Running trails in Augusta, ME
Augusta has 4 trails in the directory — 1 paved and 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 with a stated distance, and 2 open 24 hours. 3 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 665 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.
Capitol Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 451 reviews
Public park with mature trees & extensive lawns standing in the shadow of the Capitol Building.
Kennebec River Rail Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 175 reviews
Pretty, green 7- to 8-mile paved trail for walking, biking and running, plus views of the Kennebec River and surrounding scenery.
Augusta Greenway Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 7 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Augusta
- Match the surface to your legs. Augusta gives you a choice: 1 paved and 1 crushed gravel. 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. The longest stated distance in Augusta is Kennebec River Rail Trail at 6.5 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 2 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. 3 of the 4 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 1 has trailhead parking and 2 have restrooms 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. 1 with mile markers, 2 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 Augusta trails by type
Running trails near Augusta
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.