Running trails in Smithville, MO
Smithville has 8 trails in the directory — 2 paved, 1 with a stated distance, 2 shaded, and 2 open 24 hours. 4 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 535 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.
Smoke & Davey Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 200 reviews
Scenic bikeable trails running through mostly wooded area, with lakeside views.
Little Platte Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 91 reviews
Lake with a swimming area, a disc golf course and shelters, plus picnic tables.
Eagle's View Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 79 reviews
Hiking area with a lake and paved trails suitable for children.
Cabin Fever Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 51 reviews
Paved, lakeside trail for biking and walking, with scenic views and picnic areas.
Anita B. Gorman Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 50 reviews
Biking, hiking and running trails for hikers, joggers and bicyclists.
Helvey Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 43 reviews
Jack Rabbit Bend Trailhead
5 ★★★★★ 4 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Smithville
- Match the surface to your legs. Smithville gives you a choice: 4 mixed and 2 paved. 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 Smithville is Anita B. Gorman Trailhead at 16 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 2 trails in Smithville are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 4 of the 8 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 4 have trailhead parking, 5 have restrooms, and 1 has a water fountain in Smithville. 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, 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 Smithville trails by type
Running trails near Smithville
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.