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Running trails in Lowell, MA
Lowell has 14 trails in the directory — 4 paved and 2 on crushed gravel or dirt, 2 loops that return to the trailhead, 1 with a stated distance, and 1 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 2,432 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.
Shedd Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 1,150 reviews
This 50-acre community park features athletic courts & fields, a splash pad, playground & pavilion.
Lowell-Dracut-Tyngsborough State Forest
4.6 ★★★★★ 535 reviews
Spreading over 3 towns, this vast woodland area provides 6 mi. of hiking trails & fishing ponds.
Rogers Fort Hill Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 303 reviews
Serene park featuring grassy areas and a fountain, plus trails, plus spaces for kids to play.
Vandenberg Esplanade
4.6 ★★★★★ 212 reviews
Relaxed park along the Merrimack River, with benches, beaches and picnic spots.
Sheehy Memorial Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 74 reviews
Lakeside space featuring walking trails and picnic areas amid natural surroundings.
Muldoon Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 56 reviews
Riverside park with a gazebo and benches for relaxing walks and paddling.
Concord River Greenway Park
4 ★★★★☆ 20 reviews
Francis Gate Park
4.9 ★★★★★ 12 reviews
Northern Canal Walkway
5 ★★★★★ 5 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Lowell
- Match the surface to your legs. Lowell gives you a choice: 4 paved, 1 crushed gravel, and 1 natural surface. 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 Lowell is Merrimack River Walking Path at 1.2 mi.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 1 trail in Lowell is 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 14 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 4 are lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 6 have trailhead parking in Lowell. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 4 that runners describe as quiet, 3 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 Lowell trails by type
Running trails near Lowell
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.