Running trails in Washington, IL
Washington has 8 trails in the directory — 2 paved, 2 loops that return to the trailhead, 1 with a stated distance, 2 shaded, and 1 open 24 hours. 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 721 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.
Farmdale Reservoir
4.7 ★★★★★ 213 reviews
Wooded hiking trails along with mountain bike tracks and a small jumps course.
Meadow Valley Park & Dog Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 182 reviews
Park with swings, slides, picnic areas, water pumps and a playground, including a 'tall' one.
Harry Lahood Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 155 reviews
Spacey park featuring playground equipment, a splash pad, and a basketball court.
Spring Creek Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 82 reviews
Area for hiking and woodland walks, featuring a nature trail and picnic tables.
George Doering Park
4.2 ★★★★☆ 72 reviews
Quiet park featuring a playground and a 4/10-mile loop, along with a picnic area.
Farmdale overlook
4.4 ★★★★☆ 8 reviews
Candlewood Trail
3.8 ★★★★☆ 8 reviews
Washington Recreational Trail - Cummings Lane
5 ★★★★★ 1 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Washington
- Match the surface to your legs. Most of what's here is paved (2 of 8). 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? 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 Washington is George Doering Park at 10 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 1 trail in Washington is open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 5 of the 8 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 3 have trailhead parking, 4 have restrooms, and 2 have a water fountain in Washington. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 2 shaded, 1 with mile markers, 2 that runners describe as quiet, 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 Washington trails by type
Running trails near Washington
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.