Running trails in Queen Creek, AZ
Queen Creek has 10 trails in the directory — 2 paved and 2 on crushed gravel or dirt, 4 loops that return to the trailhead, and 2 open 24 hours. 6 of them post opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 3,718 Google reviews. Filter by surface, loop, distance, shade or lighting to get to the run you're actually planning — no made-up difficulty score, just the facts you'd check before driving out.
San Tan Mountain Regional Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 2,553 reviews
Over 10,000 acres of desert with hiking/biking trails & a visitor's center with wildlife exhibits.
Desert Mountain Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 649 reviews
This 29-acre park features 2 playgrounds, sports fields, sand volleyball courts & an amphitheater.
Goldmine Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 379 reviews
Rugged hiking and mountain-biking area featuring multiple trails and a scenic overlook.
Rock Peak Wash Trailhead
4.5 ★★★★★ 53 reviews
Sandy but easy trail boasting clear skies from which to observe the night sky, plus equine access.
Queen Creek End
5 ★★★★★ 4 reviews
Queen Creek Multi Use Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 4 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Queen Creek
- Match the surface to your legs. Queen Creek gives you a choice: 2 paved and 2 natural surface. Asphalt and concrete are fast, predictable and runnable year-round but the least forgiving; crushed limestone and dirt take the sting out of high mileage; boardwalk is flat and scenic but slick in the wet. If your shins or knees are complaining, the fix that actually works is varying the surface you run on rather than chasing one "best" one. More paved trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 4 trails here are loops, so you finish back at the car with no backtracking — the easiest way to run a set distance without thinking about it. On an out-and-back you turn round at half your target distance, which makes any trail fit any run.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 2 trails in Queen Creek are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 6 of the 10 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 6 have trailhead parking and 5 have restrooms in Queen Creek. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 2 with mile markers, 2 dog-friendly, and 4 smooth and wide enough for a stroller or a wheelchair. Busy or quiet isn't a good-or-bad thing here: a busy path is the safer choice for a solo run at dawn, a quiet one is better for intervals.
More on all of this in the trail-running guides.
Browse Queen Creek trails by type
Running trails near Queen Creek
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.