Running trails in Prineville, OR
Prineville has 13 trails in the directory — 1 paved and 3 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, 2 shaded, and 5 open 24 hours. 8 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 3,155 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.
Ochoco National Forest & Crooked River National Grassland
4.8 ★★★★★ 761 reviews
Scenic area with mountains & pine forests, plus camping, fishing, hiking, rock-collecting & more.
Prineville Reservoir State Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 759 reviews
3,000-acre lake in the high desert offering boating, fishing, hiking trails, campsites & cabins.
Ochoco Creek Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 643 reviews
Large park featuring a playground, skate park, BMX track and water feature.
Ochoco State Scenic Viewpoint
4.6 ★★★★★ 323 reviews
Picnicking state park offering hiking trails and scenic views of Prineville and its surroundings.
Crooked River Wetlands Complex
4.6 ★★★★★ 164 reviews
Peaceful area featuring paved, gravel paths, wetlands, and birds to observe, along with benches, kiosks and interpretive signage.
Pioneer Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 163 reviews
Shaded, family-friendly park featuring picnic tables and a playground for younger kids.
Steins Pillar Trailhead
4.6 ★★★★★ 78 reviews
Hiking trail featuring scenic views and an unusual geological occurrence.
Rimrock Park
4.2 ★★★★☆ 81 reviews
Laid-back, dog-friendly park featuring a disc golf course, a pond, a stream and trails.
Chimney Rock Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 67 reviews
Hike a 1.3-mi. path featuring basalt cliffs, views of the canyon, and a rock formation.
Prineville Bike Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 64 reviews
Park with a public restroom and a dirt track for mountain biking.
Lower 66 Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 12 reviews
Twin Pillars North Trailhead
4.3 ★★★★☆ 3 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Prineville
- Match the surface to your legs. Prineville gives you a choice: 2 natural surface, 1 paved, 1 crushed gravel, 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.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 5 trails in Prineville are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 8 of the 13 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 1 is lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 6 have trailhead parking, 6 have restrooms, and 1 has a water fountain in Prineville. 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, 4 that runners describe as quiet, 6 dog-friendly, and 4 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 Prineville trails by type
- Natural surface trails
- Paved trails
- Crushed gravel trails
- Mixed trails
- Loop trails
- Shaded trails
- Lit for early & night runs
- Flat & fast
- Hilly trails
- Scenic trails
- Trails with restrooms
- Trails with water fountains
- Trailhead parking
- Quiet, uncrowded trails
- Dog-friendly
- Stroller & wheelchair-accessible
Running trails near Prineville
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.