Running trails in Parker, CO
Parker has 14 trails in the directory — 1 paved and 2 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, 2 with a stated distance, and 3 open 24 hours. 9 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 603 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.
Tallman Meadow Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 185 reviews
12-acre green space featuring a picnic shelter & playground, plus a multi-use field & hiking trails.
Deer Trail Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 24 reviews
High Plains Trail bridge
4.8 ★★★★★ 9 reviews
Cherry Creek Trail
4.5 ★★★★★ 8 reviews
Cherry Creek Trail
5 ★★★★★ 5 reviews
Discovery Park Trail (Trailhead)
4.5 ★★★★★ 2 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Parker
- Match the surface to your legs. Parker gives you a choice: 2 natural surface and 1 paved. 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? 1 trail here is a loop, 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 Parker is Preservation Park & Trailhead at 17 mi. 2 trails are long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 3 trails in Parker are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 9 of the 14 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. 5 have trailhead parking, 3 have restrooms, and 1 has a water fountain in Parker. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 1 with mile markers, 1 that runners describe as quiet, 3 dog-friendly, and 1 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 Parker trails by type
- Natural surface trails
- Paved trails
- Loop trails
- Long-run trails (5+ mi)
- Lit for early & night runs
- Flat & fast
- Hilly trails
- Scenic trails
- Trails with restrooms
- Trails with water fountains
- Trailhead parking
- Trails with mile markers
- Quiet, uncrowded trails
- Dog-friendly
- Stroller & wheelchair-accessible
Running trails near Parker
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.