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Running trails in Allentown, PA
Allentown has 18 trails in the directory — 3 paved and 2 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, and 5 open 24 hours. 17 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 7,770 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.
Lehigh Parkway
4.7 ★★★★★ 2,082 reviews
Historic park provides running & biking trails through scenic grounds with a creek & covered bridge.
Trexler Memorial Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,440 reviews
Scenic park with large old trees, grassy lawns & a duck pond, plus paths for cycling & running.
Covered Bridge Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,244 reviews
Park with over 165 acres featuring walking trails, a butterfly garden, sports fields & a playground.
Lone Lane Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 582 reviews
Green space with a playground, BBQ grills, athletic fields & courts for basketball & volleyball.
Canal Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 463 reviews
Fishing is popular at this recreation area on the Lehigh River with a picnic pavilion & boat launch.
Trout Creek Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 452 reviews
Recreation area with a playground, grills, and a creek, plus basketball courts and trails.
Kolapechka Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 249 reviews
Well-maintained place with a playground for kids, plus baseball fields and soccer pitches.
Hanover Canal Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 225 reviews
Kid-friendly park offering trails and ponds, plus picnic tables and pavillions.
Cedar Creek Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 187 reviews
Relaxed park offering creekside walking/jogging trails, gardens, picnic areas & a playground.
Hassen Creek Nature Trail
4.5 ★★★★★ 173 reviews
Nature preserve with a short hiking trail leading to a waterfall.
South Mountain Trail
4.3 ★★★★☆ 167 reviews
Quiet park offering picnic tables and trails for hiking and biking.
Jordan Creek Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 151 reviews
Park featuring disc golf, soccer and baseball fields, plus mountain-biking routes.
South Mountain Big Rock Park
3.9 ★★★★☆ 127 reviews
Dense forest with hiking trails, named for its massive, towering natural rock formation.
Lehigh Mountain Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 82 reviews
Park featuring archery and a hill trail popular with mountain bikers, as well as dog walkers.
Walking Purchase Park
4.2 ★★★★☆ 42 reviews
Park with opportunities for hiking and mountain biking, as well as good options for kids.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Allentown
- Match the surface to your legs. Allentown gives you a choice: 3 paved, 1 crushed gravel, 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 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. 5 trails in Allentown are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 17 of the 18 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. 13 have trailhead parking, 11 have restrooms, and 5 have a water fountain in Allentown. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 8 that runners describe as quiet, 9 dog-friendly, and 3 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 Allentown trails by type
Running trails near Allentown
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.