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Best running trails in District of Columbia
Ranked by the runners who actually run there — Google rating weighted by review volume, across 15,475 reviews of District of Columbia trails. A trail needs at least 25 reviews to qualify (10 in District of Columbia do) and each name appears once. Nobody pays for a place. Updated 2026.
The 10 below run across 1 city, 3 of them natural surface, 1 a loop, 3 shaded, and 1 with a stated distance. This is a popularity ranking, not a difficulty score — for what a trail is actually like underfoot, open its page for surface, loop distance, shade, lighting, restrooms and parking.
East Potomac Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 5,082 reviews
Storied, 395-acre park with a golf course, fishing & picnic areas, plus tennis courts & ball fields.
Rock Creek Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 4,478 reviews
Urban oasis with hiking trails, tennis & golf, plus ranger-led wildlife programs.
Meridian Hill Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 3,417 reviews
Leafy city park offering a cascading fountain, statues & a tradition of Sunday drum circles.
Roosevelt lsland Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,222 reviews
This island boasting miles of wooded trails is a living memorial to President Theodore Roosevelt.
Glover Archbold Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 273 reviews
Forest parkland offering miles of trails for runners & walkers through canopied trees.
Rock Creek Trail Juniper Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 154 reviews
Dog-friendly, scenic park featuring well-kept trails for walking and hiking as well as a river and a beach.
Battery Kemble Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 147 reviews
This 1861 park has remnants of a Civil War battery that held a parapet & 100-pound Parrott rifles.
Oxon Run Park
4.2 ★★★★☆ 85 reviews
Metropolitan Branch Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 40 reviews
City park for biking, walking, and enjoying works of art.
Where these trails are
The cities in this ranking, if you'd rather start from where you live.
All 23 trails in District of Columbia → Best trails in other states →