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Running trails in Media, PA
Media has 12 trails in the directory — 3 paved and 2 on crushed gravel or dirt, 2 loops that return to the trailhead, 1 with a stated distance, 1 shaded, and 3 open 24 hours. 9 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 6,304 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.
Ridley Creek State Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 3,445 reviews
Green oasis of woodlands & meadows offering hiking, fishing & picnicking from sunrise to sunset.
Rose Tree Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,886 reviews
120 leafy acres for hikes, picnics, recreational sports, concerts & tours of historic buildings.
Glen Providence Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 286 reviews
Hillside 25-acre park on a creek with hiking trails, a pond & abundant birdlife, open since 1935.
Chester Creek Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 244 reviews
Flat paved trail taking in views of the surrounding nature as well as the occasional road crossing.
Natural Lands' Hildacy Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 209 reviews
Natural area dedicated to preserving the native plants, birds and wildlife of the region, with winding trails and shaded woods for walking and hiking.
Darlington Trailhead
4.6 ★★★★★ 81 reviews
Hiking area with trails by a creek and through the woods, suitable for children.
Louis W Scott Memorial Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 59 reviews
Picturesque park that features well-maintained trails for walking and hiking, as well as a swimming area for dogs.
Middletown Township Memorial Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 28 reviews
Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 9 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Media
- Match the surface to your legs. Media gives you a choice: 3 paved and 2 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 paved trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 2 trails here are loops, 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 Media is Chester Creek Trail at 1.5 mi.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 3 trails in Media are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 9 of the 12 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. 5 have trailhead parking and 4 have restrooms in Media. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 1 shaded, 3 with mile markers, 5 that runners describe as quiet, 6 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 Media trails by type
Running trails near Media
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.