Running trails in Delaware, OH
Delaware has 16 trails in the directory — 3 paved and 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 boardwalk, 2 loops that return to the trailhead, and 4 with a stated distance. 12 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 2,792 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.
Blue Limestone Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 677 reviews
Neighborhood recreation area with a playground, walking trails & a fishing hole in a former quarry.
Mingo Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 617 reviews
Sprawling park with a skate park and river access, plus play areas and courts.
Shale Hollow Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 502 reviews
Scenic, tranquil park with forest trails, a small stream, footbridges & natural play areas.
Gallant Woods Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 154 reviews
Featuring old growth woods and restored prairies, this 231-acre park offers trails, wetlands, a playground, and picnic facilities.
Havener Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 150 reviews
Recreational green space featuring soccer fields, walking trails, bird cages, and access to the neighboring Deer Haven Park.
Seymour Woods State Nature Preserve
4.4 ★★★★☆ 73 reviews
Nature preserve offering kid-friendly hiking trails and a variety of bird life.
Scioto Township Park And Nature Area
4.3 ★★★★☆ 64 reviews
Park featuring a playground and walking trails, plus tennis and baseball courts, and picnic shelters.
Sawmill Pkwy Multi-Use Trail
4.5 ★★★★★ 4 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Delaware
- Match the surface to your legs. Delaware gives you a choice: 3 paved, 3 mixed, 1 crushed gravel, 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 Delaware is Gallant Woods Park at 25 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- 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. 12 of the 16 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 11 have trailhead parking, 11 have restrooms, and 6 have a water fountain in Delaware. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 5 that runners describe as quiet, 9 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 Delaware trails by type
Running trails near Delaware
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.