Running trails in Parma, OH
Parma has 7 trails in the directory — 1 paved and 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, and 1 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 3,111 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.
West Creek Reservation
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,611 reviews
Upland & wetland landscape offers trails, picnic areas & a building with water management workshops.
Nike Site Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 799 reviews
Compact, dog-friendly community green space with a pool, athletic fields, grills & a fitness course.
Big Creek Parkway
4.7 ★★★★★ 502 reviews
Park featuring picnic tables, barbecue grills and winding footpaths amid greenery.
Bluebird Point
4.8 ★★★★★ 120 reviews
Public park featuring paved and gravel trails for walking, hiking, and cycling.
Dentzler Rd. Trailhead
4.5 ★★★★★ 47 reviews
Hiking area featuring a kid-friendly trail that leads to West Creek Reservation.
Greenbriar Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 10 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Parma
- Match the surface to your legs. Parma gives you a choice: 2 mixed, 1 paved, and 1 natural surface. 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 mixed 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. 1 trail in Parma is 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. 5 have trailhead parking, 4 have restrooms, and 2 have a water fountain in Parma. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 1 with mile markers, 1 that runners describe as quiet, and 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 Parma trails by type
Running trails near Parma
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.