Running trails in Portland, ME
Portland has 19 trails in the directory — 5 paved and 3 on crushed gravel or dirt, 5 loops that return to the trailhead, 12 with a stated distance, and 6 open 24 hours. 14 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 4,144 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.
Fort Allen Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 2,019 reviews
This grassy spot with water views features seating areas, a gazebo & many historical monuments.
Western Promenade
4.7 ★★★★★ 606 reviews
18.1-acre park featuring scenic trails around bluffs, plus statues & stately 19th-century homes.
Presumpscot River Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 240 reviews
Tranquil riverside park with a waterfall, hiking trails, for-leash dogs and open spaces.
Eastern Promenade Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 243 reviews
Scenic waterside trail that leads to a beach that’s dog-friendly.
Fore River Sanctuary
4.7 ★★★★★ 231 reviews
Tranquil hiking trail with a waterfall winding through woods, marsh and bridges.
Mayor Baxter Woods
4.6 ★★★★★ 211 reviews
Pine forested, dog-friendly park offering shaded trails for walking, running & cycling.
Back Cove Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 169 reviews
Large park featuring a 3.5-mile, waterfront loop trail for jogging & biking, plus open green space.
Jewell Falls - Rowe Trailhead
4.6 ★★★★★ 89 reviews
Short and long woodland trails with maps of the area, leading to a waterfall.
Oat Nuts Park Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 85 reviews
Park featuring hiking and cycling trails plus views of the Presumpscot River.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Portland
- Match the surface to your legs. Portland gives you a choice: 5 paved, 3 natural surface, and 2 mixed. 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? 5 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 Portland is Presumpscot River Preserve at 100 mi. 12 trails are long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 6 trails in Portland are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 14 of the 19 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 1 is lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 9 have trailhead parking and 2 have a water fountain in Portland. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 3 with mile markers, 3 that runners describe as quiet, 14 dog-friendly, and 5 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 Portland trails by type
Running trails near Portland
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.