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Running trails in Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia has 41 trails in the directory — 7 paved and 2 on crushed gravel or dirt, 9 boardwalk, 3 loops that return to the trailhead, 1 with a stated distance, 4 shaded, and 14 open 24 hours. 32 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 38,039 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.
Wissahickon Valley Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 6,926 reviews
Vast park with over 50 miles of trails for hikers, bikers & equestrians, plus a trout-stocked creek.
East Fairmount Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 5,359 reviews
Large riverside park with picnic tables, baseball fields and sculptures, plus views of Boat House Row.
FDR Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 5,154 reviews
Large urban park offering a golf course, sports fields, fishing lakes & the American Swedish Museum.
Pennypack Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 4,487 reviews
Creekside park with multi-use trails & an outdoor bandstand, plus historic houses & a farm.
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum
4.7 ★★★★★ 3,195 reviews
Dedicated to preserving the Tinicum Marsh, this refuge offers hiking trails & a visitor center.
Fairmount Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 2,514 reviews
Historic, big park with walking trails, sports fields, gardens, public art & a reservoir.
Schuylkill River Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,929 reviews
This park runs along the river & offers a playground, paved paths, sports areas, a pool & a dog run.
Tacony Creek Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 1,832 reviews
On 302 acres, this narrow preserve offers creek views plus native trees & wildflowers.
Schuylkill Banks
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,579 reviews
Riverside park featuring a jogging/biking trail, plus benches, a 9/11 memorial & skyline views.
Burholme Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 1,148 reviews
85-acre park with wooded areas & spaces for baseball, football & soccer, plus a driving range.
Benjamin Rush State Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 934 reviews
This park offers hiking & biking paths, a community garden & a radio control model airplane field.
Cobbs Creek Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 904 reviews
Wooded park along Cobbs Creek featuring a playground, picnic tables & walking paths.
Grays Ferry Crescent Trail Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 276 reviews
Urban green space with river & skyline views, hiking & biking path, a skate park & fishing areas.
Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk
4.8 ★★★★★ 232 reviews
This continuation of the Schuylkill River Trail extends over water & offers scenic lookout points.
Cliveden Park
4.2 ★★★★☆ 201 reviews
Shaded greenspace with swings, slides and a jungle gym for kids.
Wissahickon Creek Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 151 reviews
Kid-friendly park offering 2 hiking trails along a creek with fishing spots.
Pastorius Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 150 reviews
Large park featuring a lake and a stage for outdoor summer concerts, plus a loop trail.
Schuylkill River Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 118 reviews
Riverfront spot for walking or biking along a well-maintained trail with city views.
Schuylkill River Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 94 reviews
Hiking area with a trail along the Schuylkill River that is especially scenic in the fall.
Andorra Meadow
4.8 ★★★★★ 94 reviews
Nature preserve offering kid-friendly hikes and bird watching opportunities, plus a cafe.
The Riverfront Greenway
4.7 ★★★★★ 93 reviews
Relaxed riverside greenway featuring a trail for bikes and pedestrians, plus fishing spots.
Bartram's Mile Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 68 reviews
Fishing, hiking, picnicking, and other park activities are offered in this kid-friendly destination.
Carpenter's Woods
4.7 ★★★★★ 59 reviews
Wooded trails featuring salamanders, birds, and plenty of dogs.
Bells Mill Road West Trailhead
4.9 ★★★★★ 55 reviews
Kid-friendly area features walking and hiking trails amid verdant surrounds.
Manayunk Canal Path
4.6 ★★★★★ 45 reviews
Park with a walking, biking and hiking trail along a scenic canal.
Germany Hill
3.9 ★★★★☆ 39 reviews
Manayunk Bridge Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 25 reviews
Houston Meadow
4.8 ★★★★★ 21 reviews
Grays Ferry Crescent
4.4 ★★★★☆ 16 reviews
Schuylkill River Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 5 reviews
Stairs to Lower Trail
4 ★★★★☆ 3 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Philadelphia
- Match the surface to your legs. Philadelphia gives you a choice: 9 boardwalk, 7 paved, 6 mixed, 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 boardwalk trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 3 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 Philadelphia is John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum at 10 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 14 trails in Philadelphia are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 32 of the 41 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 6 are lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 22 have trailhead parking, 9 have restrooms, and 6 have a water fountain in Philadelphia. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 4 shaded, 2 with mile markers, 18 that runners describe as quiet, 10 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 Philadelphia trails by type
- Boardwalk trails
- Paved trails
- Mixed trails
- Natural surface trails
- Loop trails
- Long-run trails (5+ mi)
- Shaded trails
- Lit for early & night runs
- Flat & fast
- Hilly trails
- Scenic trails
- Trails with restrooms
- Trails with water fountains
- Trailhead parking
- Trails with mile markers
- Quiet, uncrowded trails
- Dog-friendly
- Stroller & wheelchair-accessible
Running trails near Philadelphia
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.