![\"Hike](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/shutterstock_225072574.jpg\")
Shutterstock<\/p>\nWarm weather delivers the perfect excuse to lace up your sneakers and head to a scenic trail for a run. Whether you enjoy keeping up with your running habit while traveling or travel specifically to explore new routes, we consulted the experts to find out the best running trails across the U.S. From parks to hills to mountains, these paths provide picture-perfect backdrops and invigorating challenges for your body.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been a trail runner for over a decade,\u201d says Kaleigh Ray<\/b>, RunDNA certified run coach, biomechanist, and certified exercise physiologist (ACSM) at Treadmill Review Guru. \u201cI think everyone should give trail running a try because you get to see more trails as you are covering more ground quickly. [In addition,] it\u2019s more scenic than road running. You can also run really slow and just enjoy the trip. Trails are so technical that they force you to forget about pace most of the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Kaleigh, hills and mountains present stellar opportunities to boost your aerobic capacity, running economy, and grit, while picturesque routes are ideal for runners who want to build mileage or need assistance sticking with a cardio routine.At the end of the day, all trail runs present a great opportunity to explore a brand new location. So let\u2019s explore the best of the best to add to your bucket list!<\/p>\n
\tGander Trail (Virgin, UT)<\/p>\n
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Get ready to take in the sweeping mountainous views at Gander Trail in Virgin, Utah<\/a>. The trail spans approximately 15.3 miles with an elevation gain of 1,076 feet, so you know you\u2019re getting in a productive workout.<\/p>\n \u201c[Gander] is a great alternative to going to Zion,\u201d Kaleigh points out. \u201cIt\u2019s near popular mountain bike trails, but it\u2019s a lot less technical of a run. It has amazing views. Sections of this trail are also fine for beginner trail runners. You won\u2019t find too many steep inclines along this trail.\u201d<\/p>\n \u200b\u200b 8 Ways To Burn More Calories On Every Walk Without Picking Up the Pace<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \tNorth Fork Trail (Jefferson County, CO)<\/p>\n North Fork Trail<\/a> spans approximately 10.1 miles and serves as the ideal backdrop for mountain bikers, hikers, and runners alike.<\/p>\n \u201cNorth Fork is one of my favorite trails of all time,\u201d Kaleigh shares. \u201cI recommend starting near Reynolds Park so you can finish the trail near the South Platte River. I\u2019ve been known to take a dip after a hard trail run. North Fork has a few challenging climbs and is quite technical in places.\u201d<\/p>\n What Happens to Your Body When You Walk 30 Minutes Every Day<\/a><\/p>\n \tButts Park (Jackson, MS)<\/p>\n As a trail runner who\u2019s spent plenty of time in the deep south, Kaleigh knows how challenging it can be to find solid trails. Enter Butts Park<\/a> in Jackson, Mississippi.<\/p>\n \u201cButts Park has miles of weaving trails that I\u2019ve tread too many times to count,\u201d Kaleigh explains. \u201cIt\u2019s next to Mississippi College\u2019s cross country course, which is one of the best I\u2019ve ever run on, but you\u2019ll need permission if you want to run on it. The area was a German POW camp during WWII, so it\u2019s full of history. The trails are mostly beginner-friendly, but they do have standing water on them with heavy rains.\u201d<\/p>\n 5 Walking Mistakes That Quietly Age Your Body Faster<\/a><\/p>\n \tTiger Mountain Trail (Issaquah, WA)<\/p>\n If you\u2019d consider yourself an advanced runner, Tiger Mountain Trail<\/a> provides an enticing challenge. Along the way, you\u2019ll see beautiful wildflowers, vibrant forest vegetation, rustic signs, and more.<\/p>\n \u201cTiger Mountain is not for the faint of heart,\u201d Kaleigh says. \u201cIt\u2019s a trail I recommend for experienced trail runners. You will be climbing for a long time on this trail, but the view is worth it. The reward is getting to the summit of the mountain.\u201d<\/p>\n \tPre\u2019s Trail (Eugene, Oregon)<\/p>\n Head to Eugene, Oregon to check out Pre\u2019s Trail<\/a>, which is nestled on the north side of the Willamette River.<\/p>\n \u201cNamed after Steve Prefontaine and located in \u2018Track Town USA,\u2019 this trail lives up to its name with a variety of running tracks around Alton Baker Park,\u201d says Trond Nyland<\/b>, functional fitness expert and CEO\/founder at Fynd. \u201cThe Pre\u2019s Trail is a 4-mile-long wood chip running trail that ranges from grasslands to duck ponds and wooded areas that is perfect for soft surface runners.\u201d6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e<\/p>\n \tLady Bird Lake Trail (Austin, Texas)<\/p>\n The Hike and Bike Trail<\/a> at Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas is a popular choice among walkers, runners, and cyclists.<\/p>\n \u201cThis 10-mile loop, also known as the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail, has a breathtaking view of the lake and view of the sun shining while running,\u201d says Trond. \u201cThe trail offers a combination of paved and gravel paths and urban landscapes. To add to that, there\u2019s a boardwalk section nearby as a good resting place, making it a favorite for both short jogs and long runs.\u201d<\/p>\n Alexa Mellardo<\/p>\n \t\tAlexa is a content strategist, editor, and writer based in Greenwich, Connecticut. She has 11+ years of experience creating content for travel, lifestyle, fitness, wellness, F&B, home, and celeb news publications.\t\t\t\t\tRead more about Alexa <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Warm weather delivers the perfect excuse to lace up your sneakers and head to a scenic trail for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":258190,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4322],"tags":[1630,105,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-258189","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-fitness","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114838768872184126","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/258189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=258189"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/258189\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/258190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=258189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=258189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=258189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Idaho](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/shutterstock_1593295510.jpg\")
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