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Running trails in South St Paul, MN
South St Paul has 4 trails in the directory — 3 paved, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, and 1 shaded. Every one post opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 684 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.
Kaposia Landing
4.7 ★★★★★ 508 reviews
Lakeside green space featuring a playground, walking trails and dog park for off-leash play.
Simon's Ravine Trailhead
4.5 ★★★★★ 97 reviews
Park offering a paved, uphill walking trail through a forest setting.
Grandview Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 52 reviews
Well-maintained park featuring a playground, benches and an overlook of the Mississippi River as well as paved walking trails.
Wildflower Levee Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 27 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in South St Paul
- Match the surface to your legs. Most of what's here is paved (3 of 4). 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. 4 of the 4 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 3 have trailhead parking, 1 has restrooms, and 2 have a water fountain in South St Paul. 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, 1 that runners describe as quiet, and 2 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 South St Paul trails by type
Running trails near South St Paul
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.