Running trails in Hastings, MN
Hastings has 12 trails in the directory — 3 paved, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, and 3 shaded. 11 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 4,551 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.
Vermillion Falls Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,662 reviews
Pit stop with a scenic waterfall, walking trail & rentable picnic pavilion for events.
Spring Lake Park Reserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 764 reviews
Bison aside, this sprawling place offers multiple trails, hiking opportunities, picnic spots, and a playground for kids.
Carpenter Nature Center
4.8 ★★★★★ 583 reviews
Nature center with trails and an orchard featuring bald eagles and other wildlife along with an exhibit hall.
Schaar's Bluff Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 384 reviews
Relaxed riverside park featuring bluff-top views from the trail-laced wilderness.
Levee Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 276 reviews
Riverfront area with picnic tables and trails for walking and biking.
Point Douglas Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 277 reviews
Beach, picnic tables and river views in a scenic park known for its boating and fishing.
Roadside Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 248 reviews
Park featuring a playground with slides, picnic tables, and a gazebo.
Old Mill Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 165 reviews
Park, sporting trails to former brick mills from the 1800s, including an old one destroyed by fire.
C.P. Adams Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 118 reviews
Large, wooded, 18-hole disc golf course in a park featuring hiking trails and Frisbee golf.
Vermillion River Linear Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 57 reviews
Park with kid-friendly hiking trails and picnic tables.
Vermillion Falls Linear Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 14 reviews
Point Douglas Regional Trail
5 ★★★★★ 3 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Hastings
- Match the surface to your legs. Hastings gives you a choice: 3 paved 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 paved trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 1 trail here is a loop, 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.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. Plenty of trails sit inside parks that gate at dusk and don't unlock until well after sunrise, so a trail that's perfect at lunchtime can be locked at 6am. 11 of the 12 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 7 have trailhead parking, 7 have restrooms, and 2 have a water fountain in Hastings. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 3 shaded, 1 with mile markers, 4 dog-friendly, and 3 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 Hastings trails by type
Running trails near Hastings
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.