Best running trails in Maine
Ranked by the runners who actually run there — Google rating weighted by review volume, across 37,209 reviews of Maine trails. A trail needs at least 25 reviews to qualify (58 in Maine do) and each name appears once. Nobody pays for a place. Updated 2026.
The 20 below run across 11 cities, 7 of them natural surface, 5 loops, and 5 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.
Bug Light Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 2,563 reviews
Nearly 9 acres of green space with harbor & skyline views, plus a tiny lighthouse built in 1875.
Bangor City Forest
4.8 ★★★★★ 856 reviews
650-acre recreational area featuring hiking & cross-country ski trails & a bog boardwalk.
Cascade Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 912 reviews
Scenic park featuring a picnic area & fountain, plus trails through a variety of pine trees.
Fort Foster
4.7 ★★★★★ 710 reviews
Scenic area with military fort ruins, lighthouse views, trails, picnic spots & 3 small sand beaches.
Western Promenade
4.7 ★★★★★ 606 reviews
18.1-acre park featuring scenic trails around bluffs, plus statues & stately 19th-century homes.
Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary
4.7 ★★★★★ 570 reviews
Hiking trails, various bird species & a stone fire pit in a nature preserve with woods & meadows.
North Street Recreation Area
4.5 ★★★★★ 587 reviews
Recreation spot with a playground, soccer and basketball fields, trails, tennis courts, a pool, and a water park.
Broadway Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 564 reviews
Grassy park with an outdoor gym, playground and shady benches.
Capitol Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 451 reviews
Public park with mature trees & extensive lawns standing in the shadow of the Capitol Building.
Hayford Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 384 reviews
Public park offering amenities such as a playground, picnic tables, and a skateboard area, as well as baseball fields and a pool.
Cliff Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 322 reviews
Oceanfront trail through the forest, with a steep cliff drop-off and an overlook.
Presumpscot River Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 240 reviews
Tranquil riverside park with a waterfall, hiking trails, for-leash dogs and open spaces.
Eastern Promenade Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 243 reviews
Scenic waterside trail that leads to a beach that’s dog-friendly.
Riverbank Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 249 reviews
Scenic park featuring a playground, slides, swings, and kayak rentals.
Fore River Sanctuary
4.7 ★★★★★ 231 reviews
Tranquil hiking trail with a waterfall winding through woods, marsh and bridges.
Quarry Road Trails
4.7 ★★★★★ 224 reviews
Lush area offering many trails for hiking, biking and snow sports.
Hinckley Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 223 reviews
City park with trails and ponds featuring off-leash zones for dogs.
Shaw Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 222 reviews
Country park with a ball field, playground, trails, swimming, canoe and kayak launch, and fishing.
Androscoggin Riverlands State Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 219 reviews
Relaxed state park featuring marked trails for hiking and ATVs, plus picnic tables.
Mayor Baxter Woods
4.6 ★★★★★ 211 reviews
Pine forested, dog-friendly park offering shaded trails for walking, running & cycling.
Where these trails are
The cities in this ranking, if you'd rather start from where you live.
- Running trails in South Portland, ME
- Running trails in Bangor, ME
- Running trails in Kittery Point, ME
- Running trails in Portland, ME
- Running trails in Lewiston, ME
- Running trails in Waterville, ME
- Running trails in Augusta, ME
- Running trails in Harpswell, ME
- Running trails in Westbrook, ME
- Running trails in Gorham, ME
- Running trails in Turner, ME