Running trails in Stuart, FL
Stuart has 17 trails in the directory — 4 paved and 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 4 boardwalk, 4 loops that return to the trailhead, 2 with a stated distance, 5 shaded, and 2 open 24 hours. 15 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 7,380 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.
Sandsprit Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 2,135 reviews
Public park with a playground, picnic area, boardwalk, fishing, and boat ramps.
Halpatiokee Regional Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,610 reviews
Park with tennis courts, soccer & baseball fields, a disc golf course & rink surrounded by wetlands.
Shepard Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 771 reviews
Waterfront green space with a boat launch & dock offering fishing, walking & picnicking with grills.
Memorial Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 635 reviews
Tranquil park offering grassy areas, foot paths, a pond with a fountain & U.S. war memorials.
Twin Rivers Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 534 reviews
Waterfront patch with picnic tables and benches plus a boardwalk for strolling.
Seabranch Preserve State Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 358 reviews
Recreation site with 4 natural habitats, 4 miles of trails, wildlife views & a picnic table.
Kiplinger Nature Preserve
4.6 ★★★★★ 271 reviews
Quaint refuge abutting the St. Lucie River featuring numerous trails, gardens & native fauna.
Cove Road Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 254 reviews
Peaceful park offering a pavilion, picnic tables, a kayak launch, and a swimming area.
Mary Brogan Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 161 reviews
Park featuring a basketball court and skate ramps along with a playground and picnic tables.
Atlantic Ridge Preserve State Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 135 reviews
Rustic nature reserve offering hiking & horseback-riding trails through pine woods, palms & marshes.
Haney Creek Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 112 reviews
Park featuring trails and picnic tables, plus a fenced-in dog area.
Maggy's Hammock Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 102 reviews
Wooded park with picnic spots, playgrounds and a playground area.
Joe's River Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 98 reviews
Relaxed, mangrove-filled riverside spot featuring fishing docks, barbecues and picnic tables.
Stuart Boardwalk
4.7 ★★★★★ 51 reviews
Park featuring a boardwalk along the river with views of the water and a bridge.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Stuart
- Match the surface to your legs. Stuart gives you a choice: 4 paved, 4 boardwalk, 4 mixed, and 1 natural surface. 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? 4 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 Stuart is Delaplane Preserve Park at 4 mi.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 2 trails in Stuart are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 15 of the 17 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 3 are lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 11 have trailhead parking, 10 have restrooms, and 4 have a water fountain in Stuart. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 5 shaded, 2 with mile markers, 5 that runners describe as quiet, 8 dog-friendly, and 11 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 Stuart trails by type
- Paved trails
- Boardwalk trails
- Mixed trails
- Natural surface trails
- Loop trails
- Shaded trails
- Lit for early & night runs
- Flat & fast
- 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 Stuart
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.