Running trails in Clackamas, OR
Clackamas has 3 trails in the directory — 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, and 1 with a stated distance. Every one post opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 2,150 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.
Mount Talbert Nature Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 974 reviews
Tree-covered 4-mile trail network ranging from paved, ADA-accessible routes to steep footpaths.
Riverside Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 963 reviews
Park on the Clackamas River featuring a beach, float-access points, picnic tables and baseball fields.
Pfeifer Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 213 reviews
Playground for toddlers, plus a basketball court, a soccer, and a football field.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Clackamas
- Match the surface to your legs. Clackamas gives you a choice: 1 natural surface 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 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 Clackamas is Mount Talbert Nature Park at 4 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 3 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 3 have trailhead parking, 2 have restrooms, and 1 has a water fountain in Clackamas. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 1 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 Clackamas trails by type
Running trails near Clackamas
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.