Running trails in Lima, OH
Lima has 8 trails in the directory — 2 paved, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, and 3 shaded. 7 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 2,329 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.
Faurot Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 936 reviews
89-acre site offering ball fields & volleyball courts, plus a skate park, splash pad & picnic areas.
Hermon Woodlands
4.8 ★★★★★ 422 reviews
Kid-friendly park offering marked trails for walking and rope swinging, as well as forest, woodland and creek scenery. Includes a playground and a sheltered area.
McLean Teddy Bear Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 295 reviews
Shady park featuring ponds, walking trails and a playground.
Robb Park
4 ★★★★☆ 253 reviews
Park offering a playground & picnic areas along with facilities for soccer, softball, tennis & more.
Heritage Park - West End
4.7 ★★★★★ 208 reviews
Wooded park featuring trails, picnic tables, play areas and a fishing pond.
Fort Amanda Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 153 reviews
Clean park and cemetery with paved trails, grills and picnic tables.
Johnny Appleseed Metropolitan Park District-Office
4.7 ★★★★★ 62 reviews
Headquarters with rangers & naturalists running parks, woods & landmarks in the Lima district.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Lima
- Match the surface to your legs. Most of what's here is paved (2 of 8). 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. 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. 7 of the 8 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 2 have trailhead parking, 7 have restrooms, and 1 has a water fountain in Lima. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 3 shaded, 3 that runners describe as quiet, 2 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 Lima trails by type
Running trails near Lima
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.