Running trails in Olean, NY
Olean has 4 trails in the directory — 1 with a stated distance and 1 shaded. 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 1,285 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.
Rock City Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 934 reviews
Souvenir shop & massive rock formations along marked, scenic trails with a peaceful vibe.
Oak Hill Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 196 reviews
Tree-filled hilltop park featuring playgrounds, picnic tables and basketball courts.
Gargoyle Park
4.2 ★★★★☆ 155 reviews
Park with disc golf and Frisbee courses, plus picnic tables, trails, and a playground.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Olean
- Match the surface to your legs. 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.
- 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 Olean is Rock City Park at 1 mi.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. Plenty of trails sit inside parks that gate at dusk and don't unlock until well after sunrise, so a trail that's perfect at lunchtime can be locked at 6am. 3 of the 4 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 1 has trailhead parking, 1 has restrooms, and 1 has a water fountain in Olean. 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, 1 with mile markers, 3 dog-friendly, and 1 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 Olean trails by type
Running trails near Olean
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.