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Running trails in Independence, MO
Independence has 15 trails in the directory — 3 paved and 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 with a stated distance, 1 shaded, and 1 open 24 hours. 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 3,250 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.
George Owens Nature Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 595 reviews
Charming year-round park featuring over 80-acres of wooded trails, lakes, rain gardens & wildlife.
LaBenite Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 534 reviews
Scenic park bordering the Missouri River featuring hiking trails and picnic tables.
William M Hill Park
4.1 ★★★★☆ 450 reviews
Green space with a playground and picnic facilities, plus a skate park and a creek.
Bundschu Park
4 ★★★★☆ 322 reviews
Quiet park offering a playground, basketball courts, and picnic areas.
Landahl Mountain Bike Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 258 reviews
Park with a network of trails for hiking and mountain biking.
Waterfall Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 251 reviews
Peaceful park, featuring a playground and a pond with ducks.
Clothier Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 227 reviews
Relaxed park, popular with families, offering a playground and exercise equipment.
Little Blue Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 129 reviews
Park featuring a trail for hikers, bikers, and runners.
Little Blue Trace County Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 115 reviews
Scenic path winding through parks, with picnic tables, for hikers and cyclists.
Little Blue Trace - Hartman Heritage Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 77 reviews
Scenic 17-mile park featuring biking paths and trails for running, hiking and walking.
Little Blue Trace Trail - Ripley Junction
4.5 ★★★★★ 76 reviews
Park featuring kid-friendly hiking trails, as well as picnic tables.
Little Blue Trace Trailhead North endpoint
4.6 ★★★★★ 70 reviews
Park with walking and biking trails, some paved and some gravel.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Independence
- Match the surface to your legs. Independence gives you a choice: 4 mixed, 3 paved, and 1 natural surface. 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? A loop finishes back at the car with no backtracking; on an out-and-back you simply turn round at half your distance. The longest stated distance in Independence is Carriage Hills Park at 25 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 1 trail in Independence is open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 11 of the 15 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 10 have trailhead parking, 7 have restrooms, and 1 has a water fountain in Independence. 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, 2 with mile markers, 5 that runners describe as quiet, and 3 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 Independence trails by type
Running trails near Independence
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.