp Runners connects students not only with other runners but also with the various trails that zig-zag on and off the campus, Ahn said.

“There are a lot more trails than people would think,” Ahn said. “When I first came to school I thought that I didn’t want to run around campus, but I didn’t think that there would be any other places to run.”

At the heart of the Anacostia Tributary Trail System, Lake Artemesia highlights the contrast between the town’s urban landscape and its hidden beauty.

The lake was formed during the construction of Metro’s Green Line, when sand excavation connected several ponds in the area, said Kevin Beale, nature facility manager for Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation. The result was a 38-acre lake just east of the tracks.

While the passing of Metro trains provides a constant reminder of the urban landscape, the lake’s surrounding shaded path offer a sense of escape to the park’s visitors.

Hidden a mile off the campus, the lake is generally unknown to new students, Ahn said. Nevertheless, runners from throughout the university and the surrounding community flock to it. The lake attracts 100,000 visitors annually, Beale said.

Lake Artemesia is especially popular in the fall, said Terp Runners co-president Casey Campbell.

“All the leaves are changing colors and it’s nice and quiet,” Campbell said. “It’s real busy around campus so it’s nice to be able to get away and enjoy some of the nature.”

Wood ducks, mallards and bluebirds populate the woods around the lake and water lilies thrive inside the lake.

Despite the trail’s beauty, Lake Artemesia does have a record of crime, occurring most frequently in the parking lot where Paint Branch Trail meets the lake, Beale said.

“There have been isolated reported incidences of crime,” he said. “I’ve heard of break-ins, robberies and attempted muggings.”

Still, the lake does not have a major crime problem and, with simple precautions, runners can remain safe, Beale said.

“Don’t wear any iPods or earphones because then you can’t hear the people coming up from behind,” he said. “You need to be aware of your surroundings.”

A map of the Anacostia Tributary Trail System is available online at www.pgparks.com/places/parks/anacostia.html.

Contact reporter Ben Slivnick at newsdesk@dbk.umd.edu.