Running trails in Yuma, AZ
Yuma has 15 trails in the directory — 1 paved and 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 2 loops that return to the trailhead, 1 with a stated distance, 6 shaded, and 2 open 24 hours. 10 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 7,515 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.
West Wetlands Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 2,692 reviews
Sprawling riverfront park featuring playgrounds, multi-use trails, grassy areas for sports & a pond.
Gateway Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,536 reviews
Riverside beach park featuring fishing docks, picnic shelters, restrooms & a playground.
Ray Smucker Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 906 reviews
Community park offering a walking trail, large playground, picnic shelters & fitness equipment.
Joe Henry Memorial Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 476 reviews
Green space offering playgrounds & a volleyball court, plus ball fields & picnic shelters with BBQs.
Carver Park Track
4.4 ★★★★☆ 475 reviews
Park with picnic and playground areas, as well as facilities for basketball, tennis, handball, and baseball.
Telegraph Pass Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 430 reviews
Hiking area with various trails, from kid-friendly options to challenging inclines.
Sanguinetti Memorial Park
4.2 ★★★★☆ 384 reviews
Park with 3 covered pavilions with grills & picnic tables, a playground & a volleyball court.
Pacific Avenue Athletic Complex
4.4 ★★★★☆ 280 reviews
Grassy, well-maintained fields, plus a playground and a picnic area for parties, games, baseball and softball tournaments, snack shacks, restrooms, a concession stand and a fishing pond.
East Wetlands Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 88 reviews
Hiking, biking, and birding are available at this park with trails, a beach, and picnic areas.
Riverside Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 86 reviews
Park featuring a miniature train, a playground, picnic facilities, and a beach.
Sunrise Point Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 75 reviews
Popular park featuring picnic tables and a public restroom, plus trails and river views.
Jesters Trail Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 44 reviews
Desert hiking area with a trail that's appropriate for various skill levels.
West Wetlands Hike Bike Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 9 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Yuma
- Match the surface to your legs. Yuma gives you a choice: 1 paved, 1 crushed gravel, and 1 mixed. 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? 2 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. The longest stated distance in Yuma is Ray Smucker Park at 1 mi.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 2 trails in Yuma are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 10 of the 15 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 5 have trailhead parking, 9 have restrooms, and 1 has a water fountain in Yuma. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 6 shaded, 5 that runners describe as quiet, 3 dog-friendly, and 2 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 Yuma trails by type
Running trails near Yuma
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.