Running trails in Palm Coast, FL
Palm Coast has 15 trails in the directory — 3 paved and 3 on crushed gravel or dirt, 3 boardwalk, 7 loops that return to the trailhead, 3 with a stated distance, 6 shaded, and 1 open 24 hours. 11 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 9,332 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.
Washington Oaks Gardens State Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 4,393 reviews
Park with hiking & biking paths offers a range of outdoor activities among gardens & live oak trees.
River to Sea Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,299 reviews
Uncrowded, scenic beach with a boardwalk for viewing, along with trails through palm forests.
Princess Place Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,278 reviews
2,200-acre riverside preserve with a 19th-century lodge & hiking, biking & equestrian trails.
Waterfront Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 879 reviews
Riverside park offering a fishing pier, walking/biking trails & a children's playground.
Pellicer Creek Conservation Area
4.5 ★★★★★ 423 reviews
This 3,000-acre tract of land offers nature viewing, fishing, hiking, boating & primitive camping.
Graham Swamp East Trailhead MTB
4.8 ★★★★★ 282 reviews
Park offering multiple hiking trails for all levels, from mellow to challenging, as well as scenic views.
Long Creek Nature Preserve
4.6 ★★★★★ 267 reviews
Conservation area with access for canoes & kayaks, saltwater fishing, walking trails & wildlife.
Mala Compra MTB Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 156 reviews
Park with bike trails for different skill levels, as well as opportunities for disc golf.
Lehigh Greenway Rail Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 147 reviews
Paved hiking and biking trail in a scenic area with wildlife, benches, and a dog park.
Lehigh Trail Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 109 reviews
Paved, shaded trail for walking, biking, and hiking, with benches and parking.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Palm Coast
- Match the surface to your legs. Palm Coast gives you a choice: 3 paved, 3 natural surface, 3 boardwalk, 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 paved trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 7 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 Palm Coast is Lehigh Trail Trailhead at 8 mi. 2 trails are long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 1 trail in Palm Coast is open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 11 of the 15 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 2 are lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 9 have trailhead parking, 6 have restrooms, and 2 have a water fountain in Palm Coast. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 6 shaded, 6 that runners describe as quiet, 3 dog-friendly, and 4 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 Palm Coast trails by type
- Paved trails
- Natural surface trails
- Boardwalk trails
- Mixed trails
- Loop trails
- Long-run trails (5+ mi)
- Shaded trails
- Lit for early & night runs
- Flat & fast
- Hilly trails
- Scenic trails
- Trails with restrooms
- Trails with water fountains
- Trailhead parking
- Quiet, uncrowded trails
- Dog-friendly
- Stroller & wheelchair-accessible
Running trails near Palm Coast
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.