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Running trails in Connecticut
790 trails across 161 cities in Connecticut, with the most in Madison, Guilford, and Manchester — including 142 natural surface, 154 loops, 30 shaded, and 27 long enough for a 5-mile run. Every listing shows the things runners actually decide on: surface, loop distance, shade, lighting, restrooms, water and trailhead parking. Pick a city for the full local list, or filter the Connecticut trails below.
Cities in Connecticut
Every city and town in Connecticut with a running trail in the directory, most trails first.
- Madison
- Guilford
- Manchester
- Glastonbury
- Tolland
- New Haven
- Simsbury
- Southbury
- West Hartford
- Branford
- Bristol
- Middletown
- Meriden
- Avon
- Berlin
- Fairfield
- Hamden
- Wilton
- Danbury
- Farmington
- Greenwich
- New Canaan
- New Milford
- Cheshire
- East Granby
- Groton
- Newtown
- Storrs
- Torrington
- Trumbull
- Wallingford
- Waterbury
- Watertown
- Bloomfield
- Bridgeport
- Colchester
- Darien
- East Hartford
- Ledyard
- Norwalk
- Old Lyme
- Ridgefield
- Shelton
- South Windsor
- Southington
- Wethersfield
- Bethel
- Derby
- Enfield
- Mansfield Center
- Milford
- Naugatuck
- North Haven
- North Stonington
- Norwich
- Rocky Hill
- Seymour
- Stamford
- Stratford
- Westport
- Brookfield
- Coventry
- Cromwell
- Danielson
- Dayville
- Ellington
- Granby
- Lyme
- Monroe
- Mystic
- New Britain
- New Fairfield
- Newington
- Old Greenwich
- Orange
- Plainville
- Redding
- Somers
- Stonington
- West Simsbury
- West Suffield
- Windsor
- Windsor Locks
- Litchfield
- Niantic
- Old Saybrook
- Oxford
- South Glastonbury
- West Haven
- Weston
- Beacon Falls
- Clinton
- New London
- North Granby
- Plantsville
- Sandy Hook
- Thompson
- Unionville
- Vernon
- Willimantic
- Wolcott
- Woodbridge
- Ansonia
- Burlington
- East Hampton
- East Lyme
- Griswold
- Hampton
- Hartford
- Kent
- Lebanon
- Lisbon
- Plymouth
- Putnam
- Stafford Springs
- Suffield
- Thomaston
- Voluntown
- Waterford
- West Granby
- Windham
- Winsted
- Woodbury
- Ashford
- Barkhamsted
- Bethany
- Bethlehem
- Bolton
- Bozrah
- Broad Brook
- Brooklyn
- Canterbury
- Canton
- Chester
- Collinsville
- Cos Cob
- East Haddam
- East Haven
- Gales Ferry
- Harwinton
- Higganum
- Killingworth
- Middlebury
- Middlefield
- Moosup
- New Hartford
- North Branford
- North Franklin
- North Grosvenor Dale
- North Windham
- Northford
- Pawcatuck
- Pomfret Center
- Preston
- Quaker Hill
- Roxbury
- Salem
- South Kent
- Terryville
- Uncasville
- Washington Depot
Notable running trails in Connecticut
The Connecticut trails runners review most, ranked by rating weighted by review volume. Filter by surface, loop, distance, shade or lighting to narrow to the run you're actually planning. See the full best-of-Connecticut ranking →
Seaside Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 5,174 reviews
This 325-acre park features beaches, grassy areas & sports fields, plus an island wildlife preserve.
Elizabeth Park Conservancy
4.7 ★★★★★ 4,748 reviews
Park known for its circa-1904 rose garden, which also houses greenhouses, tennis courts & a pond.
Lighthouse Point Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 3,691 reviews
An 1847 lighthouse anchors this beachfront that is popular with swimmers & a prime birding spot.
Hubbard Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 3,409 reviews
1,800-acre park featuring a scenic lake, event bandshell, skating rink, tennis court & playground.
Harkness Memorial State Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 3,148 reviews
1906 mansion with lawns & landscaped gardens, plus views of Long Island Sound; guided tours offered.
Silver Sands State Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 3,263 reviews
Wildlife thrives at this Long Island Sound beach park with fishing, swimming & a boardwalk.
Sherwood Island State Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 3,233 reviews
235 acres on the coast offering beaches for swimming & fishing, plus picnic areas & a 9/11 memorial.
Hammonasset Beach State Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 2,777 reviews
Popular destination features a 2-mile-long beach with a boardwalk, boat launch & 550 campsites.
East Rock Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 2,730 reviews
A 425-acre park offering scenic views of New Haven, wooded hiking trails, fields & picnic areas.
