The Celik 3 trail is a medium-length loop trail (29km), which starts and ends at the exit from the village of Telița towards Frecăței (the landmark is the bus station). The road crosses the Valea Morilor (along the Telița stream), climbs the plateau with Dobrogean steppe vegetation above the village of Niculițel and descends towards the village of Telița through the North Dobrogean forests (characterized by a wide variety of tree and plant species).
We start from the edge of the village, on a paved road, and after 600m we enter Valea Morilor (after a short climb). For the next 8 kilometers, the road winds parallel to the Telița stream, which sometimes forms small and surprising meanders, with 180-degree turns. The trees on the side of the road form a green tunnel of vegetation, protecting us from the sun. Near the exit to road 229, before the last climb (km 8.5), on the right side of the road, hidden under the bank of the earth, there is a small circular spring, but it can dry up during dry periods.
At kilometer 9 of the route we intersect county road 229 and turn right onto the asphalt. We continue for 1 km and leave the road, following the cobblestone road that goes to the left (with a sign “to the monastery”). On this road we will be careful not to miss the intersection of Monastery/Nifon at km 10.9, where we choose the option to the right (Nifon) but do not go more than 100m and turn onto the first road through the forest, to the right. We go north for about 1200m, parallel to the forest edge, and exit at km 12.2 on a yellow dirt road in the area with steppe vegetation typical of rocky hills. After another 700m of sustained climbing, we reach the highest point of the route – the Niculițel Plateau. Here we will make a mandatory stop for photos, hydration and food, because the landscape is extraordinary, offering a panoramic view. To the north, beyond the town of Niculițel and the Danube, we can see the Yalpug and Kugurlui lakes in Ukraine, as well as Saon, Rotund and Telincea from the Romanian side – part of the upper Danube delta. After this well-deserved stop, we continue to the right, descending, until kilometer 13.7 where we intersect road 229 again. To the left we reach Niculițel, but we will turn right and after 200m we leave the asphalt to go straight ahead (the road has a right curve at that place). We climb gently for about 300m and then descend to km 14.9, where we will be careful to turn left and follow the path through the forest, descending for another 500 meters. At the end of this descent, at the base of the hill, we will turn left and continue to follow the road which, after about 400m, has a serpentine path going up to the right (as a landmark). At kilometer 17, the road will come a few meters closer to DJ229, but we will turn right through the forest on a relatively busy road. From here, it is best to rely on the GPS and the track available, because the forest is full of small paths that split and come together, making it relatively difficult to navigate. However, we cannot get lost if we follow the east-northeast direction, and to get out to the paved road on Valea Morilor faster, it is enough to follow any more busy road to the right (to the south).
If we followed the route correctly, we will exit at kilometer 22.7, in a wide clearing, and we will continue to the right on the dirt road which after another 300m becomes paved and takes us to the road from Valea Morilor, where we came from. At the intersection (km 26.8) we turn left and head towards the end of the route, at the bus stop at the intersection with DJ229A.