Running trails in Kettering, OH
Kettering has 7 trails in the directory — 1 paved, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, 2 shaded, and 2 open 24 hours. 5 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 2,258 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.
Hills & Dales MetroPark
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,299 reviews
Park featuring woodlands, creeks & native plant life, with hiking trails, picnic areas & monuments.
Indian Riffle Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 613 reviews
Amenity-rich local park featuring a disc golf course, skating area, fishing pond & picnic shelters.
Irelan Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 215 reviews
Family-friendly greenspace featuring a playground and baseball fields, plus shelter areas.
Gentile Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 90 reviews
Park featuring a playground with swings and slides, plus restrooms and a bike path.
Greenmont Park
3.8 ★★★★☆ 22 reviews
Lincoln Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 14 reviews
Trailhead for Adirondack Trail
3.8 ★★★★☆ 5 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Kettering
- Match the surface to your legs. Kettering gives you a choice: 1 paved 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.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 2 trails in Kettering are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 5 of the 7 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 4 have trailhead parking, 3 have restrooms, and 4 have a water fountain in Kettering. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 2 shaded, 1 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 Kettering trails by type
Running trails near Kettering
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.