Running trails in Omaha, NE
Omaha has 22 trails in the directory — 8 paved, 1 boardwalk, 2 loops that return to the trailhead, 1 with a stated distance, 3 shaded, and 1 open 24 hours. 19 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 14,298 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.
Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge.
4.8 ★★★★★ 5,106 reviews
Open to pedestrians & cyclists, this modern bridge crosses the Missouri River & connects 2 states.
Chalco Hills Recreation Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 2,132 reviews
An ecological education center, a lake for fishing & boating, plus trails for hikers & joggers.
Lewis & Clark Landing at The RiverFront
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,558 reviews
Large riverfront plaza featuring Lewis & Clark exhibits plus a trail & marina.
Standing Bear Lake
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,526 reviews
Huge park with walking trails & a large lake for boating & fishing, plus ice-skating in wintertime.
OPPD Arboretum
4.7 ★★★★★ 886 reviews
Park with trails, gazebo, waterfall, and labeled trees, plus power-line education.
Zorinsky Lake Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 802 reviews
Lake park featuring fishing, a playground, athletic fields, a picnic area, shelters & more.
Hummel Park Nature Center
4.5 ★★★★★ 529 reviews
This small park has an indoor event facility & hosts nature classes & summer day camps for children.
Heron Haven Nature Center
4.7 ★★★★★ 393 reviews
Wildlife reserve featuring boardwalks and a butterfly garden.
Flanagan Lake Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 313 reviews
Manmade lake featuring boat launches and a paved hiking/biking trail of 5.5 miles.
Neale Woods Nature Reserve
4.6 ★★★★★ 292 reviews
Calm outdoor area featuring marked, hilly trails and sweeping views of the surrounding area and the Missouri River.
Mandan Park
3.8 ★★★★☆ 264 reviews
Park with trails for mountain biking and walking, picnic areas, and a playground.
Zorinsky Lake Trail - North Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 142 reviews
Park offering walking, biking, picnicking, fishing, and beach access, plus seasonal bathrooms.
Pacific Meadows Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 122 reviews
Public park with tennis courts and picnic tables, plus a playground and walking trail.
One Pacific Place Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 74 reviews
Barrington Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 53 reviews
Sprawling park featuring a prairie and a tennis court as well as playground equipment for kids.
Keystone Trail
4.5 ★★★★★ 30 reviews
Big Papio Trail
4.1 ★★★★☆ 24 reviews
Northwest Wehrspann Trail Entrance
4.9 ★★★★★ 7 reviews
South Omaha Trail
3.8 ★★★★☆ 4 reviews
Omaha Riverfront Trail
5 ★★★★★ 1 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Omaha
- Match the surface to your legs. Omaha gives you a choice: 8 paved, 2 mixed, and 1 boardwalk. 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? 2 trails here are loops, 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 Omaha is Zorinsky Lake Trail - North Trailhead at 3 mi.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 1 trail in Omaha is open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 19 of the 22 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 2 are lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 8 have trailhead parking and 9 have restrooms in Omaha. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 3 shaded, 1 with mile markers, 10 that runners describe as quiet, 3 dog-friendly, and 3 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 Omaha trails by type
Running trails near Omaha
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.