Running trails in Duluth, MN
Duluth has 24 trails in the directory — 2 paved and 5 on crushed gravel or dirt, 3 loops that return to the trailhead, 1 with a stated distance, and 10 open 24 hours. 18 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 8,689 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.
Leif Erikson Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 2,418 reviews
Popular park along the Lakewalk featuring a small stage for events, a rose garden & water views.
Park Point Recreation Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,612 reviews
Relaxed, sandy beach on Lake Superior (with a pavilion) offering picnic spots and swimming.
Lakewalk
4.8 ★★★★★ 892 reviews
Popular lakefront walking area offering access to nearby restaurants & scenic views.
The Duluth Lakewalk
4.8 ★★★★★ 846 reviews
Promenade connecting lighthouses along the shore of a large lake in a park, with views of passing ships.
Hartley Nature Center
4.8 ★★★★★ 652 reviews
Large refuge for hiking, cycling, cross-country skiing & fishing, plus nature center with exhibits.
Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 395 reviews
Birds of prey are known to migrate through this vast observatory with hiking, biking & lake views.
Chambers Grove
4.7 ★★★★★ 333 reviews
Waterside picnic area featuring a playground, along with space for fishing and other activities.
Congdon Park
4.9 ★★★★★ 302 reviews
Scenic hiking area featuring waterfalls, streams, and paved trails.
Magney-Snively Natural Area
4.8 ★★★★★ 176 reviews
Picturesque location with hiking trails and overlooks of the St. Louis River and Bay.
Chester Creek Hiking Trails Hub
4.8 ★★★★★ 164 reviews
Park featuring waterfalls, hiking trails and a creek, plus scenery.
W.R. Bagley Nature Area
4.8 ★★★★★ 131 reviews
Scenic park featuring multiple walking and hiking trails, plus an observation deck.
Hartley Nature Center TH, Superior Hiking Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 98 reviews
Cross-country trails, plus hiking trails for all skill levels in a scenic area.
Park Point Trail Trailhead
4.9 ★★★★★ 88 reviews
Hiking, trails, sandy beaches, waves and boardwalks on the Lake Superior shoreline.
Munger Trail Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 89 reviews
Paved path for walking, biking and skating, plus hiking trails.
Brewer Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 84 reviews
Park with trails for hiking and mountain biking, plus disc golf.
Short Line Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 82 reviews
Popular hiking destination with a rail tunnel & a peak offering scenic vistas of distant Duluth.
Waabizheshikana Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 66 reviews
Popular destination for hikers and cyclists as well as a peaceful walking spot featuring scenic views of the St. Louis River.
Waterfall Near Brewer Park
4.1 ★★★★☆ 16 reviews
Cross City Trail
5 ★★★★★ 1 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Duluth
- Match the surface to your legs. Duluth gives you a choice: 9 mixed, 3 natural surface, 2 paved, and 2 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 mixed trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 3 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 Duluth is Chambers Grove at 2 mi.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 10 trails in Duluth are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 18 of the 24 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 5 are lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 19 have trailhead parking, 9 have restrooms, and 2 have a water fountain in Duluth. 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, 5 that runners describe as quiet, 6 dog-friendly, and 8 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 Duluth trails by type
- Mixed trails
- Natural surface trails
- Paved trails
- Crushed gravel trails
- Loop trails
- Lit for early & night runs
- Flat & fast
- Hilly trails
- Scenic trails
- Trails with restrooms
- Trails with water fountains
- Trailhead parking
- Trails with mile markers
- Quiet, uncrowded trails
- Dog-friendly
- Stroller & wheelchair-accessible
Running trails near Duluth
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.