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Running trails in Ridgefield, CT
Ridgefield has 7 trails in the directory — 1 paved and 2 on crushed gravel or dirt, 2 loops that return to the trailhead, 1 with a stated distance, and 2 open 24 hours. 4 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 318 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.
Hemlock Hills
4.6 ★★★★★ 101 reviews
Famous beauty spot popular with hikers & mountain bikers for its challenging trails & great views.
Bennetts Pond State Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 71 reviews
State park with trails for hiking and mountain biking, plus lakes and abundant wildlife.
Seth Low Pierrepont State Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 54 reviews
Lush state park with hiking access from multiple parking lots, plus lake boating/fishing launches.
Sturges Park
4.9 ★★★★★ 12 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Ridgefield
- Match the surface to your legs. Ridgefield 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? 2 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 Ridgefield is Bennetts Pond State Park at 3 mi.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 2 trails in Ridgefield are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 4 of the 7 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 3 have trailhead parking, 2 have restrooms, and 1 has a water fountain in Ridgefield. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 3 with mile markers and 3 dog-friendly. 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 Ridgefield trails by type
Running trails near Ridgefield
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.