Running trails in East Moline, IL
East Moline has 6 trails in the directory — 1 loop that returns to the trailhead and 1 with a stated distance. 5 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 470 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.
Millennium Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 208 reviews
New and clean playground, as well as swings at this cozy park with picnic tables and slides.
Butterworth Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 134 reviews
Sprawling green space for picnics and biking, plus fishing and disc golf.
Illiniwek MTB Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 14 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in East Moline
- Match the surface to your legs. 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.
- Loop or out-and-back? 1 trail here is a loop, 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 East Moline is Amôwa Forest Preserve West Entrance at 1.5 mi.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. Plenty of trails sit inside parks that gate at dusk and don't unlock until well after sunrise, so a trail that's perfect at lunchtime can be locked at 6am. 5 of the 6 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 3 have trailhead parking and 3 have restrooms in East Moline. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 1 with mile markers, 1 that runners describe as quiet, 1 dog-friendly, and 1 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 East Moline trails by type
Running trails near East Moline
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.