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Running trails in Lincoln, RI
Lincoln has 12 trails in the directory — 2 paved and 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 2 loops that return to the trailhead, and 2 with a stated distance. 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 6,384 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.
Lincoln Woods State Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 4,915 reviews
Family-friendly park with a beach for swimming, fishing & kayaking plus trails for biking & horses.
Blackstone River State Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 444 reviews
Relaxed park featuring the scenic Blackstone River waterway and a canal, plus trails, a bridge, and kayaking and fishing.
Lincoln Woods State Park Beach
4.5 ★★★★★ 445 reviews
Public and scenic park featuring trails, hiking, kayaking and swimming.
Aust Family Preserve at Lime Rock
4.7 ★★★★★ 255 reviews
Natural area featuring kid-friendly paths and beautiful lakes.
Blackstone River Greenway (Lincoln)
4.7 ★★★★★ 223 reviews
Paved trail for strolling, biking and skating, alongside a canal.
Lonsdale Gateway Trailhead
3.8 ★★★★☆ 5 reviews
Handy Pond Preserve
3.7 ★★★★☆ 3 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Lincoln
- Match the surface to your legs. Lincoln gives you a choice: 2 paved, 2 mixed, and 1 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 Lincoln is Blackstone River Greenway (Lincoln) at 3.5 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. 9 of the 12 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 5 have trailhead parking, 2 have restrooms, and 1 has a water fountain in Lincoln. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 2 with mile markers, 3 that runners describe as quiet, 5 dog-friendly, and 6 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 Lincoln trails by type
Running trails near Lincoln
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.