Running trails in Augusta, GA
Augusta has 17 trails in the directory — 3 paved, 1 boardwalk, 3 shaded, and 3 open 24 hours. 10 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 9,685 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.
Riverwalk Augusta
4.6 ★★★★★ 4,165 reviews
Riverfront park with brick walking paths, plus a splash fountain, playground & nearby amenities.
Phinizy Swamp Nature Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,647 reviews
Forest & swampland featuring multiuse trails, plus a science facility offering classes & events.
Pendleton King Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 1,303 reviews
This 64-acre bird sanctuary provides a disc golf course, nature trails, playgrounds & tennis courts.
Aqueduct Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 644 reviews
Park featuring a 19th-century granite aqueduct, plus a waterfall, swimming & rock climbing.
Brookfield Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 636 reviews
Family park offering walking trails, multiple playgrounds, a fountain and a dog-friendly atmosphere.
Lake Olmstead Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 371 reviews
Canal, water and riverside trails for hiking, biking and fishing, plus a waterfall.
Eisenhower Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 261 reviews
Clean recreation area featuring ball fields and a playground, plus a trail to a waterfall.
Augusta Canal Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 180 reviews
Scenic route for hikers, runners and bikers (including family groups), with a paved, shaded path and wildlife sightings.
The Clearing Savannah Rapids
4.8 ★★★★★ 125 reviews
Popular destination for biking and kayaking, with picnic tables and restrooms.
Mill Village Trailhead - Augusta Canal
4.5 ★★★★★ 41 reviews
Canal Singletrack South Trailhead
4.6 ★★★★★ 15 reviews
Augusta canal trail bridges
4.2 ★★★★☆ 13 reviews
Canal Singletrack North Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 10 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Augusta
- Match the surface to your legs. Augusta gives you a choice: 3 paved, 2 mixed, and 1 boardwalk. 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? A loop finishes back at the car with no backtracking; on an out-and-back you simply turn round at half your distance.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 3 trails in Augusta are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 10 of the 17 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 6 have trailhead parking, 12 have restrooms, and 4 have a water fountain in Augusta. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 3 shaded, 6 that runners describe as quiet, 5 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 Augusta trails by type
Running trails near Augusta
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.