Running trails in Stillwater, MN
Stillwater has 13 trails in the directory — 6 paved and 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, 1 with a stated distance, 2 shaded, and 2 open 24 hours. 7 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 1,714 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.
Lowell Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 623 reviews
Picnic-ready park with sculptures for winter snow carvers and outdoor benches.
St. Croix Boom Site State Wayside
4.6 ★★★★★ 501 reviews
Timber was once sorted at this site, which is now a nature area with a picnic area & boat launch.
Pine Point Regional Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 206 reviews
Natural area featuring forests & lakes, with biking, hiking & equestrian trails, plus bird-watching.
Brown's Creek Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 152 reviews
Public park with a playground, picnic tables, and paved and dirt trails for walking, biking, and horseback riding.
Arcola Bluffs Day Use Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 55 reviews
Park featuring hiking trails down to the St. Croix River.
Brown's Creek State Trailhead Kiosk
4.6 ★★★★★ 53 reviews
Outdoor spot that features a scenic trail for walking, biking and running, and dogs are allowed.
Trailhead
4.6 ★★★★★ 11 reviews
Saint Croix Riverfront Valley View Hiking Trails
5 ★★★★★ 1 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Stillwater
- Match the surface to your legs. Stillwater gives you a choice: 6 paved and 1 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 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. The longest stated distance in Stillwater is St. Croix Boom Site State Wayside at 4 mi.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 2 trails in Stillwater are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 7 of the 13 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 8 have trailhead parking, 3 have restrooms, and 2 have a water fountain in Stillwater. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 2 shaded, 1 that runners describe as quiet, 2 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 Stillwater trails by type
Running trails near Stillwater
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.