Running trails in Washington, MO
Washington has 5 trails in the directory — 1 paved and 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, 1 with a stated distance, and 1 open 24 hours. 3 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 1,047 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.
James W. Rennick Riverfront Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 553 reviews
Riverfront park with barbecues, picnic tables, a boat ramp and a playground.
All Abilities Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 420 reviews
Spacious park featuring slides, jungle gyms, and climbing walls for children of all ages.
Schulze Nature Preserve
4 ★★★★☆ 30 reviews
Looping hiking trails (some industrial in proximity) through woods and over streams.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Washington
- Match the surface to your legs. Washington gives you a choice: 1 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 Washington is Schulze Nature Preserve at 1.2 mi.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 1 trail in Washington is open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 3 of the 5 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 2 have trailhead parking, 1 has restrooms, and 1 has a water fountain in Washington. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 1 with mile markers, 1 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 Washington trails by type
Running trails near Washington
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.