Wickham Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 2,506 reviews
Private, nonprofit park offering gardens, woodlands, an aviary, playgrounds & sports facilities.
Wadsworth Falls State Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 2,371 reviews
Swimming pool & trails in a picnic-ready park that contains a waterfall, streams & a pond.
Bluff Point State Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 2,039 reviews
Peninsula offers over 800 acres of hiking & biking, plus fishing & wildlife on Long Island Sound.
Sleeping Giant State Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,988 reviews
State park with hiking trails up a ridge whose uneven profile is thought to evoke a sleeping giant.
Devil's Hopyard State Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,949 reviews
860 acres of rocky forest, crisscrossed by hiking trails & highlighted by 60-ft.-high Chapman Falls.
Long Wharf Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 1,833 reviews
Narrow area on the water offering walking paths, benches & a pier with historic schooner replicas.
Scalzi Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,623 reviews
Ample green space with facilities for basketball, tennis, baseball, skateboarding, walking & more.
Walnut Hill Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,537 reviews
Large park featuring a rose garden and tennis courts, plus a playground and baseball fields.
Cove Island
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,493 reviews
Sprawling island park with sand beaches & cycling paths, plus abundant waterfowl & a nature center.
Jennings Beach
4.5 ★★★★★ 1,498 reviews
Wide, sandy stretch on the Long Island Sound with a lifeguard, snack bar, showers & restrooms.
Black Rock State Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 1,474 reviews
439-ac. park featuring multiple campsites, hiking trails & ponds for fishing & swimming.
Talcott Mountain State Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,378 reviews
Vast park featuring miles of trails, varied wildlife & a 165-ft. tower offering panoramic views.
Mohegan Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,423 reviews
Spacious hangout with a laid-back vibe, a swimming area, playgrounds & walking trails.
Great River Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 1,439 reviews
Riverside park featuring lighted walkways & exercise stations, plus an amphitheater & a boat launch.
Stanley Quarter Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 1,376 reviews
This tranquil park has a fishing lake & trails along with ball fields & a skate park & playground.
Niantic Boardwalk
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,299 reviews
Popular oceanfront park featuring a boardwalk, plus train views and sandy stretches for swimming.
Indian Well State Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 1,281 reviews
Housatonic River park with a swimming beach, a brook & waterfall, hiking trails & picnic areas.
Southford Falls State Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,216 reviews
Park, with ponds and waterfalls plus trails, a watchtower and a covered bridge.
Squantz Pond State Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,207 reviews
Family-friendly spot with activities such as hiking, picnicking, fishing, and swimming, plus a public restroom.
Charter Oak Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,155 reviews
Wooded park featuring a playground with slides and a zip line, as well as tennis and basketball courts.
No trails match those filters.
Connecticut trails by surface
Surface is the biggest split in trail running — asphalt is fast and predictable, crushed limestone is softer but still smooth, dirt is easiest on the joints and the most fun, boardwalk is flat and scenic but slick when wet.
More ways to find a trail in Connecticut
- Best running trails in Connecticut — the state-wide ranking from runner reviews
- Loop trails — 154 in Connecticut come back to the trailhead without backtracking
- Long-run trails (5+ miles) — 27 in Connecticut are long enough for a proper long run
- Shaded trails — 30 in Connecticut keep tree cover over the path for summer miles
- Lit trails — 39 in Connecticut have lighting for pre-dawn and post-work runs
- Trails with restrooms — 163 in Connecticut, and 39 with water fountains
- Trailhead parking — 362 in Connecticut have parking at the trailhead
- Dog-friendly trails — 309 in Connecticut you can run with a dog
- Stroller & wheelchair-accessible — 89 in Connecticut are smooth and wide enough
- Scenic trails — 415 in Connecticut runners single out for the views
- Browse by surface — paved, crushed limestone, natural dirt or boardwalk
- All trail features — loops, shade, lighting, restrooms, mile markers and more
- Running trails by state — the rest of the country
- Trail-running guides — surfaces and your knees, loop vs out-and-back, trail etiquette, running before dawn
Trail features in Connecticut
- Scenic Running Trails
- Trails with Trailhead Parking
- Dog-Friendly Running Trails
- Quiet, Uncrowded Trails
- Trails with Restrooms
- Loop Trails (No Backtracking)
- Hilly Trails & Hill Workouts
- Trails with Mile Markers
- Stroller & Wheelchair-Accessible Trails
- Flat & Fast Running Trails
- Lit Trails for Early & Night Runs
- Trails with Water Fountains
- Shaded Running Trails
- Long-Run Trails (5+ Miles)