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Running trails in Salem, MA
Salem has 10 trails in the directory — 2 on crushed gravel or dirt, 2 boardwalk, 1 shaded, and 1 open 24 hours. 6 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 5,189 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.
Salem Willows Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 3,861 reviews
Storied park since 1858 boasting a carousel, arcade & food vendors, plus a beach & outdoor concerts.
Forest River Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 825 reviews
This riverfront park with beaches, picnic areas & a playground also offers a living history museum.
Gallows Hill Park
4.1 ★★★★☆ 195 reviews
Small, scenic park for skateboarding, soccer and baseball games, plus a playground.
Forest River Conservation Area
4.6 ★★★★★ 112 reviews
This conservation area features forests, fields & marshland with 1.5 miles of hiking trails.
Salem Woods Highland Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 82 reviews
Destination for tranquil nature hikes through a large woodland park with marked trails.
Axelrod Walkway Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 18 reviews
Marblehead Rail Trail
4.3 ★★★★☆ 3 reviews
Marblehead Rail Trail
3.5 ★★★★☆ 2 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Salem
- Match the surface to your legs. Salem gives you a choice: 2 natural surface, 2 boardwalk, and 1 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 natural surface 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.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 1 trail in Salem is open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 6 of the 10 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 5 have trailhead parking and 2 have restrooms in Salem. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 1 shaded, 4 dog-friendly, and 2 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 Salem trails by type
Running trails near Salem
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.