Running trails in Oakdale, MN
Oakdale has 9 trails in the directory — 2 paved, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, and 2 open 24 hours. 8 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 1,775 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.
Richard Walton Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 714 reviews
Large park/events space with athletic fields & courts, a play area, picnic shelters & a skatepark.
Oakdale Nature Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 455 reviews
Scenic, wooded park featuring trails for walking & biking, plus courts for tennis & basketball.
Tanners Lake Park
4.1 ★★★★☆ 295 reviews
Charming lakeside park featuring a basketball court, playground, pier & boat launch.
Eastside Park
4.2 ★★★★☆ 136 reviews
Park with picnic areas, a playground, tennis courts, a baseball field, and an ice rink.
Northdale Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 72 reviews
Park featuring soccer and baseball fields plus a playground and picnic tables.
Oakfield Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 46 reviews
Goose Pond Park
3.9 ★★★★☆ 43 reviews
Bethke Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 12 reviews
Prairie Trails Park
3.5 ★★★★☆ 2 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Oakdale
- Match the surface to your legs. Most of what's here is paved (2 of 9). 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. 2 trails in Oakdale are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 8 of the 9 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 4 have trailhead parking, 4 have restrooms, and 9 have a water fountain in Oakdale. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 1 that runners describe as quiet and 1 dog-friendly. 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 Oakdale trails by type
Running trails near Oakdale
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.