Running trails in Rhinebeck, NY
Rhinebeck has 3 trails in the directory — 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 2 loops that return to the trailhead, 1 with a stated distance, and 1 open 24 hours. Every one post opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 644 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.
Ferncliff Forest
4.8 ★★★★★ 448 reviews
200-acre forest preserve & game refuge with trails for hiking & biking, campsites & a fishing pond.
Drayton Grant Park at Burger Hill
4.8 ★★★★★ 184 reviews
Short hill popular for sledding, picnics, frisbee and dog walking, with views.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Rhinebeck
- Match the surface to your legs. Most of what's here is natural surface (1 of 3). 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 natural surface 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 Rhinebeck is Ferncliff Forest at 12 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 1 trail in Rhinebeck 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 3 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 2 have trailhead parking and 1 has restrooms in Rhinebeck. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 2 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 Rhinebeck trails by type
Running trails near Rhinebeck
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.