Running trails in Albany, NY
Albany has 11 trails in the directory — 2 paved and 2 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, 1 with a stated distance, and 6 open 24 hours. 10 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 2,183 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.
Corning Preserve
4.5 ★★★★★ 439 reviews
Park space beside the Hudson River, featuring a hiking/running trail, boat launch & amphitheater.
Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 294 reviews
Paved bike and walking trail with a waterfall and rock walls, plus friendly people.
Tivoli Lake Preserve
4.3 ★★★★☆ 238 reviews
Lake, pond, wood and stream, plus trails for hiking and biking in a quiet green space.
Riverfront Preserve
4.5 ★★★★★ 207 reviews
Riverfront park featuring an outdoor stage for concerts and festivals, as well as a bike trail along the Hudson River.
Normanskill Farm HikingTrail
4.5 ★★★★★ 118 reviews
Peaceful area known for hiking and a dog park, along with a creek and golf course.
North Bethlehem Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 105 reviews
Outdoor option featuring mountain biking trails in the forest alongside a playground and picnic areas.
Hudson River Valley Greenway
5 ★★★★★ 2 reviews
Mohawk Hudson Hike Bike Trail HEAD
4.5 ★★★★★ 2 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Albany
- Match the surface to your legs. Albany gives you a choice: 2 paved, 1 crushed gravel, 1 natural surface, and 1 mixed. 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 Albany is Albany Pinebush Preserve Trailhead #5 Blueberry Hill West at 20 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 6 trails in Albany are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 10 of the 11 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 6 have trailhead parking, 1 has restrooms, and 2 have a water fountain in Albany. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 6 that runners describe as quiet, 4 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 Albany trails by type
Running trails near Albany
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.