Running trails in Saugerties, NY
Saugerties has 9 trails in the directory — 3 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, 2 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 2,107 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.
Kaaterskill Wild Forest
4.8 ★★★★★ 984 reviews
Rustic natural area with year-round activities, including camping, boating, hiking & snowmobiling.
Falling Waters Preserve
4.7 ★★★★★ 482 reviews
Riverfront, day-use park with trails, grassy fields & a waterfall, plus remains of an old icehouse.
Ruth Reynolds Glunt Nature Preserve
4.7 ★★★★★ 269 reviews
Scenic nature preserve encompassing 2 bridge-connected islands, 1 with a lighthouse.
Ulster Landing County Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 178 reviews
Kid-friendly waterside venue for swimming, picnics and boat launching, along with hiking trails.
Esopus Bend Nature Preserve
4.6 ★★★★★ 173 reviews
Woodland preserve in verdant, peaceful environs known for its picturesque locale & hiking trails.
Turkey Point from Ulster Landing
4.8 ★★★★★ 10 reviews
Father C. Jorn Trail
5 ★★★★★ 1 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Saugerties
- Match the surface to your legs. Most of what's here is natural surface (3 of 9). 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? 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 Saugerties is Ruth Reynolds Glunt Nature Preserve at 2 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 9 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 1 is lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 6 have trailhead parking and 2 have restrooms in Saugerties. 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, 5 with mile markers, 3 that runners describe as quiet, 5 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 Saugerties trails by type
Running trails near Saugerties
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.