Running trails in Denver, CO
Denver has 29 trails in the directory — 4 paved and 5 on crushed gravel or dirt, 5 loops that return to the trailhead, 1 with a stated distance, 2 shaded, and 3 open 24 hours. 21 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 30,800 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.
Denver City Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 12,443 reviews
This expansive greenspace has amenities such as a zoo, museum & golf course, plus areas for hiking.
Sloan's Lake Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 6,444 reviews
Denver's 2nd largest park, with jogging paths & grassy spots around a boating-friendly lake.
Confluence Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 3,180 reviews
Placid riverside park featuring benches, grassy lawns, biking & walking trails, plus a kayak run.
Berkeley Lake Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,789 reviews
Outdoor recreation area encircling a fishing lake with a paved path, tennis courts & a dog run.
Rocky Mountain Lake Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,732 reviews
A park with a looped trail around a lake, plus a playground & baseball, football & softball fields.
Harvard Gulch Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 829 reviews
A park & recreation center with grassy areas, trails, a swimming pool, athletic fields & workshops.
City of Cuernavaca Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 791 reviews
Skinny city park by the river with picnic tables, biking & hiking with urban views
Cherry Creek Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 710 reviews
Creekside greenspace offering relaxed walking & bicycling paths & some tree cover.
Bluff Lake Nature Center
4.5 ★★★★★ 718 reviews
Walk-friendly place popular for wildlife viewing, plus a scenic lake and educational events for kids.
George M. Wallace Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 585 reviews
City park running along the Goldsmith Gulch, featuring trails, benches & a playground.
Sanderson Gulch Park & Trail
4.2 ★★★★☆ 371 reviews
Park offering open, grassy space with picnic tables, plus a paved trail for biking & running.
Hentzell (Paul A) Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 246 reviews
71-acre area featuring paths through a rustic prairie landscape with native grasses & wildflowers.
High Line Canal Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 151 reviews
Flat, 60-mile-plus trail for bicyclists, runners and pedestrians that extends to Highland Ranch.
Prairie Gateway Open Space
4.7 ★★★★★ 110 reviews
Tranquil nature area encompassing trails, prairies and a bison herd.
Lake Mary Loop Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 99 reviews
Park and wildlife refuge featuring wildflowers, birding, fishing, and hiking.
Colorado Front Range Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 91 reviews
Peaceful park with trails for walking and biking along a river.
Rocky Mountain Arsenal - Lake Ladora hike
4.7 ★★★★★ 89 reviews
Hiking area with picnic facilities known for its population of bison.
Cherry Creek Hike/Bike Path
4.6 ★★★★★ 77 reviews
Maintained trail for cycling and walking, featuring some murals and rapid spots.
Weir Gulch Park
4.1 ★★★★☆ 79 reviews
Local green space featuring a stream, hiking trail, bike path, playground & basketball court.
Smith Road Trailhead
4.6 ★★★★★ 44 reviews
Recreational area featuring kid-friendly hiking trails and opportunities for walking and biking.
Speer Blvd Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 45 reviews
Dog-friendly park with grassy patches and a walking trail. Also boasts a bike trail.
Barnes Hiking Trail
4.4 ★★★★☆ 28 reviews
Dog-friendly hiking area offering a loop trail with unmaintained upper portions.
Clear Creek Trail
4.1 ★★★★☆ 24 reviews
Sanderson Gulch Trail
4.3 ★★★★☆ 20 reviews
Cherry creek trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 12 reviews
Goldsmith Gulch Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 12 reviews
Cherry Creek Trail
4.9 ★★★★★ 10 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Denver
- Match the surface to your legs. Denver gives you a choice: 5 natural surface, 4 paved, and 3 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 natural surface trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 5 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 Denver is High Line Canal Trail at 60 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 3 trails in Denver are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 21 of the 29 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 1 is lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 14 have trailhead parking, 4 have restrooms, and 1 has a water fountain in Denver. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 2 shaded, 8 that runners describe as quiet, 18 dog-friendly, and 5 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 Denver trails by type
Running trails near Denver
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.